The attack on Israel took place on the Sabbath: Early this Saturday, the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas began firing rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip. There were reports of casualties on the Israeli side. In addition, people are said to have been kidnapped, but this could not be verified.
In Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Joav Gallant spoke of a “war” against his country. “Hamas made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel,” Gallant said in response to the attacks. The Israeli army is fighting “against the enemy” everywhere. According to officials, Gallant approved the call-up of reservists. He called on citizens to follow authorities’ orders and said: “Israel will win this war.”
Israel has been receiving rocket fire from the Gaza Strip since the morning
The rocket fire began at 6:30 a.m., as a journalist from the AFP news agency in Gaza reported. Alarm sirens sounded in southern and central Israel and the army urged the population to stay close to shelters. The Israeli army, for its part, carried out at least two counterattacks on targets in the Gaza Strip, an AFP journalist reported.
Hamas’ armed wing claimed responsibility for the attacks from the Gaza Strip. The group fired more than 5,000 rockets at Israel, said the head of the Essedine al-Kassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, in an audio message played on television.
According to an AFP correspondent, hundreds of people fled further inland, especially from the northeastern Gaza Strip. Women, men and children could be seen carrying blankets and food as they fled.
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