5000 rockets pound Israel, Israeli police and army posts seized in an early morning attack from Gaza, Israel replied killing over 200 Palestinians.
from thefreeonline 7 Oct, 2023 HomeWorld News and Al Jazeera
Palestinians break into the Israeli side of Israel-Gaza border fence after gunmen infiltrated areas of southern Israel [Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa/Reuters]
Palestinian fighters attack in seized Israeli army vehicle – Al Jazeera
Militants have launched rockets from Gaza into southern and central Israel on Saturday morning, the IDF said.
The brigades and other factions shared videos on Telegram showing two captured IDF positions with dozens of abandoned military vehicles as well as a strike on a military vehicle with an anti-tank guided missile and two drone attacks that targeted a gathering of Israeli troops and a remotely-controlled machine gun.
Rockets being fired from Gaza City towards Israel…. Said Khatib
“Hamas carried out a combined operation involving rocket fire and infiltrations by terrorists into Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement.
A destroyed Israeli Merkava tank on Israel-Gaza border in Gaza Strip, Gaza on October 07, 2023
Hamas announces capturing a number of Israeli soldiers / Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades has announced capturing a number of Israeli soldiers during their operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”. In a separate statement, the spokesman said that dozens of Israeli soldiers and officers who were captured during the attack are currently in “safe positions and resistance tunnels.
At least forty Israelis and 200 Palestinians have been killed so far. Four fatalities were reported in the town of Kuseife, and another one in the Gderot area.
Hamas militants have reportedly captured so many Israeli soldiers, including high-ranking officers, that the group expects to negotiate a prisoner exchange for all Palestinians held in West Jerusalem’s jails.
“We have a big number of Israeli captives, among them senior officers,” Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera on Saturday. He added that the captives will be used as leverage to force the release of Palestinians incarcerated in Israel: “As to our prisoners, I say, your freedom is looming large. What we have in hand will see you set free. The longer fighting continues, the higher the number of prisoners will become.”
Israeli firefighters extinguish fire after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a parking lot in Ashkelon, southern Israel [Tsafrir Abayov/AP Photo]
Information coming from medical institutions across the country suggests that more than 100 people were wounded. Soroka Hospital in Beersheba said it had been treating 80 patients, some of whom were in a serious condition.
According to Israeli media, some projectiles hit Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. Rocket sirens have also been heard in Jerusalem and Beersheba.
Hamas has claimed that it fired some 5,000 rockets at Israel in just the first 20 minutes of the attack.
Dozens of rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel
In another message on X (formerly Twitter), the IDF said “terrorists have infiltrated Israel from Gaza,” and it asked residents to remain indoors. A video was posted online purportedly showing Palestinians driving several trucks, with gunshots heard in the background. It’s claimed to have been made in the Israeli city of Sderot, near the border with Gaza.
Another video captured a gunfight between heavily armed IDF troops and attackers in the streets of Sderot. According to the Times of Israel paper, there’ve been several casualties in the city as result of the incursion.
The IDF has declared “a state of readiness for war” following the attack. “Hamas … will bear the results and responsibility for the events,” it said. Shortly afterwards, Israel announced that retaliatory strikes were underway in Gaza.
Gaza residents hide and panic buy bread as Israeli Revenge Bombing Imminent
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved a call-up of reservists in response to the attack from Gaza. The size of the draft will depend on the needs of the IDF, his office said.
Palestinians have right to defend against ‘terror of settlers and occupation troops’: Abbas
We also have the first public statement by Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, occupied West Bank….
According to Israeli media reports, Hamas fighters captured a police station in Sderot. Some videos uploaded online purportedly show a number of IDF troops being killed and captured by the attackers. There’s also social media footage and photos of what appears to be a burning Israeli tank and Palestinians celebrating the seizure of a US-made Humvee military vehicle from the IDF. The videos have yet to be verified.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Hamas fighters have also infiltrated the settlements of Beeri and Netiv HaAsara, where hostages have allegedly been taken.
People celebrate next to an Israeli military vehicle [Ahmed Zakot/Reuters]
Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif said in a statement that Saturday’s attack was retaliation for Israel’s “desecration” of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem – Islam’s third-holiest site, which is controlled by Israeli security forces.
Palestinians break into the Israeli side of Israel-Gaza border fence after gunmen infiltrated areas of southern Israel [Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa/Reuters]
At least 22 Israelis killed by Hamas attacks: Medics
Israeli emergency services, quoted by local media, say at least 22 people in Israel have been killed since the start of the attack by Hamas. Deif also blamed Israel for killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians this year alone, and for refusing offers of prisoner exchanges with the group.
Huwara Pogrom> At least 3 Palestinians killed by Israelis days BEFORE the HAMAS ATTACK
..hundreds wounded as army protected settler mob again sacks the town…Israeli minister dismisses US ‘terror’ label after deadly settler attack
Israel forces kill 3 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank attack.. days BEFORE new war broke out.. now nearly 200 killed this year
Qusai Jamal Maatan, 19, was shot dead in Burqa east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Friday, as armed settlers stormed the village and sparked fighting with residents.
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