On Saturday, Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that the country was “at war.” In Gaza, terrorists launched a lethal volley of rockets and dispatched gunmen into Israeli territory, escalating an ongoing dispute between the two sides.
Netanyahu declared in a video message, to Israelis, that we are at war – not in an operation, not in rounds – at war.
According to estimates from two hospitals, the first morning’s rocket attacks from Gaza, which the Defense Forces (IDF) classified as “massive,” killed at least one person and damaged over 100 others.
The Palestinian militant organization Hamas, which governs Gaza, claimed ownership of the rocket attack and called for a countrywide insurgency against Israel.
Get your gun, if you have one. This is the moment to use it – go out with trucks, vehicles, and axes, for today the best and most glorious history begins, stated Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif in a recorded message.
He called the attack the “Al-Aqsa Storm,” saying that the organization had “targeted opposing positions, airports, and forces with 5,000 rockets” and that the strike on Israel was in retaliation to attacks on women, the violation of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and the continued siege of Gaza.
The group’s military wing’s elusive leader, Mohammed Deif, said, “Enough is enough,” in a recorded message, urging Palestinians to join the fight.
The military announced that an infiltration had happened near the Gaza border in southern Israel. Residents were told to stay home.
Israel has constructed a large fence along the Gaza border in order to deter an invasion. It is outfitted with cameras, high-tech sensors, and sensitive listening gear and goes deep beneath.
Police equipped with assault rifles moved out over Route 3, a highway 15 miles north of Gaza, searching cars for gunmen attempting to enter the country.
Roads throughout the country have been cleared of all vehicles except emergency vehicles, while security authorities have set up checks for passing traffic.
Following Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade. Since then, four conflicts have occurred, the latest in 2021. There have also been numerous clashes between Israel and Hamas, as well as other smaller armed groups headquartered in Gaza.
The economic impact of the embargo, which restricts the flow of people and products into and out of Gaza, has been devastating. country claims it is necessary to prevent extremist groups from stockpiling weapons, but Palestinians claim it equates to a collective penalty.
Forces “are battling on the ground level as we speak,” IDF spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht stated in a briefing on Saturday, naming at least a half-dozen battlegrounds. Kibbutz Beeri, Rehim Army Base, Magen, Erez Crossing, Nahal Oz Ziikim Army Base, and Kfar Azza are among the localities.
According to the IDF, it responded to the attack by bombing a couple of targets associated with the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Territory.
Saturday’s shocking findings come at a critical juncture in the country’s pursuit of a historic accord to repair connections with Saudi Arabia, mediated by the US. The IDF advised Israelis living near Gaza to stay in their houses or seek shelter.
In the last hour, the Hamas terrorist organization started an enormous launching of rockets from the Gaza Strip into the Israeli area, and terrorists penetrated into Israeli territory in several different locations, the Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. Sirens warned of approaching rockets for more than three hours after the first onslaught.
Israeli President on Attack
In a remark on X, the new name of Twitter, President Isaac Herzog stated that Israel is in a “very tough phase.”
I want to express my support for the IDF’s commanders and soldiers, as well as the security forces and rescue organizations. I send my energy and support to all citizens who are under attack, he continued.
The first salvo of rockets was launched around 6:30 a.m. Saturday local time (11:30 p.m. ET), when most individuals were believed to be sleeping.
Palestinian militants rarely make it into the country from Gaza, which is walled off and constantly monitored by Israel’s military.
According to local Channel 12, attackers from Gaza have penetrated Kibbutz Beeri, and residents are requesting the IDF to rush to the kibbutz.
According to Netanyahu’s office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Military Minister Yoav Gallant are conducting security inspections at the Israel Defense Forces base in Tel Aviv.
Gaza is one of the world’s most densely populated regions, an isolated shoreline enclave of nearly 2 million people crowded into 140 square miles.
The area is largely closed off from the rest of the world due to an Israeli siege of Gaza’s land, air, and sea since 2007. Egypt controls Rafah, Gaza’s southern border gateway.
Israel has severely limited civilian movement and regulates the importation of essential supplies into the small coastal strip.
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