At least 100 Israelis were killed while over 750 others sustained injuries after Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” by attacking southern Israel with over 5,000 rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported Saturday.
The Al Jazeera’s correspondent said the unprecedented attack has left Israelis in “tremendous shock”.
“I spoke by text with an acquaintance in Tel Aviv. She says she was hurrying to get into a bomb shelter. The fact that several villages including some towns were attacked and captured – this is something that has never happened before,” Reynolds said.
“This took a lot of planning, strategizing from Hamas,” he noted.
Soon after the massive surprise attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war against Palestine saying that Hamas had made a “grave mistake.”
The Israeli military said, in response to Palestinian attacks, it had launched air strikes into Gaza, where witnesses reported hearing heavy explosions.
The attack marked an unprecedented infiltration by an unknown number of Hamas gunmen into Israel from Gaza and one of the most serious escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in years, Reuters reported.
Israel’s police chief said there were “21 active scenes” in southern Israel, indicating the extent of the attack.
In Gaza, people rushed to buy supplies in anticipation of days of conflict ahead. Some evacuated their homes and headed for shelters.
Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif announced the start of the operation in a broadcast on Hamas media, calling on Palestinians everywhere to fight.
“This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” he said, adding that 5,000 rockets had been launched.
The last major flare-up between Israel and Hamas was a 10-day war in 2021.
