Hamas says militants have taken hostages throughout assault on Israel
Hamas has claimed its militants have taken hostages throughout their assault on Israel.
The militant group has posted footage on its Telegram account exhibiting its fighters pulling Israeli troopers out of a tank.
Sky News has additionally geolocated footage from the Erez checkpoint by the Gaza border, by which hostages are seen being overwhelmed, in addition to a video from the village of Be’eri, the place handcuffed women and men in civilian clothes are seen being led away by armed males.
Video from the village of Be’eri, the place handcuffed women and men in civilian clothes are seen being led away by armed males.
Another video has appeared on-line purporting to point out a captured Israeli lady along with her arms tied collectively being pressured right into a car in Gaza by males shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
On Saturday, an Israeli navy spokesperson confirmed Israeli civilians and troopers have been being held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza.
Israeli lady purportedly captured.
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Video geolocated by Sky News to the Erez checkpoint by the Gaza border
According to news channel N12, as much as 50 Israelis have been taken hostage by Hamas gunmen in Beeri Kibbutz close to the Gaza border.
Israeli broadcaster Reshet 13 TV News additionally reported militants have been holding Israelis hostage within the city of Ofakim – an Israeli metropolis close to the border with Gaza.
Saleh al-Arouri, a senior chief of Hamas, claimed the group had sufficient captives to make Israel free all of its Palestinian prisoners.
It comes after 70 Israelis have been killed and a whole bunch extra have been injured in an assault by Hamas militants on Saturday.
At least 198 Palestinians have been killed and 1,610 injured in retaliation air strikes by Israeli forces, based on Palestinian officers.
A person runs on a street as hearth burns after rockets have been launched at Ashkelon
A constructing is ablaze following rocket assaults on Tel Aviv
A destroyed Israeli tank on the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis. Pic: AP
The scale of accidents, mixed with the variety of fatalities up to now, makes the assault the deadliest in Israeli territory in years.
Israel’s defence minister stated Hamas had “launched a war” and its troops have been “fighting against the enemy at every location”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an announcement: “We are at war and we will win.”
Mr Netanyahu added: “Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known.”
Netanyahu: ‘We will win’
Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas stated the Palestinian folks have the proper to defend themselves towards the “terror of settlers and occupation of troops”.
A navy spokesperson for Israel stated Hamas fired 2,500 rockets in Saturday’s assault, whereas the group’s navy commander Mohammad Deif stated 5,000 rockets had been launched.
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Phone footage confirmed Hamas fighters making an attempt to achieve Israel on small boats, and in a extremely uncommon improvement, plenty of fighters appeared to have crossed the border utilizing paragliders, reaching the city of Sderot the place gun battles have been heard.
Footage from safety cameras confirmed them coming into town in pick-up vans and motorbikes.
Video appears to point out Hamas paragliding over border
Air raid sirens sounded throughout southern and central Israel, and there have been explosions within the cities of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Yavne and Kfar Aviv.
A rescue company stated a 70-year-old lady had been critically injured when a rocket hit a constructing in southern Israel.
The IDF warned “the Hamas terror group will pay a very heavy price” saying it was launching a “large-scale operation” known as “Swords of Iron” in response to the mixed rocket and infantry assault.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant stated Hamas had “made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel”.
He added: “IDF troops are fighting against the enemy at every location. I call on all of Israel’s citizens to follow security instructions. The State of Israel will win this war.”
A navy spokesperson for Israel stated Hamas fired 2,500 rockets in Saturday’s assault, whereas the group’s navy commander Mohammad Deif stated 5,000 rockets had been launched.
“This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” Mr Deif stated on Hamas radio.
He stated the assault was the start of “Operation Al Aqsa Storm” and was in response to Israeli violence within the West Bank, Gaza, and round Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
“Today the people are regaining their revolution,” he stated within the recorded message.
“We must set the earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers,” the militant added.