Barrage of rockets launched towards Israel from Gaza Strip
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that his country is “at war”, after Hamas fired thousands of rockets and gunmen stormed the border, in the largest escalation in years.
Nearly 50 years to the day since the outset of the 1973 war, the Pal launched a huge surprise attack early on Saturday morning, with the group’s political chief reportedly declaring it was “waging a battle of honour, resistance and dignity”.
Israel said its forces were operating inside Gaza and striking targets there, and called up its military reservists, as warning sirens sounded across southern and central parts of the country, with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling an emergency meeting.
A least 22 people have died and hundreds have been hospitalised with injuries, Israeli broadcaster N12 reported, with an Israeli local authority leader said to be among those killed in fighting.
The Israeli Defence Forces said more than 2,200 rockets had been fired into Israel since 6:30am, with fighting between Hamas and Israeli troops ongoing at seven sites.
France expresses solidarity with Israel
The French foreign ministry said on Saturday that France condemned the “terrorist attacks under way against Israel and its population” and that France expressed its full solidarity with Israel.
The French Embassy in Israel earlier said it was “horrified by the developments coming from the south of the country”, adding: “These terrorist attacks are inadmissible and must be condemned by everyone. We stand side by side alongside Israel and Israelis.”
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:38
At least 22 dead and hundreds injured, Israeli broadcaster says
At least 22 people have died and hundreds have been taken to hospital with injuries since Hamas launched its attack, Israeli broadcaster N12 has reported.
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:30
Rishi Sunak: ‘Shocked’ by Palestinian attacks on Israel
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked” after Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip attacked southern Israel.
The prime minister said Israel has an “absolute right to defend itself” and called for Britons in the country to follow travel advice.
Mr Sunak wrote on X: “I am shocked by this morning’s attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli citizens.
“Israel has an absolute right to defend itself.
“We’re in contact with Israeli authorities, and British nationals in Israel should follow travel advice.”
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:25
Barrage of rockets launched towards Israel from Gaza Strip
Barrage of rockets launched towards Israel from Gaza Strip
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:24
Russia says it is in contact with Israel, Palestine and Arab nations
Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries in connection with the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Moscow’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov has been cited as saying by the Interfax news agency.
“It goes without saying that we always call for restraint,” he added.
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:21
Hamas waging ‘battle of dignity’ to defend Al-Aqsa, political leader says
Hamas is “waging a battle of honour, resistance and dignity to defend Al-Aqsa”, the group’s political chief has said.
“The enemy besieging Gaza has planned to surprise it and escalate the aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, in addition to the settlement and aggression that continues every moment in the West Bank, which seeks to uproot our people and expel them from their land, and the crimes of the occupation against our people in the 1948s, as it stands behind all the killing and assassination operations there, and the occupation’s continuation of detaining our prisoners for decades, and reneging on agreements when he re-arrested those liberated from the swap deal,” Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement reported by Al Jazeera.
“For all of this, we are waging a battle of honour, resistance and dignity to defend Al-Aqsa, under the title that was announced by Brother Commander-in-Chief Abu Khaled Al-Deif, “Al-Aqsa Flood”.
“This flood began in Gaza and will extend to the West Bank and abroad, and every place where our people and nation are present.”
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:09
Fighting ongoing in at least seven locations, Israel says
The Israeli Defence Forces has been quoted as telling reporters that more than 2,200 rockets had been fired into Israel.
A spokesperson told reporters that Hamas militants infiltrated from land, sea and air.
There are at least seven sites of fighting, they said.
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 10:02
‘We are at war and we will win,’ says Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that “we are at war and we will win”, in his first remarks since Hamas launched its attack at 6:30am.
In a video statement, he warned that Hamas would “pay a price the type of which it has never known”.
His office had previoulsy announced that Mr Netanyahu had called an emergeny meeting with military officials.
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 09:55
Israel says Hamas has started a war
In a statement reported by Israeli media, Mr Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, said: “Hamas made a grave mistake this morning and started a war against the State of Israel. IDF soldiers are fighting the enemy at all the infiltration sites.”
Israeli opposition Leader Yair Lapid described the rocket attacks as “relentless”, adding in a statement that “Israel is in an emergency” and backing a “harsh military response” to Hamas’s attack.
Following the initial attack, which began at around 6:30am, a group representing military reservists who had planned to refuse to attend training over their objections to the Israeli government’s heavily contentious plans to overhaul the judiciary instead called on reservists to report for duty.
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 09:48
Hezbollah ‘closely following situation in Gaza’
Hezbollah issued a statement on Saturday saying they were closely following the situation in Gaza and are in “direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance”.
Following events involving Gaza militants who fired a barrage of rockets into Israel, the statement added that it was a “decisive response to Israel’s continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel.”
Andy Gregory7 October 2023 09:47