Israeli planes strike Gaza after Hamas launch attack

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday (October 7), killing more than 20 people and wounding hundreds in a surprise assault that combined gunmen crossing into Israel with a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza.

Israel said the Iran-backed group had declared war as its army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate.

At least 70 Israelis were killed in the attack so far, Israel's ambulance service said. Around 545 Israelis had been wounded, the health ministry said.

The Israeli military said it had responded with air strikes into Gaza, where witnesses reported hearing heavy explosions and multiple dead being carried into hospitals.

Television images showed smoke trails from planes in the sky followed by sound of multiple explosions and thick plumes of smoke rising behind buildings in Gaza City.

Saturday's attack marked an unprecedented infiltration into Israel by an unknown number of Hamas gunmen crossing from the Gaza Strip, and the heaviest blow for Israel in the conflict with Palestinians since the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada some two decades ago.