Israel declares war, vows retaliation; death toll continues to rise

Hundreds of people were killed in a multi-front attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group.

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Editor’s note: This story is no longer being updated. The latest updates can be found here.

Israeli embassy in Colombia vandalized

Update 11:51 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: The Israeli embassy in Colombia was vandalized with graffiti including swastikas, Israel’s envoy to the South American nation said, according to CNN.

Photos posted by Ambassador Gali Dagan on X, formerly known as Twitter, show swastikas on the wall of the embassy building in Bogota next to the Star of David.

The vandalism comes a day after Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed support for the recognition of Palestine, the cable news network reported.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Woman abducted in viral video born in China

Update 10:58 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: According to officials at the Chinese embassy in Israel, Noa Argamani, 25, a woman abducted by Hamas militants on Saturday and shown in a video that has since gone viral, was born in China and had a Chinese parent, The New York Times reported.

In a post on its official Weibo account, the embassy wrote that “Noa was born in Beijing and is Chinese-Israeli.”

The post added that Argamini had been attending a music festival before she was forcibly taken from Israel to the Gaza Strip.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

UEFA cancels Israel soccer matches

Update 10:18 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: According to CNN, the Union of European Football Associations has postponed all upcoming matches scheduled in Israel, European soccer’s governing body said.

“In light of the current security situation in Israel, UEFA has decided to postpone all matches scheduled in Israel in the next couple of weeks with new dates to be confirmed in due course,” UEFA said in a statement.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

US Holocaust Museum condemns attack

Update 9:34 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., condemned the Hamas attack on Israel, The Washington Post reported.

“These vile acts by this terrorist organization must be universally condemned and all hostages immediately released,” museum chair Stuart E. Eizenstat said in a statement Sunday. “Our prayers are with all Israelis, including the many Holocaust survivors who helped build the State of Israel.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Several nations awaiting word on citizens

Update 6:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: Nations worldwide were attempting to locate citizens who were either killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants when they surged across Israel’s border on Saturday, The New York Times reported.

Several U.S. citizens were killed and injured in Israel, a National Security Council spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed to the newspaper.

Here is a list of people who were listed as killed or missing, according to the Times.

• France’s foreign ministry said a French woman had died in Israel but did not elaborate.
• Two Thai citizens were killed, according to Thailand’s prime minister, Srettha Thavisin. Thailand’s foreign ministry said that Hamas took 11 Thai citizens hostage.
• Two citizens of Ukraine were among those killed in Israel, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed.
• Two Mexican nationals were believed to be among the hostages taken by Hamas, the country’s foreign minister, Alicia Bárcena, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
• At least four students from Nepal who were studying in southern Israel near Gaza, were injured, the country’s foreign minister, Narayan Prakash Saud, wrote on X. The status of 11 other students was unclear.

• The Israeli Embassy in London confirmed that two British citizens -- Dan Darlington and Jake Marlowe -- were missing. The embassy also confirmed that Nathanael Young, a British man serving in the Israeli military, was killed Saturday on the Gaza border.
• Shani Louk, a German-Israeli citizen, was taken hostage by Hamas militants while attending an open-air music festival near the Gaza Strip border, German officials said.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills 19 family members

Update 6:13 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: A man living in a refugee camp in the southern part of the Gaza Strip said he lost 19 family members when an Israeli airstrike destroyed his home, The Associated Press reported.

Nasser Abu Quta said his family was killed “in an instant” when his home was destroyed in Rafah near the Egyptian border.

Abu Quta said he did not understand why his home was targeted, adding there were no militants in his building, the AP reported. He added that his family was not warned about an impending attack

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the strike on Abu Quta’s home, according to the news organization.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

UAE condemns Hamas attacks

Update 6:06 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry condemned Hamas attacks on Israel and called for the protection of civilians on both sides, according to a statement released Sunday.

The ministry called for de-escalation and negotiations for “a final settlement within the parameters of the two-state solution.”

Palestinians and Israelis “deserve to live in peace and dignity,” the statement added.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Hamas: More than 130 held hostage

Update 5:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: A senior Hamas official said the militant group is holding more than 100 people hostage after its assault on Israel, The Associated Press reported.

