Air raid sirens continue to sound in the city of Jerusalem due to the launch of rockets from Gaza, and the Israeli Army has closed roads in the area adjacent to the Strip after the incursion of Palestinian militiamen who have also kidnapped and killed to an as yet undetermined number of soldiers.
Israel says Hamas has made a serious mistake
“Hamas made a serious mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel. Army troops are fighting the enemy in all places,” declared Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who urged Israelis “to follow security instructions.”
The Israeli Army declared a state of readiness for war and has mobilized its reservists in response to the situation.
Since early in the morning, sirens have been sounding in Jerusalem for at least two hours, from where explosions have also been heard due to rocket interceptions, after the Islamist group Hamas launched at least 50,000 projectiles from the Strip in a surprise attack , which has included an incursion of militiamen into Israeli territory.
So far, Israeli hospitals have reported more than 100 people injured by rocket hits in the area near Gaza and the center of the country, including a few critical ones.
Shell fire from Gaza also killed at least one person in Israel, a woman in her 60s in Gederot; while Israeli retaliatory bombings towards Gaza killed at least 2 Palestinians.
“Since dawn, Magen David Adom teams have attended various scenarios with victims ranging from deceased, seriously injured, moderately injured and lightly injured. “This includes a member of our staff who was seriously injured by terrorist shots aimed at the ambulance,” the emergency service said.
Israel closes roads near Gaza
Faced with the incursion from the enclave, the Army closed roads in Israeli towns close to Gaza, agricultural areas and the train line that connects Sderot with Ashkelon, while continuing to act against the Palestinian militiamen who entered the country.
Kidnapping of Israeli soldiers
The al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced that several soldiers were kidnapped in the Erez border area, there were also dead soldiers and in a video spread on social networks it is seen how a Palestinian militiaman shows the body of an Israeli soldier died inside the streets of Gaza.
According to videos, Palestinian militiamen were also seen driving through Gaza with an Israeli military vehicle.
According to local press, Hamas’ surprise operation caught the Israeli Intelligence services by surprise.
Escalation between Israel and Palestine takes Russia by surprise
The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine after the announcement of an offensive by the Al Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has taken Russia by surprise, which calls for restraint on both sides, the deputy minister of Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
“It has been an unexpected escalation. “If we had known, we would have prevented it,” he told the Russian agency Interfax.
By Nadeem Faisal Baiga
