Israelis woke up under attack on Saturday. Sirens blared as more than 2,000 rockets launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip attempted to pummel the Jewish state. At the same time, combined offensive including truckloads of dozens of armed terrorists infiltrated through the border into southern Israel by land, paragliders entered by air and others by sea.
From about 6:30 am, sirens blared first in southern Israel around the Gaza Strip and then in the Negev Desert, Tel Aviv area cities and Jerusalem.
Many of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome anti-rocket system. But there are reports of rockets having landed inside populated areas. Israel’s State-run public broadcaster KAN mentioned unconfirmed reports of Israeli soldiers kidnapped and taken into Gaza.
There is no count on the number of casualties until now, but the armed terrorists are at large in southern Israel. Media reports said dozens, dead or alive is unknown, had been taken captive into Gaza.
One casualty was named as the Mayor of Sha’ar HaNegev, Ofir Liebstein, who spoke at the recent International Christian Embassy Feast of Tabernacles celebration.
As of late morning, fighting was taking place inside two IDF bases and a number of southern Israeli communities, with residents locked in their houses as fighting was going on around them.
According to military spokesman, Richard Hecht, Israel has launched Operation Swords of Iron.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved a call up of thousands reservists and announced a “special security situation’ in Israel’s home front within about 50 miles of the Gaza Strip enabling the IDF “to provide civilians with safety instructions and close relevant sites.”
“The Hamas [terrorist organization] has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel. IDF troops are fighting against the enemy at every location,” Gallant said.
“I call on all of Israel’s citizens to follow security instructions. The State of Israel will win this war,” he said.
Hecht said that Israel was also prepared on the northern border in the event of an attack from the north.
The Israel Defence Forces declared a “state of alert for war”.
“The Hamas terrorist organization had begun a massive shooting of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, and terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations,” the IDF said in a statement.
“Civilians in the southern and central areas are required to stay next to shelters, and in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, inside shelters,” it said.
“The Hamas terrorist organization is the sovereign in the Gaza Strip and is responsible for this attack. It will face the consequences and responsibility for these events,” it warned.
Former IDF Spokesman, Jonathan Conricus tweeted:
“This is an unprecedented multidimensional attack on Israel designed to kill and abduct civilians and soldiers. Part of the Iranian network of terror. As the extent of Israeli casualties will be confirmed, I expect an Israeli response never seen before. This is just the beginning,” he said.
The attack comes at the end of the biblical Sukkot holiday. Known as Simchat Torah, it’s the day Jewish people celebrate the Word of God.
It also comes one day after the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War when Israel was taken off guard by a massive attack from an Arab coalition.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN