In the unending deadly war between Israel and Palestine, the former in a latest has accused Hamas of taking nearly 100 Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage.
The Israeli embassy in the US has said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Reuters quoting Israeli embassy statement said that over 300 Israelis have been "murdered" and more than 5,000 rockets have been fired by the Hamas group.
On the other hand, Gaza officials have said intense Israeli air strikes on the coastal enclave had brought the Palestinian death toll to at least 256, with nearly 1,788 wounded.
Earlier, many videos on social media show injured Israeli soldiers and civilians, with their hands tied, being taken by force in Hamas vehicles.
The report also mentioned about a video in which Hamas group is seen kicking and hitting the corpse of a woman on the back of a truck.
The fighting between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israeli forces has left over 500 people dead on both sides.
Earlier, Hamas launched a surprise attack which left the Israel stunned as the later vowed to inflict ‘unprecedented price’ on the militant group.
The Israeli rescue service Zaka said at least 200 people were killed and 1,100 wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in decades, reported AP.
At least 232 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed and at least 1,700 wounded in Israeli strikes, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the report said.
Earlier, In an unprecedented attack on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas mounted an all-out offensive against Israel on Saturday.
Hamas has launched at least around 2,500 rockets into Israel since its all-out offensive began on Saturday morning. Hundreds of Hamas terrorists also infiltrated Israel and overran several Israeli communities along the Israel-Gaza border and a military base, which was retaken by the military in the evening. The Israeli forces are battling the Hamas terrorists in Southern Israel to retake areas captured by them.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said "we are at war" and has vowed an unprecedented response to the ongoing attack.
Moreover, the Israeli authorities have confirmed that Hamas has taken Israelis as hostages but did not give any specifics. Separately, Hamas has said it has taken over 50 Israeli hostages and media reports have said several hostages have been taken into Gaza.
Israelis across the country on Saturday, a religious holiday, woke up to the sound of sirens as rockets of Hamas rained and the Israeli Iron Dome air defence system kicked in to tackle the incoming barrage. While Israel put the number at around 2,500, Hamas said it launched around 5,000 rockets. Visuals from the country have surfaced showing the devastation from the rockets.
Hamas has termed the offensive as 'Operation Al Aqsa Storm' and its commander Mohammed Deif has termed it as the "day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on Earth". In response, the Israeli military has launched 'Operation Sword of Iron' and has carried out airstrikes in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which is also home to several other Palestinian terrorist groups.
International condemnation for the attack has poured in and leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with Israel in addition to upholding the Israeli right to self-defence.
Earlier, the Israeli Health Ministry has said that the attacks began around 6:30 am.
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, the largest of the terrorist groups in the region, is spearheading the assault. Other groups like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have also joined the all-out offensive. These groups are committed to the destruction of Israel and are backed by Israel's archrival Iran.
The Hamas terrorists mounted a coordinated attack and invaded Israel by land by destroying the Gaza Strip border security fence, by air on paragliders, and by sea on rubber boats, reported i24 News.
The Hamas rockets have continued to target Israel, with the latest barrage being reported to target Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in central Israel around 8 pm local time on Saturday. Visuals of the barrage have surfaced on social media.
PM Netanyahu says Israel at war, troops rushed to border
The Israeli government has declared the situation as a war and has mobilised the military accordingly.
In a message to the public, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that it is not an operation but war. He said the enemy would suffer unprecedented consequences.
Netanyahu said, "Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours...The enemy will pay an unprecedented price."
Netanyahu also said the first priority is to clear the communities infiltrated by the Hamas terrorists. He also said he had ordered the mobilisation of military reserves.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the border regions are being flooded by troops and the immediate focus is on the situation along the Israel-Gaza border.
"The IDF has declared a state of war. We are in a state of war. More than 2,000 rockets have been fired. Terrorists infiltrated, and some are still in Israel. The IDF is flooding the area with troops. We are focusing on the fighting on the Gaza border. We have begun a widespread call-up in all parts of the IDF. The Air Force is also striking in Gaza," said Hageri, as per The Times of Israel.
Fighting continues between terrorists, Israeli soldiers at 22 places
After over 12 hours the attacks began, fighting continued between the Hamas terrorists and the Israeli forces.
Several communities, particularly along the Gaza border in southern Israel, are under the influence or control of the Hamas terrorists.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Saturday evening said that the fighting is going on at 22 places and that the Israeli troops are now carrying out operations in all of the affected areas. He also confirmed that Israeli soldiers have also been killed in the fighting.
Hagari said that Israeli troops had reached all towns on the Gaza border and were working to scan each and every one of them, according to The Times of Israel.
Hagari further said that four military divisions were being deployed to the Gaza border to join 31 battalions already deployed in the region.
Late on Saturday evening, The Times of Israel reported that the Re’im military base, which had been overrun, had been retaken by the Israeli forces.
Earlier, The Times of Israel reported that fighting is also ongoing at an Israeli military base. Multiple reports have said that an Israeli base had been overrun by the Hamas infiltrators in an outrageous offensive that has shocked the Jewish nation.
