The death toll in Israel has mounted to 600 and more than 2000 others have been injured after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched unprecedented rocket barrage and ground assault in southern Israel. In response to the attack, Israel has declared war and launched retaliatory air strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
As the battle with Palestinian militant group Hamas rages, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has spoken with the leaders of several European countries, including UK PM Rishi Sunak. Netanyahu said that the leaders he spoke with have expressed their full support for Israel’s right to defend as much as it takes.
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10 points on Israel-Palestine war
- Thousands of rocket barrages were fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday and hundreds of Hamas militants infiltrated into Israeli territory from different locations via land, air and sea.
- The militants attacked military posts and fired at residents and passersby indiscriminately. The government in Israel said that Hamas has 100 Israelis, including soldiers, women and children, are being held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza.
- The attack was termed “black day” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to exact “mighty vengeance” and asked residents of Gaza to flee their homes in view of retaliatory strikes from the country’s military.
- In response to the Palestinian militant attack, Israeli Defence Forces launched massive air strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Several buildings housing Hamas offices, militants and weapons were destroyed in air strikes by Israeli Air Force fighter jets.
- The Palestinian officials in Gaza have said that the Israeli air strikes have killed at least 400 and wounded more than 1700 others.
- Meanwhile, Netanyahu has spoken with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and briefed them about the situation. “All of them expressed unqualified support for Israel’s right to defend itself as necessary,” he said.
- Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has called on resistance fighters in the West Bank and other Islamic countries to join the battle. Hamas also said that it will release the number of Israelis captured during Saturday’s attack.
- Iranian President, according to local media reports, has spoken with the top leaders of Hamas. Earlier Saturday, Iran had congratulated Palestinian fighters for carrying out the one of the biggest attack in Israel.
- Hezbollah, an Iran-backed political and militant outfit in Lebanon, has pledged its support to Hamas fighters. Hezbollah said that it fired a “large numbers of artillery shells and guided missiles” at Israeli positions in a contested border area in solidarity with Palestinian people.
- Israel responded with artillery strikes on Hezbollah posts and warned the Iran-backed militant outfit not to involve in the fighting. Israeli Defence Forces, however, said that they have initiated preparedness protocols for the possibility of a war on more than one front.
