At least 600 people are believed to have been killed in Israel’s major attacks by Hamas. The fighting on Israeli soil continues. A massive Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip is expected in the coming days.
According to government figures, at least 600 people were killed in Israel in massive attacks by the terrorist organization Hamas. The death toll is “not final,” it said. The government said the number of injured was more than 2,000, around 200 of whom were in mortal danger.
On the Palestinian side in the Gaza Strip, at least 370 people have been killed and 2,200 injured in Israeli counterattacks, the Ministry of Health there announced. Israel said it attacked 426 targets in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the Israeli security cabinet has declared a state of war. This allows “far-reaching military steps,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. A massive Israeli deployment in the Gaza Strip is expected in the coming days – possibly also with ground troops.
Israel: Hamas holds more than a hundred people hostage
According to the Israeli government, Hamas is holding more than a hundred people hostage. The Israeli military had previously reported that it had ended two hostage takings. The fighting “to free hostages” was continuing, said army spokesman Daniel Hagarivor. According to the military, the liberation of soldiers and civilians will be difficult.
“There is no military way to go into the Gaza Strip and take the people out,” former Israeli army spokesman Avi Benayyahu said on Israeli television. “Even if the Gaza Strip were conquered, it is not certain that the hostages would still be alive,” said the brigadier general.
According to information from Bavarian Radio A woman with German citizenship is said to be among the hostages. Her mother is said to have received a video from Hamas in which she recognized her daughter. Her 22-year-old daughter, who lives in Israel, was attending a festival near the Gaza border when the attack began. The video showed Palestinians apparently kidnapping a half-naked and injured woman in a pickup truck into the Gaza Strip. The woman in the video appears lifeless and is apparently injured.
The “Spiegel” reported, citing the mother’s information, that the daughter’s credit card had been used in the Gaza Strip. The parents were informed of this by the bank. There has not yet been any confirmation from the Foreign Office. But it is in close contact with the Israeli authorities, reports ARD correspondent Nadine Bader from Berlin.
Situation is not yet under control
The Israeli army still does not have the situation completely under control around the Gaza Strip. There are still militant Palestinians in Israeli territory. The military said there were still fighting in eight locations. 26 soldiers were killed. Hundreds of attackers from the terrorist organization Hamas have been killed and dozens of attackers have been arrested.
The army said the barrier to the Gaza Strip had been breached in 29 places and that these were now all under control. Israel had built a massive fence along the border with Gaza to prevent infiltration. It also runs deep underground and is equipped with complex technology.
The army evacuated the Israeli towns on the border with the Gaza Strip. Thousands of people were to be moved to other locations in Israel. Residents in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, were also asked to leave the area.
Hezbollah fires on Israel from Lebanon
In the morning, Israeli soldiers killed five more Palestinian militants who were trying to cross the beach into Israel, according to Israeli radio. However, an army spokesman only confirmed that the men had been stopped.
Israel also reported shelling from neighboring Lebanon. The Hezbollah militia said it had attacked the Israeli-occupied Sheeba Farms area on the border with Lebanon with rockets and artillery. The Israeli army said it responded by shelling the area from which the shots were fired. The UN observer force in Lebanon called on Israel and Hezbollah to show restraint.
Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told the BBC that the group received direct support for the attack from Iran.
According to the UN, the Shebaa Farms are part of the Syrian territories occupied by Israel in 1967. However, Syria and some parties in Lebanon view the area as Lebanese territory. Hezbollah had previously congratulated Hamas on its “heroic, large-scale” and “victorious” operation against Israel.
Netanyahu announces retaliation
In response to the Palestinian attacks, Israel decided to, among other things, cut off imports of electricity, fuel and goods into the Gaza Strip. The aim is to destroy the military and administrative capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad “so that they are no longer able and willing to threaten and attack the citizens of Israel for many years,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office at a meeting of the security cabinet.
“We are beginning a long and difficult war, forced upon us by a murderous attack by Hamas,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying. The first phase now ends with the “destruction of the majority of the enemy forces that have invaded our territory,” it said after the Security Council meeting.
Hamas surprised Israel on Saturday with an unprecedented combination of major attacks. It fired thousands of rockets at Israel on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, and at the same time its fighters crossed the heavily secured border with Israel.
With information from Bettina Meier, ARD Studio Tel Aviv