Israeli Forces Launch Operation to Liberate Hostages from Hamas

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08th Oct, 2023. 07:23 pm
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Israeli security forces work to regain control and rescue hostages from Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Military reports securing 22 locations in southern Israel, with eight more to clear.
The surprise attack by Hamas-affiliated gunmen amid heavy rocket fire resulted in Israeli casualties.

Israeli security forces are conducting operations to regain control of areas seized by Palestinian militants from Gaza and to rescue hostages.

The military has announced the securing of 22 locations in southern Israel and continues to clear another eight.

In a surprise attack, hundreds of gunmen affiliated with Hamas launched an assault amid intense rocket fire, resulting in significant casualties within Israel.

The death toll on the Israeli side has reportedly reached at least 600 people.

Retaliatory Israeli strikes in Gaza have led to over 310 Palestinian casualties, with more than 400 Palestinian gunmen killed and several arrested, according to the Israeli military.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel was entering a “long and challenging conflict” and issued a warning to Hamas, which governs Gaza, about the consequences for their hideouts.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh expressed confidence in their position, describing themselves as being on the “brink of a significant victory.”

The deadliest escalation of violence in Israel since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago began during the Jewish Sabbath and the festival of Simchat Torah.

The attackers breached the Gaza perimeter fence and infiltrated southern Israel using various means, including motorbikes, paragliders, and sea crossings.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson estimated that the number of militants involved was in the high hundreds, while over 3,000 rockets were launched toward cities and towns across Israel during the day.

“They attacked dozens of Israeli communities and IDF bases and went door to door,” Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said in a briefing on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday night.

“They executed Israeli civilians in cold blood in their homes and then continued to drag into Gaza Israeli civilians and military personnel. I’m talking women, children, elderly, disabled.”

Israel’s health ministry has not provided official casualty figures, but Israeli TV channels have reported a death toll surpassing 600, with over 2,000 individuals injured.

During the night, Israeli security forces conducted rescue operations, liberating numerous individuals held hostage, including nearly 50 people in a dining area within a small community.

At least 10 militants who had occupied a police station in the town of Sderot were killed.

Gunfire continued into Sunday morning in communities near Gaza.

Close to the city of Ashkelon, Israeli forces pursued several Palestinian gunmen in a stolen car, resulting in their deaths in a dramatic shootout on a major road.

The IDF previously informed the media that there were still eight “points of engagement” where security forces were systematically searching homes to ensure they were “free of terrorism.”

These included areas like Sderot and the nearby kibbutz of Kfar Aza, where soldiers were reportedly engaged in efforts to rescue another group of individuals.

Residents residing in communities near the Gaza border are currently undergoing evacuation procedures.

Israeli Forces Launch Operation to Liberate Hostages from Hamas

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