Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel has entered a state of conflict following a surprise attack on Saturday by Gaza militants. The attackers launched thousands of rockets and infiltrated Israel through land, sea, and air, even utilizing paragliders. Israeli officials reported dozens of casualties and nearly 800 people wounded.
In Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry reported at least 198 Palestinian fatalities on Saturday, along with 1,610 injuries. In response to the attack, Israel initiated airstrikes on Gaza, with Netanyahu pledging to make the adversary pay a significant cost.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that their troops are engaged in combat in multiple locations, and some Israeli residents reported attempts by militants to breach their homes. Hamas claimed to have captured several Israeli soldiers near the border.
This assault occurred on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 War, during which Arab states launched a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar.
Former Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson, Jonathan Conricus, likened the massive surprise attack by Hamas on Israel last Saturday to a “Pearl Harbor-type moment” for the country. He expressed that the failure extended across the entire defense system, not just one component, and it became evident that it couldn’t adequately protect Israeli civilians during the early morning attack. Conricus stated, “This marks a turning point for Israel, where there was the reality before today, and now there will be the reality after today.”
The attack itself, characterized by Hamas militants entering Israel, infiltrating military installations, towns, farms, and taking hostages, represents an unprecedented event in Israeli history since the town-by-town fighting of the 1948 War of Independence.
