Sderot, Israel — Over 200 Israelis were killed in an unexpected large-scale assault by the Palestinian group Hamas on Saturday, according to the army. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to decimate the group’s hideouts in Gaza.
The intense airstrikes on the coastal region raised the Palestinian death toll to at least 232, as reported by Gaza officials. This followed Hamas’s extensive rocket attacks and a combined ground, air, and sea offensive, marking the deadliest escalation in the conflict in years.
Throughout the night, fierce gunfights erupted between Israeli forces and numerous Hamas members across at least 22 Israeli sites. In at least two of these locations, gunmen took hostages, the army reported.
“Terrorists violently invaded homes, slaughtering civilians,” the army stated, noting that over 1,000 individuals in Israel suffered injuries from gunshots or the barrage of over 3,000 incoming rockets.
#IsraelHamasConflict#Israel halts #electricity supply to #Gaza: #energy minister. @Palestine_UN @IsraeliPM pic.twitter.com/VCtee4vfqV
— TRENDS (@mena_trends) October 7, 2023
“We are at war,” Netanyahu announced to the shocked nation in the morning. This statement came after Hamas initiated its multifaceted attack at daybreak, reminiscent of the onset of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Addressing the residents of Gaza, Netanyahu later warned, “Evacuate now, as we’re preparing to deploy our full force everywhere.” He added, “We will relentlessly strike and fiercely retaliate for this dark day they’ve imposed on Israel and its citizens.”
He further cautioned that any location in Gaza where Hamas operates or seeks refuge will be “leveled.”
“Today’s events in Israel are unparalleled, and I will ensure they never recur,” Netanyahu vowed.
In response to the escalating situation, the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency session for Sunday. President Joe Biden expressed his “unyielding and steadfast” support for the U.S. ally and cautioned other parties against exploiting the situation to Israel’s detriment.
‘Countless Casualties’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with Egypt, a pivotal mediator between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing the “urgency of achieving an immediate ceasefire,” according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
As darkness descended, the Israeli army reported that its forces continued to engage in active gunfights across multiple Israeli sites in an operation named “Swords of Iron.” Reservists were also being mobilized.
“We’re currently confronting terrorists in 22 locations who infiltrated Israel from the sea, land, and air,” stated army spokesperson Richard Hecht, describing it as a “significant ground invasion.”
Later in the evening, the Israeli army initiated airstrikes into Gaza, while members retaliated with rocket fire, as observed by an AFP journalist.
Earlier, Hamas had broadcasted images of several captured Israelis. Another army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, acknowledged the situation, stating, “We have both soldiers and civilians who’ve been taken hostage. I can’t provide specific numbers right now. This act by Hamas is a war crime, and they will face consequences.”
Hecht also highlighted a “critical hostage situation” in the Negev desert communities of Beeri and Ofakim, located east of Gaza.
#IsraelHamasConflict#Israeli fighter #jets struck three multi-storey #buildings in #Gaza Saturday, AFP journalists reported, sending clouds of dust into the sky as the towers of more than 10 floors each collapsed.@IsraelMFA @Palestine_UN @IDF pic.twitter.com/T9Y4kTWteA
— TRENDS (@mena_trends) October 7, 2023
The Islamist group commenced its multifaceted assault around 6:30 am (0330 GMT), launching thousands of rockets towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Some managed to evade the Iron Dome defense system, striking structures.
Hamas members, utilizing ground vehicles, motorized paragliders, and boats, penetrated Gaza’s security perimeter. They targeted nearby Israeli towns and military outposts, firing upon residents and bystanders.
“Please send help!” an Israeli woman, taking cover with her toddler, implored as Hamas fighters outside began shooting and attempted to breach their safe room, as reported by Israeli media.
In the Israeli town of Sderot, close to Gaza, bodies lay scattered on streets and inside vehicles, their windshields punctured by a barrage of bullets.
“I’ve seen numerous casualties, both terrorists and civilians,” a man relayed to AFP, standing next to shrouded bodies on a road near Gevim Kibbutz in southern Israel. “So many casualties, just so many.”
AFP journalists saw Hamas fighters surrounding a burning Israeli tank and others driving a captured Israeli military Humvee back into Gaza, where jubilant crowds greeted them.
‘Gates of Hell’
Israeli army Major General Ghasan Alyan cautioned that Hamas had “opened the gates of hell.”
An AFP journalist in Gaza observed clouds of dust from the remnants of bombed residential towers. Gaza’s interior ministry stated these towers housed 100 apartments.
Israel’s military mentioned they had alerted residents to evacuate before targeting the multi-story buildings used by Hamas.
Israel’s state-run electricity company halted the power supply to Gaza, while army flares illuminated the night.
This escalation comes after months of increasing violence, primarily in the occupied West Bank, and tensions around Gaza’s border and disputed holy sites in Jerusalem.
Before Saturday, the death toll for the year included at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, and two foreigners, encompassing both combatants and civilians, as per Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Hamas named its assault “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” and urged “resistance fighters in the West Bank” and those in “Arab and Islamic nations” to join the fight.
Its military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have launched over 5,000 rockets. In contrast, Hecht reported Israel had detected more than 3,000 incoming projectiles.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh believed they were nearing a “significant victory.”
“The cycle of intifadas (uprisings) and revolutions in the quest to free our land and our prisoners in occupation jails must continue,” he asserted.
‘Dangerous Precipice’
Air raid alarms echoed throughout southern and central Israel, including Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, a building was severely damaged, prompting residents to board a bus seeking safety.
The conflict caused significant interruptions at Tel Aviv airport, leading many airlines to cancel flights. Schools will remain shut on Sunday, marking the week’s beginning in Israel.
Hamas assumed control of Gaza in 2007, resulting in Israel’s stringent blockade of the impoverished region of 2.3 million inhabitants.
Israel and Hamas have since engaged in multiple wars. The last significant conflict, in May, resulted in the deaths of 34 Palestinians and one Israeli.
On Saturday, in northern Gaza, hundreds evacuated their homes, carrying essentials, as reported by an AFP correspondent.
Violence also spread throughout the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem. Five Palestinians died, and 120 were injured in confrontations with Israeli forces and settlers, as per Palestinian medical services.
Western capitals denounced Hamas’s attacks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the assault as “terrorism in its vilest form.”
However, Hamas received backing from other adversaries of Israel. Iran’s supreme leader expressed his pride, and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah lauded the “heroic operation.” UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland cautioned about “a dangerous precipice” and urged all parties to “step back from the edge.”
China said on Sunday it was “deeply concerned” by the weekend’s dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, urging all sides to show “calm”.
“China is deeply concerned about the current escalation of tension and violence between Palestine and Israel,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said, adding it “calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint, cease fire immediately, protect civilians and prevent further deterioration of the situation”.
(With agency inputs)