Assisted by a barrage of rockets, dozens of Hamas militants broke out of the blockaded Gaza Strip and into nearby Israeli towns on the morning of a significant Jewish holiday, killing dozens and kidnapping others in an unprecedented surprise attack. Israel launched airstrikes against Gaza, with its prime minister declaring that Israel is now at war with Hamas and promising to exact a “unprecedented price.”
Hamas gunmen infiltrated up to 22 locations outside of the Gaza Strip, including cities and other communities up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza border. In some areas, they roamed for hours, killing civilians and Israeli soldiers while the Israeli military scrambled to respond. Even after nightfall, gunfights persisted and militants held hostages in two towns.
The Israeli rescue service Zaka reported at least 200 fatalities and 1,100 injuries, making this attack the deadliest in Israel in decades. At least 232 persons have been killed and at least 1,700 have been injured in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Hamas fighters took an unknown number of civilians and soldiers captive into Gaza, a profoundly sensitive issue for Israel.
Israel’s threats of increased retaliation threatened to escalate the conflict to a more deadly level. Previous conflicts between Israel and the Hamas rulers of Gaza resulted in widespread death and devastation in Gaza, as well as days of rocket fire on Israeli cities. With Israel’s far-right government wounded by the security breach and Palestinians despondent over an endless occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza, the situation is now potentially more volatile.
In a Saturday evening televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier proclaimed Israel to be at war, said the military will use all of its strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities and “take revenge for this black day. However, he cautioned, “This conflict will be lengthy. It will be challenging.”
“All the locations where Hamas hides and operates will be reduced to rubble,” he added. “Get out of there now,” he told the 2 million residents of Gaza, who have no means to leave the tiny, overpopulated Mediterranean territory.
Several residential buildings, including a 14-story tower that housed dozens of apartments and Hamas offices in the heart of Gaza City, were leveled by massive explosions as Israeli airstrikes in Gaza intensified as darkness fell. Just prior, Israeli forces launched a warning shot, and no casualties were reported.
Immediately thereafter, a Hamas rocket barrage into central Israel struck four cities, including Tel Aviv and a nearby suburb where two people were severely injured. According to the Israeli military, Hamas launched more than 3,500 rockets throughout the day.
