A surprise attack by Hamas from the Gaza Strip stunned Israel and dozens of people were killed in the fighting and retaliation.


Jerusalem (APP) Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip. A surprise attack early in the morning During a major Jewish holiday on Saturday, dozens of people died and shocked the country. Israel said it was now at war with Hamas and had launched airstrikes in Gaza, vowing to pay an “unprecedented price”.

Hours after the incursion began, Hamas militants were still engaged in gun battles inside several Israeli communities near Gaza. Israel’s National Rescue Service says at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds injured, in what is the deadliest attack in Israel in years. In addition, an unknown number of Israeli soldiers and civilians were captured and taken to Gaza.

At least 198 people were killed and at least 1,610 wounded in the Gaza Strip in Israel’s retaliation, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said.

The force, sophistication and timing of the attack stunned Israelis, with images of Hamas gunmen on motorcycles carrying captured soldiers and civilians into Gaza and Israeli military vehicles parading through the streets. Videos on social media showed at least one dead Israeli soldier being dragged and trampled inside Gaza by angry mobs of Palestinians chanting “God is greatest”.

The attack threatened to escalate into a major conflict, mirroring past conflicts between Hamas and Israel that have led to mass casualties and destruction in Gaza and days of rocket fire on Israeli communities.

“We are at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address announcing the massive military mobilization. “Not an operation, not a ’round, but in battle.’

“The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” he promised, adding that Israel “will respond with fire of a magnitude unknown to the enemy.”

The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip have launched an unprecedented, multi-pronged attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border at several points and on the eve of a major holiday. But the country was caught unsafe.

The shadowy leader of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammed Daif, in turn said the attack was a response to the continued blockade of Gaza, Israeli raids inside West Bank cities over the past year, and violence at al-Aqsa. The Temple Mount for Jews – the increasing settler attacks on Palestinians and the continued development of settlements. He said the early morning attack was just the beginning of what he called “Operation al-Aqsa Storm”.

“Enough is enough,” Def, who does not appear in public, said in a recorded message, as he appealed to Palestinians from East Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the fight. “Today the people are regaining their revolution.”

At a meeting of top security officials later Saturday, Netanyahu said the first priority was to “clear the area” of enemy infiltrators, then “make the enemy pay a heavy price” and fortify other areas so that no other militant group could enter. don’t be Join the battle.

Serious attacks on Simchat Torah, a normally joyous day when Jews complete the annual cycle of reading the Torah scroll, brought back painful memories. 1973 Middle East War Practically 50 years from today, Israel’s enemies launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

The comparison to one of the most painful moments in Israeli history has fueled criticism of Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who have campaigned for more aggressive action against threats from Gaza. Political observers criticized the government for failing to anticipate that the Hamas attack was not visible in its level of planning and coordination.

The Israeli military responded by firing about 2,500 rockets at targets in Gaza, sending air raid sirens wailing incessantly north of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. It said its forces were engaged in gun battles with Hamas militants who had infiltrated Israel in at least seven locations. The military said fighters had crossed the separation fence and even attacked Israel from the air with paragliders.

Israeli TV broadcast footage of explosions tearing through the Gaza-Israel border fence, after which Palestinian gunmen were seen entering Israel on motorcycles. The gunmen reportedly entered the pickup truck as well.

Videos released by Hamas show at least three Israelis being captured alive. The military declined to release details on casualties or abductions as it continued to battle the infiltrators.

According to an Associated Press count based on official statements and calls to hospitals, at least 561 wounded people are being treated in Israeli hospitals, with at least 77 in critical condition.

A Hamas attack would likely require months of planning. This comes at a time when tensions are rising between Israel and the Palestinians. Over the past year, Israel has been governed by a far-right wing. The construction of the township was accelerated. In the occupied West Bank, Violence by Israeli settlers has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there.and tensions have flared around A Flashpoint Jerusalem Holy Place.

In a televised address, Israeli Defense Minister Yves Gallant warned that Hamas had made “a grave mistake” and promised that “the State of Israel will win this war.”

Western countries condemned the incursion and reiterated their support for Israel, while others called for restraint on both sides.

“The United States unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians,” said Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the US National Security Council. “We stand firmly with the government and people of Israel and express our condolences for the loss of Israeli lives in these attacks.”

National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan has spoken with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, Watson said.

Saudi Arabia, which has been negotiating with the United States. About normalizing relations with Israelissued a statement calling for restraint from both sides. The kingdom said it had repeatedly warned of the “dangers of the situation exploding as a result of the continued occupation (and) deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights”.

The attack comes at a time when there is a historic division within Israel between Netanyahu and Mr. A proposal to replace the Judiciary. Mass protests over the plan have sent hundreds of thousands of Israeli protesters onto the streets and prompted hundreds of military reservists to walk away from voluntary duty — upheaval that has raised fears about the military’s battlefield readiness and its adversaries. This has raised concerns about its prevention.

The militants’ infiltration into southern Israel marked a major escalation by Hamas, forcing hundreds of thousands of Israelis to hunker down in safe rooms. Cities and towns near Gaza were emptied as the army blocked roads. Israel’s rescue service and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza have appealed to the public to donate blood.

“We think it’s something big,” Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters. He said that the Israeli army has called the reserves of the army.

Hecht declined to comment on how Hamas managed to keep the army safe. “That’s a good question,” he said.

Exiled Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Palestinian fighters were “engaged in a heroic operation in these historic moments” to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

In the Nihal Oz kibbutz, just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Gaza Strip, terrified residents who huddled indoors said they could hear constant gunfire echoing from buildings as several hours of the initial attack rang out. The firefight is still going on.

“With rockets we feel safe somehow, knowing that we have Iron Dome (missile defense system) and our safe rooms. But knowing that terrorists are roaming around communities is a different kind of fear. “There is,” said Miriam Regen, a 42-year-old volunteer firefighter and mother of three in Nehal Oz.

Israel has built an extensive fence along the Gaza border to prevent infiltration. It goes deep underground and is equipped with cameras, high-tech sensors and sensitive listening technology.

The increase comes after weeks of tensions along Israel’s volatile border with Gaza and heavy fighting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Saturday’s widespread attack threatens to damage Netanyahu’s reputation as a security expert who will do anything to protect Israel. It also raised questions about the coordination of security instruments critical to the stability of a country locked in low-intensity conflicts on multiple fronts and facing threats from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.

Hezbollah congratulated Hamas on Friday, hailing the attack as a response to “Israeli crimes,” saying the militants had “God’s support.” The group said its command in Lebanon was in contact with Hamas about the operation.

Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza since Hamas seized the territory in 2007. Since then, the bitter enemies have fought four wars. There have also been several rounds of small-scale fighting between Israel and Hamas and other smaller militant groups based in Gaza.

The blockade, which restricts the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza, has devastated the region’s economy. Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent militant groups from building up their arsenals. The Palestinians say the closure is tantamount to collective punishment.

Comes during the period of rocket fire Fierce fighting in the West BankWhere about 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli army attacks this year. In the volatile northwest Bank, scores of militants and residents took to the streets to celebrate news of rocket barrages.

Israel says the raids are aimed at militants, but stone-throwing protesters and bystanders involved in the violence have also been killed. More than 30 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets.

Tensions have also spilled over into Gaza, where Hamas-linked activists staged violent protests along the Israeli border in recent weeks. They Demonstrations were stopped In late September after international arbitration.

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Adwan reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writer Isabel Debray in Jerusalem contributed to this report.



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