Reports emerging from Israel indicate that more than 200 people have been killed and over 1500 are wounded after abarrage of rockets slammed into southern and central Israel Saturday morning.
“Since this morning, the State of Israel is at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, shortly after the IDF declared “Operation Swords of Iron.”
More than 2,200 rockets were fired, the IDF said. Sirens sounded multiple times in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and southern Israel.
A direct hit was reported on a building in Ashkelon. Dozens of vehicles also caught fire in the city.
Hamas infiltrated into the country, including, reportedly, into an IDF base in Israel’s southern district, according to an unnamed Israeli security source.
Contact with the soldiers on the base was cut off.
Hamas fighters also reportedly infiltrated the city of Ofakim, and exchanges of gunfire were heard.
The Hamas fighters were allegedly fortified in buildings. By noon, some of the fighters had returned to the Gaza Strip.
N12 reported that Hamas had captured Israeli vehicles and returned to Gaza with them.
Furthermore, Hamas claimed to have kidnapped five IDF soldiers, but the IDF had not yet confirmed the report.
Israeli media reported that Hamas had 33 war prisoners, including civilians and IDF soldiers, who were being held hostage.
Israeli officials held a security meeting in the afternoon and updated the public on Israel’s military plans.
“Our first goal is primarily to clear the territory of the enemy forces that have entered and restore security and calm to the settlements that have been attacked,” Netanyahu said.
“The second goal, concurrently, is to exact a heavy price from the enemy, even in the Gaza Strip. The third goal is to fortify other areas so no one mistakenly joins this war.”
Russia Calls for ‘Immediate Ceasefire’
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday called for Israeli and Palestinian forces to stop armed hostilities after attacks launched by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel.
“We call on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to immediately ceasefire, renounce violence, show the necessary restraint,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Zakharova called the parties to set up “a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace” with the help of the international community.
The long-lasting conflict between Israel and Palestine “cannot be solved by force, but only by diplomatic means,” Zakharova said.
She said Moscow was standing by its position in favor of negotiations “for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security with Israel.”
