Israel is "at war," according to Netanyahu, as Hamas launches an unexpected air and ground assault from Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was “at war” on Saturday after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory, escalating the long-running conflict.

The Israeli military reported 2,200 Gaza Strip rocket launches into Israel, while armed terror groups and paragliders entered Israel by land, sea, and air. Air raids forced Israelis into underground shelters as multiple explosions were heard over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and southern Israel, possibly rocket interceptions.

Zaka, Israel's emergency rescue service, reported 200 dead and hundreds injured by nightfall.

The IDF said Hamas took “hostages and prisoners of war” but did not specify a number.

Israel responded by attacking Gazan Hamas targets. The Palestinian health ministry reported 232 deaths and 1,697 injuries, but did not specify where or whether Hamas militants or civilians in Gaza died.

Netanyahu called up reservists and said operations were underway to “clear communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists”.

Netanyahu said in a video statement that Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza, had “launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens.”

Saturday's surprise attack was unprecedented in its scale and scope, coming 50 years after Arab states bombed Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.