In a major escalation of a decades-long conflict, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is at war on Saturday, following an attack from Palestinian militants within the occupied Gaza Strip that killed at least 40 people and injured another 780 in one of Hamas’ biggest attacks in recent years.
Israeli forces launched an attack on the Gaza Strip in retaliation to an aerial attack led by Hamas.
In a statement Saturday morning, Netanyahu—who resumed the position of prime minister in December after a previous 12-year stint—said the “State of Israel has been at war,” vowing to “clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet” in the attacked areas.
Hamas took credit for the offensive, with military commander Mohammed Deif calling it the “day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” multiple outlets reported.
Netanyahu said in response that Israel would “exact an immense price for the enemy, within the Gaza Strip” and to reinforce the country’s other fronts “so that nobody should mistakenly join this war,” though he did not specify which parts of the country the reinforcement would occur.
His declaration follows an attack led by Palestinian militant group Hamas from the occupied Gaza, which launched “barrages of rockets” into Israel, according to Israel’s Defense Forces, with gunmen crossing a heavily fortified border from Gaza and some of the rockets launched striking as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, its capital, the BBC reported.
In response, Israeli forces launched air strikes into Gaza targeted at Hamas military compounds, killing 161 people, multiple outlets reported.
The attack follows months of rising tensions and escalating violence in Israel, with the Israeli military in June raiding the West Bank city of Jenin, killing five people and injuring more than 90 others, while a volley of Israeli attacks in the occupied West Bank and Gaza last month killed six more Palestinians.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson released a statement following the attack, saying the U.S. “unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians,” arguing there is “never any justification for terrorism and that the U.S.—Israel’s longtime ally—stands “firmly” with Israel, its people and its government.
“We are at war,” Netanyahu said Saturday morning, calling on “all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal—victory in the war.”
The assault also marks a significant day in the conflict, on the 50th Anniversary of the so-called Yom Kippur War, when Arab forces led by allies Egypt and Syria launched an attack on Israel during the Jewish holiday.
Six Palestinians Killed In Three Separate Incidents By Israeli Forces Over 24 Hours (Forbes)
5 Palestinians Die In The Conflict’s Most Ferocious Fighting In Years (Forbes)