Live updates: Israel-Palestine violence escalating

PM Following a significant attack on the Jewish state by Hamas, the main Palestinian armed group, Benjamin Netanyahu pledged severe punishmen

On Saturday morning, the Palestinian armed organisation Hamas fired thousands of rockets towards Israel and sent its operatives into Jewish settlements close to Israel’s border with Gaza.

The unexpected attacks have resulted in a number of fatalities and several injuries. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, claimed that his nation was “at war” and warned Hamas of “retaliation like they’ve never known before.” In response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) dispatched a large number of aircraft to attack targets in Gaza.

October 7th, 2023

11:14 GMT
As part of its “Iron Sword” reprisal operation, the IDF released a video of its attacks on targets in Gaza. It claimed that four operational command centres and 17 Hamas military installations had been attacked on Saturday.

11:08 GMT
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, has commanded that the entire nation of Israel be placed under a state of emergency. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, he also directed the activation of volunteer recruiting for the Israeli security services.

11:07 GMT
Hamas “made a grave mistake… and started a war against the State of Israel,” according to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.He insisted that the Jewish state “would win this war.

The minister declared that IDF soldiers were battling the enemy at each infiltration point.

10:41 GMT
Magen David Adom, an organisation that provides blood transfusions for Israeli emergency services, has requested urgent public contributions. According to the report, hospitals in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa specifically take Type O blood.

Since the commencement of Hamas’ surprise onslaught, more than 540 individuals have been admitted to hospitals, according to the nation’s health ministry.

10:30 GMT
Israel and Hamas have been pleaded with by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop escalated tensions. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint. They must not engage in confrontational behaviour, he stated during a speech to the AK Party congress in Ankara.

10:29 GMT
Videos purportedly showing a Hamas-operated drone shooting an Israeli Merkava MK4 main combat tank have gone viral on social media. The video has not yet undergone independent verification.

10:16 GMT
In light of the escalation between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for increased safety for the Palestinian people living in the occupied West Bank. Abbas reiterated that the Palestinians have “the right… to defend themselves against the terrorism of settlers and the occupation forces,” according to the local news agency Wafa.

09:53 GMT
Since the commencement of the Hamas surprise attack, at least 22 people have died, according to the Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom. According to the agency’s spokeswoman, around 70 additional persons have suffered critical injuries.

09:50 GMT
Josep Borrell, the head of the EU’s foreign policy, has denounced the Hamas attack and stated that Brussels watches the news out of Israel with “anguish.” He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the EU “expresses solidarity with the Israeli people” and added that “this horrific violence must stop immediately.”