Israel • Hamas • Gaza Strip • Palestinians • Gaza •

 

At least 22 Israelis killed as Hamas launches surprise, multi-front attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells nation: ‘Citizens of Israel, we are at war’.

The Palestinian armed group Hamas has launched the largest attack on Israel in years, infiltrating areas in the south of the country following a barrage of more than 2,000 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip that killed at least 22 Israelis and wounded hundreds, local media reported, citing medical workers.

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned Hamas that it had made a “grave mistake” in launching the attack, which began at 06:30am local time (03:30 GMT) on Saturday and involved barrages of rockets fired from multiple locations in Gaza as well as fighters infiltrating the Israeli border by land, sea and air.

Palestinians celebrate on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border where an Israeli tank burns after it was attacked by Palestinian fighters who infiltrated areas of southern Israel on October 7, 2023 [Yasser Qudih/Reuters]

Israel’s military told Israelis living around the Gaza Strip to stay in their homes and warned that Hamas would pay a “heavy price for its actions”.

Israeli media reported that Palestinian fighters had opened fire on passersby in the town of Sderot, in southern Israel, and footage circulating on social media appeared to show uniformed Palestinians engaged in clashes in the border area.

Another video on social media appeared to show a burning Israeli tank surrounded by jubilant Palestinians.

By late Saturday morning, Israeli warplanes had started to pound locations in Gaza – in what the military called “Operation Iron Swords” – and Israeli soldiers were engaged in ground fighting in several locations around the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“Right now we’re fighting. We’re fighting in certain locations around the Gaza Strip … our forces are now fighting on the ground,” Israel’s army spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters.