At least 198 Palestinians Killed and 1,000 Injured in Israeli Retaliation Air Strikes
At least 198 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured after Israel launched strikes on Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.
The strikes were launched in response to a surprise attack by Palestinian militants, killing at least 40 Israelis and leaving 545 injured.
Gunmen from the Islamist group Hamas infiltrated the Gaza Strip, to the south of the country, on Saturday morning.
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By Brooke Davies
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have hit back by striking targets in Gaza and a call-up for military reserve forces has been approved.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: ‘We are at war and we will win.’
The Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hamas will ‘pay a heavy price’ for their attack and said: ‘Hamas has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the state of Israel.
‘IDF troops are fighting against the enemy at every location.’
Footage emerging from the area shows Israeli firefighters tackling flames in the city of Ashkelon, as thick plumes of smoke rose from charred out vehicles.
Explosions have also been reported in and around Tel Aviv, while Israeli fighter jets are attacking Hamas forces in Gaza.
A video from Gaza showed a crowd of Palestinian men dancing around and on top of an Israeli tank that was on fire.
Salah Arouri, an exiled Hamas leader, said the operation was a response ‘to the crimes of the occupation’.
The Israeli military confirmed an infiltration had occurred in several locations near the Gaza border in southern Israel. It ordered residents to remain indoors.
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‘The military declares a state of war alert,’ it said in a statement. ‘In the last hour, the Hamas terrorist organisation 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.’
It goes deep underground and is equipped with cameras, high-tech sensors and sensitive listening technology.
The infiltration marked a major accomplishment – and escalation – by Hamas.
The sound of outgoing rockets whooshing through the air could be heard in Gaza and sirens wailed as far away as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during an early morning barrage that lasted for over two hours.
The launches came after weeks of heightened tensions along Israel’s volatile border with Gaza, and heavy fighting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Source: Metro.co.uk
