Palestinian militants launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday. They sent fighters from Gaza across the border, took hostages and fired thousands of rockets in a sustained attack.
Israel’s prime minister said the country was “at war” as the military launched retaliatory strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza.
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In an attack that also surprised the Biden administration, the militant group Hamas fired a sustained barrage of thousands of rockets in a coordinated attack by land, sea and air and its troops crossed the border into the Gaza Strip.
Israel declared war on Hamas and said it had launched retaliatory strikes against 17 military bases and sites linked to the Hamas leadership in Gaza. Israeli forces are going house to house in the southern part of the country near Gaza to clear the area of Hamas militants.
Around 300 Israelis, mostly civilians, were confirmed dead and 1,590 injured. So far, at least 232 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,697 injured.
Israeli soldiers and civilians were captured and taken to Gaza, the Israeli military said. Israeli hostages were also held by militants in at least two Israeli cities.
Hamas says the attacks are just the beginning and that it is preparing for a long battle. Iran praised Palestinian militants for the attack.
Israel’s failure to anticipate the attack left the world wondering what went wrong.