Militants have launched rockets from Gaza into southern and central Israel on Saturday morning, the IDF said. At least one person was reported dead.
“Hamas carried out a combined operation involving rocket fire and infiltrations by terrorists into Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement.
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The Magen David Adom ambulance service said that one person was killed by direct rocket impact and 15 more were wounded.
According to Israeli media, some projectiles hit Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. Rocket sirens have also been heard in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beersheba.
In another message on X (formerly Twitter), the IDF said “terrorists have infiltrated Israel from Gaza,” and asked residents to remain indoors. A video was posted online purportedly showing Palestinians driving several trucks, with gunshots heard in the background. It’s claimed to have been made in the Israeli city of Sderot, near the border with Gaza.
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Another video has captured a gunfight between heavily armed IDF troops and the attackers in the streets of Sderot. According to the Times of Israel paper, there’ve been several casualties in the city as a result of the incursion.
The IDF has declared “a state of readiness for war” following the attack. “Hamas … will bear the results and responsibility for the events,” it said. Shortly afterwards, Israel announced that retaliatory strikes were underway in Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has approved a call-up of reservists in response to the attack from Gaza. The size of the draft will depend on the needs of the IDF, his office said.