Israel Counters Devastating Hamas Attacks, Over 350 Dead in Southern Communities
In a harrowing 24-hour period that left over 350 people dead and 1,800 wounded, Israel grapples with a devastating attack by Hamas terrorists in southern communities. Dozens are believed to have been kidnapped and taken into the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday morning, Israeli security forces were still working to neutralize terrorist cells hiding within the ravaged communities. Civilians remain huddled in fear in their homes. All known hostage situations were resolved overnight, as army and police forces managed to kill terrorists and rescue captives in multiple locations including Sderot, Ofakim, and Kibbutz Be’eri.
Gunfights persisted in some communities, while the Israeli Navy reported killing five Palestinian terrorists on Zikim beach. IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said most incident locations had been “neutralized,” and the military is seeking to “stabilize the situation in the Gaza envelope.”
IDF airstrikes targeted 426 locations in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad infrastructure. Hundreds of tons of munitions were deployed. Hagari also announced plans to evacuate residents from communities close to the Gaza Strip and noted that “hundreds of thousands” of reservist soldiers have been called up.
The attacks started Saturday morning when Hamas gunmen infiltrated as many as 22 locations in southern Israel. The Israel Defense Forces are preparing for an “unprecedented” military response, with Gaza health officials reporting at least 232 deaths on their side.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war and vowed to use “all the power” of the IDF to destroy Hamas’s capabilities. The day’s events have ignited a national crisis, prompting questions about intelligence and policy failures that allowed the catastrophe to happen.
