According to medical reports, Israeli attacks have killed more than 160 Palestinians.
According to medical sources in Gaza, at least 160 Palestinians have died and more than 1,000 have been injured as a result of Israeli airstrikes that were carried out after a surprise attack by Hamas that left dozens of Israelis dead.
The preliminary death figures on Saturday followed the greatest attack on Israel in years by the Palestinian organisation in charge of the Gaza Strip, entering regions in the south of the nation after a barrage of more than 2,000 rockets fired from the confined enclave.
At least 40 people have died, according to Israel’s national rescue organisation, Magen David Adom, who also noted that hundreds of injured persons, including dozens in serious condition, are being treated in Israeli hospitals.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, warned Hamas that the attack, which started at 6:30am local time (03:30 GMT) on Saturday and involved fighters infiltrating the Israeli border by land, sea, and air as well as barrages of rockets fired from multiple locations in Gaza, had been a “grave mistake” on its part.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a video address from Tel Aviv’s military command centre, “Israeli citizens, we are at war.”
Israel’s military announced later that day that it had attacked Gaza with airstrikes.
The Israeli military reported that “dozens of [its] fighter jets are currently striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.”
Senior Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif had earlier declared the launch of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” and urged Palestinians all over the world to resist Israeli oppression.
