At least 22 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded after thousands of rockets were fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip in a surprise attack by the Hamas militant group.
Large plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from a number of Israeli towns on Saturday morning.
Israel’s defence minister said Hamas had “launched a war” and its troops were “fighting against the enemy at every location”.
Israel-Gaza latest: Hamas fighters on ground in Israel after ‘5,000’ rockets fired
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “We are at war and we will win.”
Mr Netanyahu added: “Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known.”
Retaliating to the incursion, the Israeli air force confirmed dozens of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fighter jets struck a number of Hamas military compounds and operational command centres in the Gaza Strip.
Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupation of troops”.
Some 545 Israelis have been wounded, Israel’s health ministry said.
This, combined with the number of fatalities so far, makes the attack the deadliest in Israeli territory in years.
Social media images showed cars on fire and damaged buildings.
Phone footage also showed Hamas fighters attempting to reach Israel on small boats, and in a highly unusual development, a number of fighters appeared to have crossed the border using paragliders, reaching the town of Sderot where gun battles were heard.
Footage from security cameras showed them entering the city in pick-up trucks and motorbikes.
Air raid sirens sounded across southern and central Israel, and there were explosions in the cities of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Yavne and Kfar Aviv.
A rescue agency said a 70-year-old woman had been critically injured when a rocket hit a building in southern Israel.
The IDF warned “the Hamas terror group will pay a very heavy price” saying it was launching a “large-scale operation” called “Swords of Iron” in response to the combined rocket and infantry attack.
The Israeli military said “a number of terrorists have infiltrated into Israeli territory” and residents along the border were told to stay indoors.
“The military declares a state of war alert,” it said in a statement.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas had “made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel”.
He added: “IDF troops are fighting against the enemy at every location. I call on all of Israel’s citizens to follow security instructions. The State of Israel will win this war.”
Several reports have suggested that Hamas kidnapped IDF soldiers with videos circulating on social media appearing to show the captive military troops being paraded on trucks. An IDF spokesman refused to comment on the claims when asked about them.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is understood to have convened an emergency meeting of his security cabinet.
A military spokesperson for Israel said Hamas fired 2,500 rockets in Saturday’s attack, while the group’s military commander Mohammad Deif said 5,000 rockets had been launched.
“This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” Mr Deif said on Hamas radio.
He said the attack was the beginning of “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” and was in response to Israeli violence in the West Bank, Gaza, and around Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
“Today the people are regaining their revolution,” he said in the recorded message.
“We must set the earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers,” the militant added.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said it had joined the attack, while Hamas also called on armed groups in Lebanon to get involved.
Source: Sky News
