1000’s of rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel in a shock assault by the Hamas militant group on Saturday morning.
Giant plumes of black smoke could possibly be seen rising from numerous Israeli cities.
Photos on social media present vehicles on hearth and a few buildings broken, and the Israeli ambulance service reported one particular person had been killed and least 15 wounded.
Cell phone footage additionally exhibits Hamas fighters making an attempt to achieve Israel by sea utilizing small boats, and in a extremely uncommon improvement, numerous Palestinian fighters appeared to have crossed the border utilizing paragliders, reaching the city of Sderot the place gun battles had been heard.
Footage from safety cameras exhibits them getting into the city in pickup vans and motorbikes.
Air raid sirens sounded throughout southern and central Israel, and there have been explosions within the cities of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Yavne and Kfar Aviv.
The Israeli navy ordered residents of cities close to the border to stay indoors and mentioned it was putting targets within the Gaza Strip.
Defence minister Yoav Gallant is alleged to be heading to Tel Aviv for an pressing replace and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened an emergency assembly of his safety cupboard.
The IDF has warned that “the Hamas terror group pays a really heavy worth”.
Hamas mentioned that the operation had solely simply began and it’s a response to Israel violence towards Palestinians in The West Financial institution, Gaza and round Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
The militant group has known as on armed teams in Lebanon to affix the preventing.
Mohammad Deif, a senior Hamas navy commander, mentioned on Hamas radio that 5,000 rockets had been launched.
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