Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “wipe Hamas off the face of the earth” following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group on Saturday, October 7th, 2023.
The attack, code-named “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” was initiated by Hamas and involved aerial, sea, and ground operations.
The attack is the most serious escalation since the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
The first round of rockets was fired at 6:30 am local time on Saturday, October 7th, 2023.
The rockets were fired as far north as Tel Aviv, and Hamas also sent fighters into southern Israel.
Gun battles are ongoing in several towns in southern Israel, the Israeli army says dozens of fighter jets were carrying out attacks on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has reported that at least 413 people have been killed and nearly 2,300 wounded so far in Israeli attacks.
The Israeli death toll due to Hamas attacks rose to at least 700 people, according to the latest reports by Israeli media.
Israel’s health ministry has updated the number of Israelis wounded in the ongoing violence, saying 2,382have been treated in hospitals so far.
