The Israeli death toll has risen to 100 as Hamas’s “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” rages on, while at least 198 Palestinians have been martyred and 1,610 wounded in the Gaza Strip in Israel’s retaliatory air strikes.
According to Israel’s N12 News, at least 100 Israelis have so far been killed in the attacks launched by the Hamas movement.
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The Palestinian health ministry said up until 4:20 pm (1320 GMT) there were “198 martyrs and 1,610 wounded with different injuries” in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Palestinians were scene celebrating the highly coordinated assault, which totally blindsided Tel Aviv, are doing rounds on social media.
‘Israel in shock’
Lior Hayat, the spokesperson of the Israeli foreign ministry, said Israel was a “nation in shock by the murders, the attacks” after civilians were targeted in Hamas’ military operation, according to Al Arabiya English.
Meanwhile, Israel’s army said it was fighting Gaza fighters who entered Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders after a barrage of rockets was fired at Israel from the Palestinian enclave.
“It was a combined ground raid which happened through paragliders, through the sea and through the ground,” army spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters.
“Right now we’re fighting. We’re fighting in certain locations around the Gaza Strip… our forces are now fighting on the ground” in Israel, he added.
Hecht confirmed there are casualties but would not be drawn on details, nor discuss reports that multiple Israelis had been captured by Palestinian fighters.
Thousands of military reservists are set to be drawn up for Gaza, as well as northern Israel, near foes Lebanon and Syria, and the occupied West Bank.
“We’re looking at all arenas… we understand this is something big,” Hecht said.
Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
Earlier, Hamas commandos attacked southern Israel after firing over 5,000 rockets at the settlers from the Gaza Strip, which was later followed by heavy infiltration of armed freedom fighters into the oppressive Jewish state.
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, strategising 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 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.
