Israel-Gaza Conflict: Hundreds Killed in Hamas Attack
•By Halimah Olamide
Over 400 people have been confirmed dead after Palestinian group, Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack on Israel on Saturday morning.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel vowed to retaliate and turn Hamas strongholds “into rubble.”
Israel battled on Saturday to repel one of the broadest invasions of its territory in 50 years after Palestinian militants from Gaza launched an early-morning assault on southern Israel, infiltrating 22 Israeli towns and army bases, kidnapping Israeli civilians and soldiers and firing thousands of rockets toward cities as far away as Jerusalem.
By early evening, the Israeli military said fighting continued in at least five places in southern Israel; multiple Israelis had been abducted and taken to Gaza, including an elderly grandmother; and at least 250 Israelis had been reported dead by officials and more than 1,400 wounded.
Israel retaliated with huge strikes on Gazan cities, and the Gaza Health Ministry said at least 234 Palestinians had been killed in either gun battles or airstrikes.
Netanyahu has now declared that Israel is “at war” following the attack which has left more than 200 Israelis died and hundreds of others injured.
“We are at war” the Prime Minister said as the military launched a series of strikes against targets in the blockaded coastal enclave, including several residential tower blocks that were completely destroyed.
In Gaza, at least 232 Palestinians have died and more than 1,600 are injured, the Palestinian health ministry said after Israel launched air strikes on the territory
in response to the attack.
Although, It remained unclear the exact number of fatalities or injuries at the scene, The Times of Israel reported that dozens of bodies were seen being removed from the site.
Social media users were sharing lists of loved ones who had attended the festivals and were still missing Saturday evening.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century.
Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process alongside other efforts to resolve the broader Arab-Israeli conflict.