Palestinians have launched their biggest operation against Israel in years in a surprise offensive that combined fighters crossing the fence into Israeli occupied cities with a heavy barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip.
Videos purportedly showed resistance fighters inside a military base on Saturday, as bodies of dead soldiers lay on the ground.
At least 22 Israelis have been killed, Israel’s N12 News reported, citing the Israeli ambulance service. The Times of Israel said Palestinian fighters infiltrated the town of Sderot and other settlements.
The unprecedented offensive started a few minutes before 7 a.m. as Israelis celebrated the last day of the weeklong Sukkot festival, with hundreds of rockets fired at Israel.
About 600 injured have been taken to hospitals, 105 of them are in critical condition.
The Zionist regime ordered residents near Gaza to remain indoors as it said a “suspected security incident” along the border had occurred.
The sound of outgoing rockets whooshing through the air could be heard in Gaza and sirens wailed as far away as Tel Aviv, some 70 kilometers (40 miles) to the north, during an early morning barrage that lasted more than 30 minutes.
At least 163 soldiers were taken captive by Palestinian resistance fighters, the sources said.
According to reports Israeli Commander Nimrod Aloni has been captured by Hamas forces.
Red alert warning sirens were activated in Tel Aviv, Sde Boker, Arad, and Dimona in the south as explosions were heard by residents on Saturday. In al-Quds, rocket sirens sounded followed by the sound of explosions.
Cars were seen on fire after a rocket landed in Ashkelon, southern Israel.
Hamas’ armed wing said more than 5,000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Saturday, declaring it had started “Operation al-Aqsa Flood”.
AMK/PR