Mousa Abu Marzouk spoke to Arabic language news outlet al-Ghad on Sunday. The figure is in addition to more than 30 people said to be held by the Palestinian militant group.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Rockets aimed at central Israel

Update 5:08 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: Palestinian militants fired a rocket barrage into central Israel, The New York Times reported. Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, took responsibility for the attack. On Telegram, the group said the barrage was aimed at Ben-Gurion Airport, according to the newspaper.

Loud explosions were heard across central Israel and in the suburbs of Tel Aviv late Sunday, according to CNN.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

‘The bullets were close’

Update 4:14 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: Yousef Zayadneh, a driver from the Arab city of Rahat, told The New York Times that he pulled into a music festival just as rockets exploded during an attack by militants.

He told the newspaper that he jammed about 30 people -- including the original group he dropped off -- into his vehicle and sped to a nearby hospital.

“The bullets were close, close, close,” Zayadneh told the newspaper. “I’ve been traumatized since yesterday. I can’t sleep.”

On Sunday, Zayadneh learned that his cousin, who had been missing since Saturday, was one of the casualties of the Palestinian assault.

“I’m against any kind of violence, any killing, whether it comes from Israel or it comes from Palestine,” Zayadneh told the Times. “We may have differences, but that doesn’t permit killing.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

At least 260 bodies removed from music festival

Update 3:37 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: The Israeli rescue service, Zaka, said that at least 260 bodies were recovered from a music festival site, according to The Associated Press.

The festival reportedly came under attack as Hamas attacked Israel Saturday, the AP reported. The total number of those killed at the festival is expected to rise.

- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Death toll rises to at least 700 Israelis killed

Update 3:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: At least 700 people have been killed in Israel, according to The Associated Press.

The New York Times says that the Israeli foreign ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirmed that 700 Israelis were killed.

The Israeli foreign ministry also said “Grandmothers, mothers and children kidnapped and taken hostage by Hamas,” according to the Times.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Islamic Jihad leader says it is holding Israelis captive

Update 2:37 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad’s leader said, according to The Associated Press, that it is holding 30 Israelis captive inside Gaza. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group were reportedly a part of Hamas’ operation Saturday.

Ziad Nakhaleh said in a speech Sunday evening, according to the AP, that the captives won’t be released until Palestinian prisoners are set free.

“The prisoners that are being held are in the tens and I can say that they are much more than that,” said Nakhaleh, according to the AP.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

US official says at least 4 Americans killed in attacks

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: A U.S. official said that preliminary information indicates that at least four Americans were killed in the attacks against Israel, The Associated Press reported.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Department of Defense says they are sending equipment, resources

Update 1:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: “My thoughts continue to be with the people of Israel and the many families who have lost loved ones as a result of the abhorrent terrorist attack by Hamas. Today, in response to this Hamas attack on Israel, and following detailed discussions with President Biden, I have directed several steps to strengthen Department of Defense posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts,” the Department of Defense said in a statement.

The Department of Defense said it will be moving the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Carrier Group. They will also provide Israel’s Defense Forces with more equipment and resources. Some of the resources will include munitions.

“Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the material support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people. My team and I will continue to be in close contact with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they have what they need to protect their citizens and defend themselves against these heinous terrorist attacks,’ the Department of Defense said.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Biden spoke with Netanyahu Sunday; sending additional assistance

Update 1:20 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: The White House said that President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke again Sunday and are “committed to stay in regular contact over the coming days.”

Biden confirmed to Netanyahu that additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces is on its way and more will come over the next few days, the White House said.

“The President emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and all countries must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities,” according to the White House.

The Associated Press said that the United States will be sending an aircraft carrier. strike group to help support Israel

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Israel confirms Americans are among Hamas hostages

Update 12:01 p.m. EDT Oct. 8: Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, confirmed that American citizens are part of Hamas captives, according to The Associated Press. Dermer did not provide other details about the Americans or if they had been killed.

“Unfortunately I can’t. We have a lot of dual citizens in Israel. I suspect there are several, but we’re still trying to sort through all of this information after this horrific surprise attack and we’ll make sure to put that information out so that the loved ones of these people who were killed and who are held hostage, they know as quickly as possible,” Dermer told CNN, according to the AP.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Blinken: US looking to possibly send more assistance to Israel

Update 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 8: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that President Biden’s “direction was to make sure that we’re providing Israel everything it needs in this moment to deal with the attacks from Hamas,” The Associated Press reported.

