Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the Jewish State for a “long and difficult war” Sunday as his administration responded to a surprise attack by Hamas terrorists that has killed 600 Israelis.
“We are starting a long and difficult war. War has been forced upon us by murderous attacks by Hamas. The first phase ended in these few hours by destroying most of the enemy forces that have penetrated our territory,” Netanyahu said, according to a translation.
“We will restore security to the people of Israel and we will win.”
The Israeli cabinet invoked Article 40 of Aleph, marking the first officially declared war since 1973.
From early Saturday into Sunday, Hamas fired thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel and launched ground attacks, marking what it called the biggest escalation in the region in more than five decades.
The attack, which caught Israel’s intelligence and defense forces off guard, came about a day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, in which Israel fought Egypt, Syria, and several other Arab countries.
So far, the death toll in Israel has risen to about 600 killed and 2,000 injured, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Meanwhile, more than 313 Palestinians were reported dead and 1,990 were reported missing, including 20 killed and 121 children injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
There are also reports of many Israelis being kidnapped by terrorists.
“Israel woke up this morning to a terrible morning. There were many people killed. People have been abducted to Gaza, not only soldiers but civilians, children, grandmothers,” said Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht in a statement, CNN reported.
“We lost soldiers, we lost commanders, we lost a lot of civilians.”
Hecht did not disclose the exact amount of the ransom.
Hamas has used hostages to warn Israel against retaliating near the Gaza Strip.
The war appears to have escalated in recent hours with attacks from the north, believed to be coming from the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah near the Israel-Lebanon border.
Wow. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for rocket and mortar fire targeting several Israeli positions in the north.
Israel has already responded by attacking Hezbollah locations.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) October 8, 2023
Hezbollah, which has allied with Hamas, is effectively threatening to add a second front to the bloody war against Israel.
Netanyahu has promised “great revenge” and “victory” in the explosive conflict.
Israeli warplanes have attacked Gaza, hitting more than 426 targets, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Late Saturday, the Israeli cabinet convened to make “decisions aimed at destroying the military and government capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in a way that will negate their ability and desire to threaten and harm the people of Israel for years. coming,” said the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Hamas’ surprise attack has drawn widespread international condemnation and threatens to escalate tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Israel has an estimated population of just over 9.5 million people.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
