Hamas militants initiated a surprise attack on nearby Israeli towns, unleashing a barrage of rockets and triggering a deadly confrontation during a major Jewish holiday on Saturday. The unexpected assault resulted in dozens of casualties and the abduction of several individuals. In response, a stunned Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister declaring a state of war against Hamas and vowing to exact an unprecedented cost.
The brazen assault extended across a wide geographical area, with Hamas gunmen infiltrating as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip. These included towns and communities situated up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza border. In some of these areas, civilians and soldiers fell victim to the violence, while Israel’s military scrambled to mount a defense.
Gunfights persisted well into the night, with militants holding hostages in standoffs in two towns. In a third town, they seized control of a police station, leading to a prolonged struggle for its recapture by Israeli forces, which extended into Sunday morning.
Before dawn on Sunday, militants launched additional rockets from Gaza, one of which struck a hospital in the Israeli coastal town of Ashkelon. The hospital sustained damage, though no casualties were reported, according to senior hospital official Tal Bergman. Video footage from the Barzilai Medical Center depicted a significant breach in a wall and scattered debris in what appeared to be unoccupied rooms and a hallway.
Reports from Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, indicated that the Saturday attack resulted in at least 250 fatalities and 1,500 injuries, making it the deadliest incident in Israel in decades. In Gaza, at least 232 people were reported killed and 1,700 wounded as a result of Israeli airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In addition to the casualties, Hamas fighters also took an unknown number of civilians and soldiers into captivity in Gaza.
The situation remains on the brink of escalation, with Israel vowing retaliation.
The office of the Malacañang has released a statement on Sunday expressing their condolences to the victims and affected families of the clash.
On Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured that no Filipino nationals have been directly impacted by the recent rocket attacks launched from Gaza onto Israel.
Read: Filipinos unharmed by rocket attacks on Israel, DMW assures