Blinken said the U.S. is looking at multiple requests for assistance from the Israelis which could develop later Sunday, according to the AP.

Blinked reportedly told multiple news shows Sunday that the attack could have been motivated by “an emerging diplomatic deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” the AP reported.

“It’s no surprise that those who are opposed to the talks, those who are opposed to Israel normalizing relations with its neighbors and the countries beyond the region are Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. And so it’s entirely possible that one of the motivations for this attack was to try to derail these efforts to advance normalization,” Blinken said, according to the AP.

He also reportedly said that they are working to verify if any Americans are missing or had been killed in the attack.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Death toll rises to 600

Update 9:06 a.m. EDT Oct. 8: Multiple media outlets say, according to rescue officials, that the death toll has risen to at least 600, The Associated Press reported. At least 44 soldiers were reportedly killed.

Officials in Gaza say that 313 people were killed there, the AP reported.

An Israeli official said that security forces have killed 400 militants and captured dozens of others, the AP reported.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Israel’s government announces its retaliatory operation

Update 8:44 a.m. EDT Oct. 8: Israel’s security cabinet had a late meeting Saturday and announced early Sunday morning the goal of their retaliation operation was “to achieve the destruction of the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in a way that will preclude their ability and willingness to threaten and attack the citizens of Israel for many years,” according to The New York Times.

CNN reported that the Israeli security cabinet declared a state of war.

“Last night, the security cabinet approved the war situation and, to this end, the taking of significant military steps,” the security cabinet said in a statement.

“The war that was forced on the State of Israel in a murderous terrorist assault from the Gaza Strip began at 06:00 yesterday.”

“We are embarking on a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous Hamas attack,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said, according to the Times.

“Israel’s declaration of war, a mostly symbolic formality, would allow the government to enact a wider mobilization of military reserves and compel the government to identify specific wartime objectives, raising the specter of a ground invasion of Gaza,” The Washington Post reported.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for support for Israel

Update 8:40 a.m. EDT Oct. 8: “Israel has every right to protect itself from terror. So does any other state. And it is very important for the whole world to respond to terror in a united and principled fashion,” Zelensky said in a speed overnight, according to The New York Times.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Israeli official says hundreds of Hamas militants killed

Update 8:05 a.m. EDT Oct. 8: The Israel Defense Forces said that they used drones from Israel were used to “thwart Hamas’ attempts” to try to cross the border, CNN reported.

An official with the Israeli military said “hundreds of terrorists” have been killed, The Associated Press reported. They also said that dozens have been captured.

An Egyptian police officer reportedly opened fire on Israeli tourists Sunday in Alexandria, according to the AP. At least two Israelis and one Egyptian were killed, local media reported. The suspected assailant was detained.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Chinese ‘deeply concerned’

Update 11:49 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: In a statement on Sunday, China’s foreign ministry said it is “deeply concerned over the current escalation of tensions and violence between Palestine and Israel.”

Beijing has attempted to maintain friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinian authorities, according to The New York Times. Chinese officials said that “the recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot last.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Death toll rises

Update 7:57 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: The death toll continues to rise in the aftermath of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel.

The Associated Press and The New York Times, quoting media reports that cited rescue service officials, said that at least 250 people have been killed and more than 1,500 people have been wounded. At least 232 people have been killed at the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

CNN, quoting an “Israeli offiicals,” said that the death toll had climbed to at least 300.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Airlines suspend flights to Israel

Update 7:06 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: Airlines canceled more than 80 flights to and from Tel Aviv by Saturday evening, according to The Associated Press.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines canceled flights Saturday night and Sunday night from New York’s JFK Airport to Tel Aviv, the news organization reported. One Delta Air Lines flight from Tel Aviv to New York was allowed to take off.

United Airlines canceled a Saturday flight from San Francisco, according to the AP. An earlier United flight turned around over Greenland and returned to San Francisco, the news organization reported.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Israel expands ‘special security situation’

Update 5:43 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: The office of Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, said the nation’s “special security situation” has been expanded from the Gaza Strip to the entire country, CNN reported.

In a statement, Gallant said the Hamas militants made “a grave mistake” by attacking Israel.

