5,000 Rockets From Gaza Hit Israel, "State Of War" Declared
On Saturday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the country to be in a state of war as Palestinian militants in Gaza launched a significant and deadly barrage of rockets and sent armed individuals into Israeli territory, marking a major escalation in the longstanding conflict between the two sides.
The Israeli military issued warnings of sirens sounding across the southern and central regions of the country, urging the public to seek shelter in bomb shelters.
This surprise attack, occurring in the early morning, has resulted in a reported minimum of 22 fatalities and over 250 individuals injured, as confirmed by Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency rescue service. It is significant that this escalation coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1973 War, during which Arab states launched an offensive against Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attacks, asserting that its militants launched more than 5,000 rockets as part of "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood."
"We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel), their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over," the group declared.
Netanyahu has pledged that Hamas will face unprecedented consequences for the attack, stating, "Citizens of Israel, we are at war - not in an operation, not in rounds - at war," in a video message.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have cautioned residents living near Gaza to remain indoors in their homes or seek shelter.
The IDF issued a statement, saying, "In the last hour, the Hamas terrorist organization had begun a massive shooting of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, and terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations." Sirens warning of incoming rockets persisted for at least three hours after the initial barrage.
The statement also emphasized that the Hamas terrorist organization, as the governing entity in Gaza, bears responsibility for this attack and will face the consequences.
It's important to note that Israel has imposed stringent restrictions on civilian movement and controls the importation of essential goods into the narrow coastal strip.
Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash
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