"Six hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gun battles inside at least seven Israeli communities and an army base, in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. The infiltration of fighters into southern Israel marked a major accomplishment — and escalation — by Hamas that forced millions of Israelis to hunker down in safe rooms, sheltering from rocket explosions and ongoing gun battles with Hamas fighters," reported The Times of Israel.
Separately, i24 News also reported a spokesperson as saying that senior Israeli military officers were among the deceased.
Hamas calls for destruction of Israel in name of Al Aqsa Mosque
Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif has termed the ongoing offensive against Israel as part of the last push for the destruction of Israel.
Deif has described the attack as the "day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on Earth".
Deif has termed the offensive, dubbed as the 'Operation Al Aqsa Storm', as a response for the purported Israeli desecration of the mosque, one of the holiest in Islam and located in Jerusalem close to the holiest Jewish site on Temple Mount.
Deif called for widespread attacks to "sweep away the occupation" and claimed that "we have warned the enemy" before noting that Israel had attacked Muslims and "desecrated al-Aqsa", according to The Jerusalem Post.
He further said, "Our righteous mujahideen, this is your day to make the enemy understand that his time is over. They attacked and desecrated Al-Aqsa, and we had previously warned them."
Hamas captures border communities, takes Israeli hostages
The Hamas terrorists who have infiltrated Israel have taken control of a number of Israeli communities in the border region and have also taken Israeli nationals, including soldiers, as hostages.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Saturday evening confirmed that there are active hostage situations in Be’eri and Ofakim areas of southern Israel, according to The Times of Israel.
While Hagari confirmed hostage situations, he did not give any specifics.
The visuals of gleeful Palestinian terrorists posing with deceased Israelis and purported Israeli hostages in Hamas custody have surfaced on social media. Outlook cannot independently verify their authenticity.
Images of Palestinian terrorists parading with captured Israeli military vehicles and with at least one soldier as hostage have also surfaced. Religious chants can also be heard in the videos.
"Earlier, Hamas published footage showing its members capturing a number of Israeli soldiers during an attack on a military base on the border...Other clips circulated online have purported to show Israeli civilians taken hostage by the terror group...Some of those captured appeared to have been killed...Social media was replete with videos of Hamas fighters parading what appeared to be stolen Israeli military vehicles, including a tank, through the streets and at least one dead Israeli soldier within Gaza being dragged and trampled by an angry crowd of Palestinians shouting 'God is Great'," reported The Times of Israel.
i24 News reported that Hamas has claimed that it has taken more than 50 Israelis as hostages.
"The Hamas terrorist organization claimed this Saturday morning that 53 Israelis, including soldiers, had been kidnapped in what has been called by both sides a war...The terrorists overran several villages, a military base and a city in southern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed," reported i24 News.
The Hamas claims were also backed by Arabic media reports that said that over 50 hostages have been taken by Hamas, some of whom appear to have been executed.
Israel-based Fox News Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst also reported, "Israel has lost control of multiple communities along the border. Hamas militants have taken over small towns will civilians still inside, according to Israeli media."
Yingst further tweeted, "Active ground fighting continues along the border. We hear machine gun fire in the distance. Multiple Israeli soldiers being loaded into ambulances next to us. Lots of confusion in the air. Israeli police believe dozens of Palestinian militants are still inside Israel."
The Times of Israel also reported that Israelis near the Gaza border were initially forced to defend their communities themselves as the military could not reach in time.
"Israeli residents near the Gaza Strip continue to ask for help and report on shooting by terrorists inside the towns while there is little or no IDF presence on the streets," reported ToI, adding that a pregnant woman said that her husband and four other armed residents were fighting in the streets with no aid from the military.
Several senior IDF officials stated that Hamas now controls several settlements in the southern areas of the country, according to the Israeli outlet Walla. "There is an area in the State of Israel that is now occupied by Hamas," said sources to Walla.
Israel launches 'Operation Sword of Iron', pounds terrorist sites in Gaza
In response to the ongoing Hamas offensive, the Israeli military has launched Operation Sword of Iron in Gaza and has struck at least 17 terrorist compounds and four command centres.
The Israeli military personnel have also been rushed to the border regions where the Hamas terrorists are on a rampage.
The Jerusalem Post reported, "Numerous IDF units, including special units, have been deployed to the Gaza periphery and are engaging in various combat zones to protect the residents of the southern region. Dozens of combat aircraft from the Air Force have recently struck several targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip."
Top Israeli officer, Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, said, "Hamas opened the gates of hell on the Gaza Strip, Hamas made the decision and Hamas will bear the responsibility and pay the price."
Israeli mayor killed in Hamas attack
An Israeli mayor, identified as Ofir Liebstein, was among those killed in the Hamas offensive.
Liebstein died fighting the Hamas terrorists, according to The Times of Israel.
Liebstein was the head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council in Southern Israel, which has faced much of the brunt of the Hamas offensive.
