Israel 'at war' as Hamas launches surprise attack

NT Bureau, Agencies

Gaza/Tel Aviv: Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday on Saturday, killing dozens and stunning the country.

Israel said it was now at war with Hamas and launched airstrikes in Gaza, vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price”.

Several hours after the incursion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities near Gaza. Israel's national rescue service said at least 200 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.

Also, an unknown number of Israeli soldiers and civilians had been seized and taken into Gaza. At least 232 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israel's retaliation and at least 1,610 wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said.

The strength, sophistication and timing of the attack shocked Israelis, with images of Hamas gunmen bringing seized soldiers and civilians into Gaza on motorbikes and parading what appeared to be captured Israeli military vehicles through the streets.

Videos on social media showed what appeared to be at least one dead Israeli soldier within Gaza being dragged and trampled by an angry crowd of Palestinians shouting “God is Greatest”.

The assault threatened to spiral into a greater conflict, mirroring previous Hamas-Israel conflicts that brought widespread death 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, declaring a mass army mobilization. “Not an operation,' not a round,' but at war.”

“The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” he added, promising that Israel would “return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known”.

The shadowy leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, announced the start of what he called Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

What really happened?

• The Palestinian armed group Hamas has launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” against Israel in the most serious escalation since Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war in 2021
• Hamas said it had fired 5,000 rockets, while Israel confirmed that the group’s fighters had entered its territory
• Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman, said that the group attacked from land, sea and air
• The Israeli army also said it launched “Operation Iron Swords” against the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip

Why did Hamas attack Israel?

• Hamas spokesperson Khaled Qadomi has told Al Jazeera that the group’s military operation is in response to all the atrocities the Palestinians have faced over the decades.
• “We want the international community to stop atrocities in Gaza, against Palestinian people, our holy sites like Al-Aqsa. All these things are the reason behind starting this battle,” he said.