Hamas Surprise Attack on Israel Leaves Hundreds Dead

Hamas militants storm the Gaza Strip leading to nearby Israeli towns, and killing thousands in the unprecedented surprise attack on Saturday. Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with Prime Minister Netanyahu saying the country is now at war with Hamas, and the enemy will pay the price.

According to sources, Hamas militants rolled into over 22 locations near the Gaza Strip, as far as 24 kilometers. In a surprise assault, Hamas militants gunned down civilians and soldiers as stunned Israel scrambled to respond.

The militants also held hostages in two towns and also occupied a police station, where the Israeli forces struggled to reclaim the building until Sunday morning.

Before Sunday morning, militants fired more rockets from Gaza, hitting the coastal town of Ashkelon, Israel. There is no report of casualties, even though the building sustained a lot of damage.

Israeli media reported that more than 1,500 people were wounded and 250 dead as a result of Saturday’s attack. The Palestinian side declared that at least 1700 people were wounded in the Israeli strike, and 232 dead, as Hamas fighters took an unknown number of soldiers and civilians into captivity.

The conflict escalated as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared his country to be at war, saying that the military would use full strength to destroy Hamas. He said, “This way will take time. It will be difficult.”

“All the places that Hamas hides in, operates from, we will turn them into ruins. Get out of there now,” told Netanyahu to Gaza residents.

Sunday morning, the Israeli military issued a warning to the residents of communities in Gaza and the Israeli border to vacate the area. These Gaza communities have been hit hard in the previous Hamas-Israel fighting.

A loudspeaker at a mosque in Gaza blared a warning to the residents at around 3 AM to evacuate immediately. Just minutes later, a five-story apartment building burnt to ashes as a result of an Israeli airstrike.

One of the major concerns for Israel is the number of people abducted by Hamas on Saturday. An Associated Press photo shows two women being abducted by Hamas gunmen and brought into Gaza on a golf cart.

The Israeli military has acknowledged that the hostages have been taken. In one of the videos, authenticated by CNN, Hamas has taken Israelis captive in Gaza, including Israeli soldiers. The videos have been posted on Hamas’s official social media accounts, in which Hamas has blurred the faces of their militants.

An Egyptian official says that Israel has contacted them for the safety of the abducted Israelis. The Egyptian Intelligence Chief has contacted Hamas and said, “It’s clear that they have a big number – several dozens.”

Hamas said that they had planned for a long fight. “We are prepared for all options, including all-out war… We are ready to do whatever is necessary for the dignity and freedom of our people,” said the Hamas political bureau.

Senior Hamas member Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that there are going to to “intensive international efforts” to de-escalate the crisis, “but now nothing will be more important than battle.”

“We are ready for the worst-case scenario, including a ground invasion, which will be the best for us to decide the ending of this battle,” Salen al-Alrouri to Al Jazeera. 

US President Biden has reportedly spoken with Netanyahu and he “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults.”

“I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” says Joe Biden. 

Turkey says it’s ready to help de-escalate the conflict. Saudi Arabia also called on both sides to exercise restraint. The Kingdom said that they had repeatedly warned Israel of the danger of the prolonged occupation as “the people of Palestine have been deprived of their legitimate rights.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that the country is concerned about the current conflict and violence between Israel and Palestine.

“The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine,” according to the statement by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The UN peacekeepers have called for restraint as they detected several rockets being fired from southwest Lebanon into the Israeli-occupied territory. Hezbollah declared that they did fire along the border of Syria’s Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.