At least 600 people have been killed, and over a thousand have been wounded in Israel since Hamas militants invaded the country early Saturday, Israeli media reports. A significant number of Israeli civilians and soldiers have been taken hostage.
The death toll is rising as Israel enters the second day of its now officially declared war against Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country has completed the “first stage” of what he predicts will be a “long and difficult war.”
After meeting with Israel’s Security Cabinet, the Prime Minister announced they made a series of operational decisions “to achieve the destruction of the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in a way that will preclude their ability and willingness to threaten and attack the citizens of Israel for many years.”
Surprise invasion
Israel has cut the supply of electricity, fuel, and goods to the Gaza Strip, where Hamas militants launched a surprise invasion of Israel on October 7.
More than a thousand militants poured across the border into southern Israel Saturday, indiscriminately shooting and killing civilians and kidnapping them.
Netanyahu says Israel has begun the “offensive phase” of its operations, “which will continue with neither limitations nor respite until the objectives are achieved.”
The focus now for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is to take control of Gaza. Retaliatory air strikes from Israel against Hamas targets have killed at least 313 people and injured nearly 2,000 in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities.
In the last 24 hours, IDF has struck some 400 targets in Gaza, including ten towers used by Hamas, CNN reports. Israeli fighter jets struck a compound used by the intelligence chief of Hamas.
A history of war and a stark warning
Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist militant group which rules the Gaza Strip. Like Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups, it does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas is sworn to Israel’s destruction and has fought several wars with Israel since it took power in Gaza in 2007. In between those wars, it has fired or allowed other groups to fire thousands of rockets at Israel and carried out other deadly attacks. Israel has also repeatedly attacked Hamas with air strikes and, together with Egypt, has blockaded the Gaza Strip since 2007, saying it’s for security purposes.
Hamas militant commander Mohammed Deif has called on Palestinians and other Arabs to join the militants’ latest operation to “sweep away the [Israeli] occupation.”
Netanyahu took to the airwaves, vowing vengeance and issuing a stark warning.
“I am telling Gaza’s people to leave those places now because we will take action everywhere,” he said.
Early Sunday, there were reports that Hezbollah militants fired into northern Israel from Lebanon, and deadly clashes were reported in the West Bank.
A determined Netanyahu said, “We will restore security to the citizens of Israel and we will win.”
World leaders have voiced their support for Israel. President Joe Biden pledged his administration’s support for Israel’s security is “rock solid and unwavering.”
