Sunday saw Israeli soldiers engage Hamas members in combat in southern Israel’s streets and conduct retaliatory attacks that destroyed structures in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in northern Israel, a brief exchange of strikes with the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon sparked concerns about the possibility of a wider conflict.
More than twenty-four hours after an unprecedented surprise onslaught from Gaza, where Hamas terrorists stormed over Israel’s security barrier and rampaged into surrounding villages with thousands of missiles in support, there was still some fighting going on.
More than 300 people have reportedly died in Gaza, according to the AP, while at least 600 people have reportedly died in Israel, a horrific death toll on a magnitude not seen in decades.
In addition, the militants returned women, children, and elderly inmates to the coastal Gaza enclave, where they will most likely attempt to exchange them for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States is investigating claims that “several” Americans were slain or went missing, as reported by CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The long-held belief that Israel had eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated zone it has ruled for decades was called into question by the high death toll, numerous captured people, and tardy response to the onslaught.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, declared that his nation was at war and that its adversaries would pay a high price.
In a statement released Sunday, his Security Cabinet formally declared the nation at war and said that the move authorized “the taking of significant military steps.”
The announcement’s ramifications weren’t immediately apparent. Over the past forty years, Israel has conducted significant military operations in Gaza and Lebanon that it has depicted as wars, but without making an official declaration. Leaders of Hamas have declared that they are ready for any additional escalation.
One of the main concerns at this point was whether Israel would attack Gaza on the ground, which has historically resulted in more casualties. Netanyahu promised that Hamas “will pay a price that is unprecedented.” But this war will take time, he cautioned. It will not be easy.
On both sides, the cost to the civilian population of the violence was immense. A number of Israeli media sites reported that at least 600 people had perished in Israel, including 44 soldiers, citing rescue service authorities; however, 313 people had died in Gaza, according to officials there.
On both sides, there have been about 2,000 injuries. According to an Israeli official, security forces have reportedly killed 400 extremists and detained dozens more.
In the haze of ambiguity surrounding their loved ones’ whereabouts, relatives of Israelis who were either captured or went missing spoke to Israeli TV news, lamenting and pleading for help. RELATED: German Festival-Goer, Shani Louk, Identified As Young Woman Paraded Around In Truck By Hamas Terrorist
After receiving warnings in Arabic from the Israeli military, residents of Gaza evacuated their homes close to the border in order to avoid Israeli strikes and fled further within the enclave.
President Joe Biden said from the White House Saturday that the U.S. “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults,” and said Israel has the right to defend itself.
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