“Today we saw the face of evil. The Hamas (terrorist organization) has launched a brutal attack against the citizens of the State of Israel -- attacking men, women, children, and the elderly, indiscriminately,” Gallant said. “Hamas will understand very quickly that it has made a mistake - a grave mistake and will pay a (heavy) price.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

UN Security Council will meet Sunday afternoon

Update 5:27 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: The U.N. Security Council’s emergency meeting about the situation in the Middle East will be held at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday, The Washington Post reported. The announcement came after Brazil, which holds the council’s presidency, requested the meeting.

“I am extremely alarmed by the rapidly escalating events in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” said Martin Griffiths, U.N. undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 3:31 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington announced that an Israel Crisis Fund has been opened to assist Israelis after “the largest terrorist attack on Israel since the Yom Kippur War,” according to The Associated Press.

“At the holy time of Shabbat, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah, while Jews were immersed in celebration and spiritual contemplation, dozens of terrorist gunmen infiltrated communities near the Gaza border and Hamas launched a deluge of thousands of rockets at Israel cities,” Gil Preuss, the federation’s chief executive officer, said in a statement obtained by the AP.

“This is a terrifying moment for our family in Israel,” Preuss added, “and we fear the horror will be quite prolonged.”

“Israel will reach every place Hamas is hiding,” Netanyahu said, according to CNN. “I tell Gaza’s people to leave those places now.”

“I tell Hamas, you are responsible for wellbeing of captives. Israel will settle the score with anyone who harms them,” Netanyahu said, according to CNN,

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 3:29 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the Israeli military was continuing to clear militants from towns near Gaza in a speech from Tel Aviv Saturday night, the New York Times reported.

“What happened today has not been seen before in Israel,” Netanyahu said, according to the newspaper.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 3 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: President Biden shared remarks Saturday afternoon at the White House, according to The New York Times. He vowed that when it comes to Israel, the United States “will not ever fail to have their back.”

“We will make sure that they have the help their citizens need, and they can continue to defend themselves,” Biden said, according to CNN.

“The world is watching,” Biden warned.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 2:07 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: Israel’s national rescue service said, according to The Associated Press, that at least 200 people were killed in the attack and 1,100 people were injured.

At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip were killed and at least 1,610 wounded by strikes from Israel, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, according to the AP.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 1:35 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: New York City Mayor Eric Adams released a statement Saturday afternoon saying that city officials are monitoring the situation in Israel for “any possible threats.” According to The Associated Press, New York City is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

“While there is no credible threat to New York City at this time, our administration is in touch with Jewish leaders across the five boroughs, and we have directed the NYPD to deploy additional resources to Jewish communities and houses of worship citywide to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to make sure everyone feels safe,” Adams said in a statement obtained by the AP.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 1:32 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: United States airlines are canceling and diverting flights that were headed to Israel, according to data from FlightAware obtained by CNN.

“The safety of our customers and crews is our top priority,” United said in a statement, according to CNN. “We are closely monitoring the situation and we are adjusting flight schedules as required.”

Other airlines including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have also canceled flights Saturday and Sunday heading to Israel from New York, according to FlightAware per CNN.

“There will still be one flight from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt this Saturday. All other Lufthansa flights to and from Tel Aviv have been canceled for today’s Saturday,” German airline Lufthansa said in a statement, according to CNN.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 12:37 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: Salih al-Arouri, Hama’s political leader said that the conflict is in its early stages, in an interview with Al Jazeera television, according to The New York Times.

Al-Arouri said that Hamas organized the attack with “precision and detail.” He also said that there were efforts to mediate a ceasefire immediately but said that “for now we will speak in the battlefield,” the Times reported.

A spokesman for Hamas said that Hamas is holding dozens of Israeli soldiers captive, according to The Associated Press.

“The forceful response of young Palestinians today to the child-murdering Zionist regime showed that it is more vulnerable than ever and the young Palestinians have the upper hand,” said Ali Bahadori Jahromi, the spokesman of Iran’s government, in a statement obtained by the Times.

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on conflict in Gaza, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, according to the Times.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 12:13 p.m. EDT Oct. 7: A spokesman for the Magen David Adom emergency service, Zaki Heller said, according to The New York Times, that at least 100 Israelis have been killed since the attack. The number is expected to continue to rise over the next few hours and days.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 11:32 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: Israeli military officials say the fighting between them and Hamas is continuing in around 22 locations in the southern parts of Israel, The Associated Press reported.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 11:18 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: President Joe Biden released a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Today, I spoke with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) about the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. I offered our support and reiterated my unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. (First lady Jill Biden) and I express our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.”

