The death toll in the Gaza Strip from Israeli-Palestinian fire is 300. The war began with Hamas terrorists launching rocket attacks and invading Israeli territory by sea, air, and ground at dawn. The Israeli government responded with air strikes.
The latest count puts the death toll of Israelis at 100, with dozens of hostages and thousands of wounded who have been admitted to hospitals. Similarly, 198 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, Gaza health officials said, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, an unknown number of Israelis have been captured by Hamas militants, with unverified footage on social media showing elderly people and a young woman with her hands tied inside Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was aware of the reports but would not confirm details.
Al Jazeera reports that “dozens of victims” have been taken to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza and that “a large number of grieving families rushed to the hospital upon hearing the news.”
In Gaza, people rushed to buy supplies in anticipation of the coming days of clashes. Some evacuated their homes and headed for shelters. “We are afraid,” said Amal Abu Daqqa, a Palestinian woman living in Khan Younis, in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera.
In Ramallah, which is usually relatively calm compared to other West Bank cities, an Al Jazeera reporter saw dozens of people crowding into supermarkets, buying everything off the shelves.
The attack started at dawn on Saturday morning, when the Islamist group Hamas launched its largest attack on Israel in years, in a surprise move that saw gunmen cross the border and a volley of rockets fired at various points (including Tel Aviv) from the Gaza Strip.
As alarm sirens sounded across southern and central Israel, including Jerusalem, the Israeli army declared a state of war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling an emergency meeting of security officials and Defense Minister Joav Galland authorizing the recruitment of reservists.
