Hours after Hamas carried out ground and rocket attacks on Israel from Ghaza, Israel retaliated by aerial bombing of civilian areas in Ghaza in which around 200 people were killed.
Health ministry in Palestinian enclave said, “Up until 4:20 pm (1320 GMT) there were 198 martyrs and 1,610 wounded with different injuries.”
Israeli Defence Minister Gallant said “troops are fighting against the enemy at every location” and authorised the call-up of reservists. Footage circulating on social media appeared to show clashes in city streets as well as gunmen in jeeps roaming the countryside.
“We were told there are terrorists inside the kibbutz, we can hear gunfire,” a young woman named Dvir, from Beeri Kibbutz, told Israeli Army Radio from her bomb shelter.
Hamas media displayed videos of what it said were bodies of Israeli soldiers brought into Gaza by fighters, and Palestinian gunmen inside Israeli homes and touring an Israeli town in jeeps reportedly been driven into Israel by the attackers.
Gaza-based Islamic Jihad said its military wing al-Quds Brigades fighters have also joined the operation. Palestinian fighters crossed the fence into Israeli occupied cities with a heavy barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip. They have also captured many Israeli soldiers.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is the only guarantee for “security, stability and peace” in the region.
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