For the first time since the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the State of Israel on Sunday formally declared a war against the Palestinian group Hamas, which is waging an all-out offensive against Israel.
Israel's death toll in the ongoing conflict with Hamas has crossed 700 and the number of injured has crossed 2,100. The death toll is expected to rise as some areas are yet to be cleared of Hamas attackers and battles are still ongoing.
The authorities also confirmed on Sunday that Hamas, which is a designated terrorist organisation, has taken at least 100 Israelis as hostages. Since the beginning of the Hamas offensive on Saturday, videos have done rounds that show Hamas showcasing Israeli hostages that the group has taken into Gaza. In one particularly condemned footage, a woman's semi-naked body is seen in the back of a Hamas truck amid celebratory cheering in Gaza.
The Israelis across the country on Saturday woke up to sirens as Hamas mounted an unprecedented attack on the country. It rained down around 4,000 rockets as hundreds of Hamas attackers infiltrated Israel by land, air, and sea, and took control of several localities in areas in southern Israel along the Gaza border. They went around attacking and killing unarmed civilians and abducting them as hostages.
Even as the second day of the Israel-Hamas fighting is about to conclude, the Hamas attackers have not been cleared in totality from Israel. The fighting still continues between the Hamas and Israeli security personnel at multiple locations.
Even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the country would impose unprecedented costs on Hamas and there have been expectations of a massive ground offensive into Hamas-controlled Gaza, which is also home to other designated terrorist organisations like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), no such operation has so far been begun and Israel is only carrying out airstrikes in Gaza. The mobilisation of the troops along the border, however, has continued.
Separately, the Israeli Navy has also said that it targeted naval assets of Hamas, which is backed by Israel's arch-rival Iran.
Israel's death toll crosses 700, Over 2,100 injured
The death toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has crossed 700 and the number of injured has risen to 2,156, as per latest updates.
The dead include at least 53 military personnel, including a commanding officer of the rank of colonel, according to The Times of Israel.
Of those injured, 20 are in critical condition and 338 in serious condition, according to ToI.
Fighting with Hamas inside Israel continues
Israeli military spokesperson Real Admiral Daniel Hagari said that there are still Hamas attackers inside Israel and the fighting with them continues.
While Hagari did not give any specifics, battles were raging on in at least three Israeli communities on Sunday evening, according to reports.
On Saturday, battles were raging on between Israeli forces and Hamas in at least 22 locations and a military base that had been overrun by the Hamas attackers, who had infiltrated in vehicles by land, in gliders by air, and by boats from the sea, as per reports.
"We will purify the area and attack terrorists wherever they are. Hamas has inflicted a great disaster on the residents of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds dead, and thousands injured. We took dozens of terrorists captive, including in the last few hours," said Hagari on Sunday, as per The Times of Israel.
Israel has hit over 800 sites in Gaza
Israeli military spokesperson Israeli military spokesperson Real Admiral Daniel Hagari on Sunday said that the Israeli warplanes have hit over 800 sites in Gaza.
In response to the unprecedented offensive by Hamas, Israel has mounted an operation titled 'Operation Sword of Iron'.
Hagari said that more than 50 warplanes have hit over 800 locations, with 120 sites in the Beit Hanoun neighbourhood alone, according to The Times of Israel.
Separately, Reuters reported Gaza health ministry —run by Hamas— as saying that 370 people have been killed and around 2,200 have been injured in Israeli strikes.
Reuters further reported, "Israeli air strikes on Gaza began soon after the Hamas attack and continued overnight and into Sunday, destroying the group's offices and training camps, but also houses and other buildings...More than 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza have sought refuge in schools run by the United Nations, the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency said."
Israel confirms 100+ hostages, denies talks with Hamas
For the first time since Hamas mounted all-out offensive on Israel on Saturday, the authorities on Sunday confirmed that Hamas has taken more than 100 hostages.
In a statement, Israel's Government Press Office (GPO) said, "100+ kidnapped, 2,000+ injured, 600+ murdered."
Independent reports have put the number as high as 170.
Earlier, there were also reports that some hostages have been executed and there have been videos that appear to show a seemingly-dead woman hostage being paraded in a semi-naked state by Hamas in Gaza.
Experts have said that such a high number of hostages would complicate any ground offensive that Israel would have considered. The Hamas has a strong leverage against any Israeli action. However, the authorities have denied that there have been any talks so far with Hamas over hostages.
Even as the Israeli government denied talks, PM Netanyahu appointed a pointsman to deal with the hostage situation. Former army general Gal Hirsch has been named as coordinator to handle for all matters related to Israelis missing or taken captives by Hamas.
Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Egyptian government intervened but could not secure the release of injured hostages. In the past, Egypt has often mediated between Israel and Palestinian groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
US confirming reports of American casualties in Israel
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said that the administration was working to verify reports of "several" nationals' deaths in the Hamas offensive.
"We have reports that several Americans were killed. We’re working overtime to verify that. At the same time, there are reports of missing Americans and there again, we’re working to verify those reports," said Blinken to CNN.
Foreign nationals from a number of countries have been reported dead or captive so far. One of the most widely shared and condemned videos of a hostage is said to be of a German woman, who was being paraded amid cheers in Gaza in a semi-naked state.
As per reports, Hamas attackers targeted a music festival and a party from where a number of youths were taken as hostages.
