Agencies
Jerusalem, October 7(Press Ki Taquat)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israel that it is “at war” with Hamas militants that rule the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s comments in a televised address mark his first since the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers launched a major, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday. He ordered a call-up of reservists and promised that Hamas would “pay a price that it hasn’t known until now.” “We are at war,” Netanyahu said. “Not an ‘operation,’ not a ’round,’ but at war.”
The Prime Minister also ordered the military to clear the infiltrated towns of Hamas militants that remained locked in gunfights with Israeli soldiers.
Hamas on Saturday fired thousands of rockets at Israel and sent dozens of fighters across the country’s heavily fortified border, killing at least one person and injuring 16 others.
Islamic faction Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, claimed it had launched 5,000 rockets at Israel in an early morning barrage called, “Operation al-Aqsa Flood”.
Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, following an operational situation assessment Saturday morning warned that “the Hamas [terrorist organization] has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel”.
“The State of Israel will win this war”, he asserted. In a statement, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) said that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Hersi Halevi is holding an assessment and approving plans of action.
IDF warned that “the Hamas terror group will pay a very heavy price” for its surprise attack this morning.
“Hamas carried out a combined operation that included firing rockets and a terrorist infiltration into the territory of the State of Israel,” the Israeli army said.
“The IDF will protect the residents of the State of Israel, the Hamas terror organization will pay a very heavy price”, it added.
The Israeli military has issued instructions to the residents of towns near the Gaza Strip to remain in their homes, and the rest of the public to remain near bomb shelters.
“Unverified footage from the Gaza Strip purports to show Hamas terrorists with the body of an IDF soldier taken from Israel during the attack this morning,” the Times of Israel newspaper reported.
“The graphic videos show the body being taken out of a truck, as a crowd swarms around it”, it reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on his way to the Defense Ministry Headquarters in order to conduct a security assessment with the participation of all of the heads of the security establishment, a statement from the PMO said. — Agencies
