Israel says at least 40 people are dead after the militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip launched an unprecedented and multi-front attack.
JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel's national rescue service says the death toll has risen to 100 from Hamas' surprise incursion into southern Israel on Saturday.With hundreds of people hospitalized in serious and critical condition, that number is likely to rise.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
The strength, sophistication and timing of the attack shocked Israelis. Hamas fighters used explosives to break through the border fence enclosing the long-blockaded Mediterranean territory, then crossed with motorcycles, pickup trucks, paragliders and speed boats on the coast. “The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” he added, promising that Israel would “return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.”
The serious incursion on Simchat Torah, a normally joyous day when Jews complete the annual cycle of reading the Torah scroll, revived painful memories of thepractically 50 years to the day, in which Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, aiming to take back Israeli-occupied territories.
The abduction of Israeli civilians and soldiers raised a particularly thorny issue for Israel. Their number was not immediately known. Videos released by Hamas appeared to show at least three Israelis captured alive, and AP photos showed at least three civilians brought in Gaza, including the two women.
In the kibbutz of Nahal Oz, just 4 kilometers from the Gaza Strip, terrified residents who were huddled indoors said they could hear constant gunfire echoing off the buildings as firefights continued. “The U.S. unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians,” said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council. “We stand firmly with the government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks.”
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