https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67044182
On Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War, armed Palestinians from the Gaza Strip entered Israeli territory and entered several settlements near the border. Israeli Defense Forces officials said the infiltrations were by land, sea and by air using paragliders.
The Palestinian breakthrough from Gaza was preceded by a powerful shelling of Israeli territory - thousands of rockets were fired, some of which reached Tel Aviv. Destruction was noted in residential buildings. Shootings began on Israeli territory between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians. Many local residents and tourists who came to the south of Israel during the final day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot were at risk.
Israel's prime minister called it a full-scale war, ordered a massive mobilization of reserves and said the enemy would pay a price never seen before.
Mohamed Deif, the military leader of the Hamas group that controls Gaza, said: "We have decided to declare that our patience has come to an end." Mahmoud Abbas, a spokesman for the Hamas-rival Fatah party and the recognized leader of the Palestinian Authority, who is not in Gaza but in the West Bank, said that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves from “the terror of the settlers and the occupying forces.” He made the announcement during an emergency meeting convened in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
More than 300 Israelis were killed and thousands were injured in an attack by Hamas militants on Israel, the country's health ministry reports. As a result of the Israeli air response, as previously reported, 232 people were killed in the Gaza Strip. These data may not be accurate as fighting continues.
Hamas militants took many hostages during the attack. Among them are both military and civilians. Some hostages were reportedly taken by car to the Gaza Strip. Hamas said it would exchange them for Palestinian prisoners. In response, Israel launched Operation Iron Swords. It includes massive air strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the army announced a gathering of reservists. According to military experts, Israel may also launch a ground operation. By Saturday evening, fighting continued in 22 places in Israel, the country's Ministry of Defense reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Gazans to leave the city immediately, as the country's army would soon "turn into ruins" everything associated with Hamas.
Many states have expressed solidarity with Israel, including the USA, Ukraine, France, Great Britain, Spain, and Sweden. Iran welcomed the Hamas attacks. Russia and Saudi Arabia called on the parties to show restraint.
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