Clashes between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas have already left nearly 600 people dead and thousands wounded on both sides on Saturday, and will continue on Sunday. Hamas attacked the day before by surprise, firing thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip - Palestinian territory under Hamas control - and infiltrating hundreds of fighters into Israeli territory, where it also captured several civilians and soldiers.
"We are on the verge of a great victory," Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said. Calling Gaza a "city of evil," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to use "all the might" of the army to avenge "a black day." "What happened today is unprecedented in Israel," he said in a televised address.
What happened on Saturday?
Hostilities began at dawn on Saturday with a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli communities and into Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammad Deif, announced that he had launched an operation dubbed the "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel and fired more than "5,000 rockets" to "put an end to all the crimes of the occupation."
Taking advantage of the element of surprise, Hamas fighters in vehicles, boats and even motorized paragliders made use of the imposing security fence erected by Israel around the Gaza Strip, attacking military positions or civilians in the street.
The Israeli army counted more than 3,000 rocket attacks. It launched Operation Steel Sabers on Saturday morning and carried out airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave, destroying among other things the three buildings of more than ten stories of the "Palestine Tower".
Doctors Without Borders said a strike hit a hospital in the enclave, causing several deaths. Several buildings were hit on both sides and collapsed.
A mosque destroyed in Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Is the fighting still going on this Sunday?
And the fighting continues on Sunday. During the night, Israeli army airstrikes continued on the Gaza Strip from where the firing continued on Israel. Fighting also continued on the ground.
The siege of the police station in the Gaza city of Sderot, where Hamas gunmen were holed up, ended Sunday morning, police said in a statement. The security forces "neutralized ten armed terrorists who were in the police station."
מטוסי קרב תקפו לפני זמן קצר תשתית צבאית בביתו של ראש מחלקת המודיעין בארגון הטרור חמאס.
צה"ל ממשיך בשעה זו בתקיפות ברחבי רצועת עזה pic.twitter.com/GlxAdbcrsp
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 8, 2023
The Israeli army also announced on Sunday morning that it had used a drone to strike a Lebanese "Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure" in the border area. The attack came after Hezbollah said it had fired "a large number of shells and guided missiles" at the disputed area of the Shebaa Farms, on the border of the two countries.
"The first phase is nearing completion (...) by eliminating the vast majority of enemy forces that have infiltrated our territory," Netanyahu said in a pre-dawn statement about the Hamas offensive. However, he warned Israelis on Sunday that they were "embarked on a long and difficult war"
Israelis taken hostage
In addition to the strikes, hostage-taking took place on Saturday, which infuriated the international community. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, claimed in a video that it had "captured several enemy soldiers." And the Quds Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, also said it was holding "many Israeli soldiers." They would be at least 150 according to the Israeli ambassador to France, who delivered a report on France info in the morning.
#Israël Israelis were brought inside #Gaza by the #Hamas pic.twitter.com/6fZEKgsG52
— Wassim Nasr (@SimNasr) October 7, 2023
"The news of civilians being taken hostage in their homes or in Gaza is appalling," Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs, said on Saturday. "This is contrary to international law. The hostages must be released immediately." "All detainees are protected by the Geneva Conventions, whether they are fighting or not," the Red Cross said. They "must be treated with humanity and dignity."
Israelis searching for their untraceable relatives are interrogated on Israeli radio and television. Some said they had seen them in videos of Hamas hostages in Gaza circulating on social media. The media also listed the names of Israelis killed on Saturday and identified, including children and teenagers.
Tears in my eyes.
A young Israeli woman from the south of the country was in tears: "I saw a picture of my father kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza. My mother doesn't answer me. My grandmother doesn't answer me. It doesn't stop shooting, come and save us." #israel pic.twitter.com/R4TLTFwuht
— Julien Bahloul (@julienbahloul) October 7, 2023
How many victims?
The fighting, the deadliest in decades, has left at least 300 people dead and more than 1,590 wounded on the Israeli side, according to authorities. The army accused Hamas of "slaughtering civilians" even in their homes. The latter counted 313 deaths in the Gaza Strip. These assessments remain provisional.
The conflict is causing significant disruption in the country. Roads have been blocked, many flights have been canceled at Tel Aviv airport and schools will remain closed on Sunday, the beginning of the week in Israel. Residents of areas where fighting is ongoing are being asked to stay in their homes.
International condemnation
This outbreak of violence has been condemned by many governments around the world. US President Joe Biden on Saturday assured Israel of his "unwavering support", Emmanuel Macron "condemned the attacks carried out from Gaza against Israel, its soldiers and its people. France stands in solidarity with Israel and Israelis, committed to their security and their right to defend themselves. »
According to a senior White House official, the United States and Israel had an "in-depth discussion" on Saturday about the Jewish state's military aid needs. The UN said it had convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the Middle East on Sunday evening.
Iran, for its part, applauded the offensive. "We support this proud operation," Revolutionary Guards General Yahya Rahim-Safavi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.