ISRAEL has vowed revenge on Hamas terrorists after they “opened the gates of hell” in a surprise attack that left hundreds dead.
And dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers were reportedly held hostage after being dragged across the border into Gaza.
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The terrorist group Hamas ‘opened the gates of hell’ in Israel this morning with a brutal attack from land, air and seaCredit: AP
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Footage shows buildings on fire after the brazen attack with Israeli forces now retaliating in the Gaza StripCredit: AFP
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A young girl was lifted onto a man’s shoulders as Palestinians fired into the airCredit: Twitter
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Small children are pictured raising weapons in the airCredit: AP
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Hamas fighters launched an all-out assault on the border attacking from land, air and seaCredit: Twitter
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Militants were also filmed crossing the Israeli border on motorcycles and tractors Credit: Reuters
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Armed members of Hamas were reportedly roaming the streets of southern Israel earlier todayCredit: TWITTER
Israeli losses have reached 100 as nearly 1,000 are in hospital and dozens are in critical condition.
Officials in the Gaza Strip said 198 Palestinians were also killed in retaliatory airstrikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge on Hamas as he warned they would pay an “unprecedented price”.
And Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the terror group had made a “serious mistake” in its brutal attack, vowing that Israel would win the war.
Hamas launched a terrifying attack from land, air and sea in the early hours of Saturday morning, targeting Israeli citizens with more than 5,000 rockets.
Chilling footage captured the moment Hamas paragliders, small boats and gunmen in cars swooped into Israeli territory.
Video taken early this morning shows Hamas militants stalking the streets of southern Israel with machine guns.
Other reports described the bodies of Israeli civilians lying in the street in pools of blood.
The video of the body, taken in Kfar Azza, near the Gaza border, was taken moments after armed Palestinian militants fled the area following their horrific attack.
It comes as…
- Hamas forces launched more than 5,000 rockets into Israeli territory early this morning
- 100 Israelis were confirmed dead, while 985 were taken to hospital in critical condition
- Horrifying footage reportedly shows Israeli citizens lying dead in pools of blood after a militant attack
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address: “We are at war and we will win. Our enemy will pay a price he has never known.”
- There have been reports of Israeli soldiers being kidnapped by Hamas fighters and paraded in military vehicles
- Netanyahu mobilized the country’s military reserves after his declaration of war
- Hamas terrorists launched an all-out attack this morning from land, air and sea
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad has joined forces with Hamas fighters to attack Israel
Another shocking video allegedly taken in Sderot shows the terrorist group shooting at civilians trying to escape in a car, before appearing to kill the driver.
Militants were also filmed storming the Israeli border, using motorcycles and tractors to tear down barriers and take control of military vehicles.
Hamas managed to launch a horrific attack on Israeli territory despite the country’s Iron Dome defense system, in what experts call a “shameful intelligence lapse”.
Following the brazen attacks by terrorist groups on Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Sderot, Israeli Major General Ghasan Alyan issued a chilling warning.
He said: “Hamas has opened the gates of hell to the Gaza Strip” and that they “will bear responsibility and pay for their actions”.
Israeli forces said dozens of IDF warplanes carried out strikes on 17 military compounds and four operational command centers belonging to the terrorist organization Hamas – all as part of a revenge operation dubbed ‘Iron Swords’.
In a video address posted on Twitter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own chilling warning: “We are at war and we will win.
“Our enemy will pay a price he has never known.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on Twitter: “I am shocked by this morning’s attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israeli citizens. Israel has an absolute right to defend itself.
“We are in contact with the Israeli authorities and British nationals in Israel should follow travel advice.”
President Joe Biden also confirmed that he had spoken with Netanyahu and offered his “unwavering” support.
He said: “I spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu today about the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel. I offered our support and reiterated my unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.
“Jill and I extend our sincere condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.”
The horrific attacks were openly praised by some countries, including Iran, whose Supreme Leader Ali Khameneni congratulated the Palestinian fighters.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad said its men had joined Hamas militants in a shocking attack on Israel.
The statement read: “Our cadres stand with their brothers in Hamas, shoulder to shoulder, until victory.”
Residents were shaken early Saturday morning by explosions in the cities of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Yavne and Kfar Aviv.
In response to the attacks, the IDF announced a large-scale operation called “Iron Swords” to defend its citizens.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the country would also strengthen its borders to deter others from “the mistake of joining the war.”
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the mobilization of army reservists in an attempt to resist the dawn raid.
Hospitals in southern Israel say they have treated hundreds of victims, some in critical condition.
In response, Israel’s emergency services issued an urgent appeal for blood donations in the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.
Israel ordered locals to stay near the shelters in their homes and said: “The army declares a state of war”.
Earlier today, Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif said more than 5,000 rockets had been launched.
He said, “This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth.”
The shocking attack by Hamas militants was condemned by the EU, Ukraine, Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain.
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Paragliders were filmed infiltrating southern Israel in the early hours of Saturday morning Credit: Al Qassam Brigades
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Palestinians were photographed allegedly taking an Israeli woman to GazaCredit: AP
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Palestinians and Israelis continue to fire rockets
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Fires rage in Israel and PalestineCredit: Reuters
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Injured civilians were rushed to hospital amid the chaos as emergency services called for blood donationsCredit: AP
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192 people are confirmed dead and many more seriously injured in the surprise attacksCredit: Reuters
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In a video address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a chilling warning to HamasCredit: Twitter/@netanyahu
Israeli Defense General Daniel Hagari issued a warning on Twitter: “Hamas is the sovereign in the Gaza Strip, behind this attack, and will bear the results and responsibility for the events.”
News of the attack was met with jubilant scenes in the West Bank as hundreds took to the streets to celebrate the Hamas incursion, despite the threat of retaliatory airstrikes.
The Hamas attack was launched on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, which lasted nearly three weeks in 1973.
Violence previously erupted between Israel and Palestine in 2021 when protests turned into air and rocket attacks.
Palestinians protested attempts by settlers to forcefully evict scores of Palestinian families from their homes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a hilltop focal point in the Old City revered by Muslims and Jews.
Hundreds died in the 11-day crisis in May 2021, prompting a UN Security Council meeting.
The terror group said it would turn Israel ‘into hell’ in retaliation before IDF forces hit 150 Hamas targets by firing 450 missiles in just 40 minutes into the Gaza Strip.
Israel and Palestine have been engaged in fierce conflict for decades, as the Arab and Jewish communities clash over who owns the region and who has the right to live there.
Beginning in May 1948, tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors rebuilt their lives in the newly founded state of Israel.
The Arabs who already lived in the area did not accept this, so the two sides went to war in 1948 and later in 1967.
Israel still controls most of Gaza’s borders and coastal territory, deciding who can enter and exit Gaza, including goods.
Hamas – the largest of several militant Islamist groups in Palestine – refuses to recognize Israel as a state and wants Palestinians to be able to return to their old home.
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Palestinians are seen celebrating in the southern Gaza Strip on top of an Israeli jeepCredit: EPA
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Palestinians are seen celebrating after an Israeli tank was destroyed Credit: Reuters
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Fires rage as bombing continues Credit: EPA
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Palestinians were seen crossing the border with tractors and motorcycles Credit: Reuters
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Israel declared a state of warCredit: Getty
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Civilians try to escape in the face of horrific attacksCredit: Reuters
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Rockets flew across the sky this morningCredit: Getty
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Charred car shells litter the streets of AshkelonCredit: AFP
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