Gunmen from the Palestinian Hamas group appeared to have infiltrated Israel in an attack which also included intense rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
Video shows the aftermath of the strikes and warning sirens across the south and center of the country, including in Jerusalem.
One Israeli woman was killed, according to Israeli emergency services, as ambulance crews were deployed around the Gaza Strip where Israel’s military said it was operating without giving further details, Reuters reported.
Hamas claims to have fired 5,000 rockets towards Israel over the course of two hours
Multiple points of impact reported across the country pic.twitter.com/4Q435F0ono
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Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif has called on Palestinians everywhere to fight and there were reports of gunbattles between Palestinian fighters and security forces in the the most serious escalation since Israel and Hamas fought a 10-day war in 2021.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting of security officials, and Israel’s military said it was on a war footing.
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This is a developing story and will be updated with further information.