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 11:04 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: Israel’s national rescue service said, according to The Associated Press, that the death toll has risen to 70.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement after he spoke with President Joe Biden, according to CNN.

“U.S. President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasized that the U.S. stands by Israel and fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself,” the statement said, per CNN. “The Prime Minister thanked the U.S. President for his unreserved support and made it clear that a prolonged and powerful campaign would be required in which Israel would win.”

It is also not clear how many hostages were seized or if it will lead to a “major escalation in the fighting,” the AP reported.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 10:40 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: A spokesperson with the Israeli military confirmed that Hamas is holding Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage in Gaza, according to The Associated Press.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 9:32 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: Palestinian’s Health Ministry said at least 198 people were killed and 1,610 injured in Gaza during Israel’s retaliation following the Hamas attack on Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

At least 561 injured people are being treated in Israeli hospitals with at least 77 in critical condition, the AP reported.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 9:24 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Richard Hecht told CNN that he hopes there will be no more live terrorists in Israel.

“We are very much focused on saving forces, where there is ongoing fighting as we speak and handling these terrorists, hopefully by the end of the day there will be no more live terrorists inside Israel,” Hecht told CNN.

Special forces are working to secure the area.

Netanyahu is expected to speak with President Joe Biden soon, multiple officials say, according to CNN.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 8:32 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: Israel’s national rescue service said, according to The Associated Press, that at least 40 people were killed in the attack on Israel Saturday.

According to the AP, the latest death toll comes from the Magen David Adom rescue service.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Update 8:01 a.m. EDT Oct. 7: The Soroka Medical Center, which is in Beersheba, a southern Israeli city, said it was treating at least 280 casualties, according to The Associated Press. Of the 280, 60 are in serious condition. The Barzilai Hospital near Gaza said it was treating 182 wounded people. Of the 182, 12 are in critical condition.

The attack on Israel has become the deadliest attack in Israel in years, the AP reported.

“I condemn the indiscriminate rocket fire by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians. I am in contact with Israeli officials, and fully support Israel’s right to defend itself from such terrorist acts,” Stephanie Hallett, a top American diplomat in Israel, wrote on social media, according to the AP.

“Shocking news reaches us today from Israel. The rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence shock us deeply. Germany condemns these Hamas attacks and stands by Israel,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, according to CNN.

“I am shocked by this morning’s attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli citizens. Israel has an absolute right to defend itself. We’re in contact with Israeli authorities, and British nationals in Israel should follow travel advice,” UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, according to CNN.

-- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Original story: The Islamist ruling militant group from the Gaza Strip carried out the attack at daybreak, firing thousands of rockets while fighters broke through the fortified border by air, land and sea.

The Associated Press said that the leader of the Hamas military, Mohammed Deif, called the attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.”

In a recorded statement, Deif said, “Enough is enough. Today the people are regaining their revolution.” as he called on Palestinians in Israel to join the fight, the AP reported.

CNN reported that there were at least 21 active fronts where attacks were happening including:

• Erez Crossing
• Nahal Oz
• Magen
• Kibbutz Beeri
• Rehim Army Base
• Ziikim Army Base
• Kfar Azz

“We are currently in a state of war, a complex attack in the area around Gaza, and the towns in southern Israel. Right now there are 21 active fronts in the south.” Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai said.

The AP said Israel was caught off-guard during a holiday. The Israel Foreign Ministry said today is Simchat Torah. The attack happened almost 50 years to the day after Israel had been attacked on Yom Kippur by Syria and Egypt in 1973.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to the AP, “We are at war” as he ordered a mass mobilization of Israel’s army reserves, adding, “Not an ‘operation,’ not a ‘round,’ but a war.”

“The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” Netanyahu added, saying that Israel will “return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.”

The AP reported that the Israeli military did hit targets in Gaza and that the Israeli military engaged in gunfights with militants in at least seven locations.

The Israeli Defense Forces said that 2,200 rockets have been fired into their country, CNN reported. Earlier the Hamas military commander had said that 5,000 had been launched.

Israeli television station, Channel 12, is reporting that residents in two communities said that members of Hamas were trying to break into their homes. One man who lives in Kibbutz Nir Oz said that his family, including his 7 and 9-year-old children, are barricaded in a safe room after militants fired at their door, CNN reported.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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