Israel formally declared war on Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas after the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip launched a surprise attack on the country from the air, land, and sea on Saturday.
Here are the latest updates on the conflict.
More Terrorists Killed in Southern Israel After Border Breaches Sunday Night
Israeli troops on Monday morning continued their work to clear out Hamas terrorists in Israeli territory after more were reported to have infiltrated across the border from Gaza overnight. Others had crossed into Israel over the weekend.
Top IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters that six sites in Israel’s south had experienced active fighting Monday morning, including Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nirim, and Alumim.
He later said that troops had regained control of the border towns, reporting that three terrorists were killed by troops in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, one killed in Be’eri; five killed in Holit and Sufa; and four killed in Alumim.
Overnight, some 70 terrorists from Gaza entered Be’eri, he said. Most have been killed, with some having hidden themselves in locals’ homes.
While currently, there is no fighting, “It is possible there are still terrorists in the area,” he said.
Breaches of the Gaza fence will now be pursued by troops with tanks, combat helicopters, and drones, he added.
Out of Israel’s 24 southern border towns, 15 have been evacuated by the army, with evacuations in the other towns to continue Monday. However, Sderot will not be evacuated yet, with locals told to remain in their homes and not open their doors for anyone.
A total of 73 IDF soldiers are among the over 700 Israelis killed in Hamas’s war on Israel.
UN’s OCHA Says Over 120,000 Gazans Displaced
The U.N.’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, said on Monday that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced as a result of Israeli airstrikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
“Over 123,538 people have been internally displaced in Gaza, mostly due to fear, protection concerns, and the destruction of their homes,” the agency said.
The displaced individuals are seeking shelter at a U.N. facility for internally displaced Gazans.
Palestinians in Gaza were urged by Israel on Saturday to leave Hamas-controlled locations, in advanced warning of the planned air strikes on known Hamas targets.
So far, Palestinian authorities have reported at least 436 deaths in Gaza from the strikes.
The IDF has hit 1,148 targets across the Gaza Strip.
White House Confirms Several Americans Killed in Hamas Attacks
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC) confirmed to The Hill on Sunday that several U.S. citizens died in Hamas’s terrorist attacks across Israel over the weekend.
U.S. officials also told reporters on Sunday night that lawmakers had been told during an unclassified briefing that four Americans are “believed” to have been killed in Hamas’s terror attacks on Israel, with that number expected to rise.
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement Sunday night: “The administration told us that they know of four [Americans who were killed] thus far, but, sadly, we know the toll will rise.”
100,000 Israeli Reservists Amassed in Southern Israel: IDF
The IDF said in a Sunday night update that 100,000 reserve troops are now amassed in southern Israel, awaiting orders from their leaders as the Knesset decides on how to proceed with clearance, rescue, and attack operations in the region and in Gaza.
“At the end of this war, we will change the situation for the better around our border in Gaza,” IDF reserve Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said in his nightly update on X on Oct. 8. “And it will be much better for Israeli civilians and it will be better for the Palestinians as well.”
He said that Israel’s goal in the next part of the war would be to ensure that Hamas will no longer have any military capabilities to threaten Israeli civilians or be able to govern the Gaza Strip, which it took control of after a brief civil war with the Palestine Liberation Organization in 2007.
Israeli Marines Capture Senior Hamas Commander
Israel’s Flotilla 13 marine commandos have captured a Hamas deputy commander of the terrorist group’s naval force, the IDF told the Times of Israel on Sunday evening.
The Israeli military has named the captured Hamas leader as Muhammad Abu Ghali, with no further details of how he was captured.
UN Security Council Meets, Takes No Action on US Demand
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting behind closed doors Sunday but took no immediate action on a demand from the United States that all 15 members strongly condemn “these heinous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas.”
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said after the meeting that “a good number of countries,” but not all, denounced the unprecedented incursion by Hamas into Israel on Saturday morning.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told The Associated Press as he left the meeting that the United States was trying to say at the meeting that Russia isn’t condemning the attacks, but “that’s untrue.”
“It was in my comments,” Mr. Nebenzia said. “We condemn all the attacks on civilians.”
He said Russia’s message is: “It’s important to stop the fighting immediately, to go to a cease-fire, and to meaningful negotiations which were stalled for decades.”
China’s U.N. ambassador, Zhang Jun, expressed a similar position as he headed into the meeting.
But Mr. Wood said the international community must strongly condemn “this unprovoked invasion and the terrorist attacks” until Hamas ends its “violent terrorist activity against the Israeli people.”
Bipartisan Unity in Congress to Help Israel: Pelosi
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there is bipartisan unity in Congress “in support of what we need to do” to support Israel.
Speaking at an event in San Francisco on Sunday organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area, Pelosi condemned the attacks on Israel as “acts of cowardice.”
“I want you to know that in the Congress of the United States … there is unity, bipartisan unity in support of what we need to do, whether it’s militarily, whether it’s diplomatically, whether it’s financially to help our friends, the Israelis,” Ms. Pelosi said, according to a recording of her remarks provided by her office.
Pelosi said the surprise attack from the Gaza Strip was “outside the circle of civilized human behavior.”
“This assault on these children, on these grandmas, on these families, is something that takes us to a different threshold of how we deal with this subject,” she said.
New Zealand Condemns Hamas Attack on Israel
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he “condemns unequivocally” the attacks led by Hamas. “We are appalled by the targeting of civilians, and the taking of hostages which violate fundamental international humanitarian law principles,” he said in a statement.
New Zealand, which has previously designated the military wing of Hamas a terrorist organization, urged restraint but said it recognized Israel’s right to defend itself.
Thai Government Orders Nationals to Leave Israel After 12 Killed
Thailand has ordered its nationals to prepare to fly out of Israel following the deaths of 12 Thais, and some captured by Hamas terrorists, potentially taken into Gaza.
Australia Warns Citizens to Not Travel to Gaza or Near Its Border
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Monday denounced the attack by Hamas and said that her government is warning Australians not to travel to Gaza or near its border.
“We unequivocally condemn the indiscriminate rocket fire, the targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages, a particularly distressing and egregious act,” Wong told reporters at Melbourne Airport.
Ms. Wong said she had spoken to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen over the weekend and expressed Australia’s solidarity and support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remarked to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the Hamas attack “was obviously very well planned.”
British PM Says He Offered Help to Israel
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says Mr. Sunak has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and offered any support Israel needs.
The spokesperson said Sunday that Mr. Sunak reaffirmed that the UK will stand with Israel “unequivocally against these acts of terror.”
Hamas Says Over 100 Israelis Held Captive in Gaza
A senior Hamas representative says the terrorist group is holding more than 100 people captive after its unprecedented assault on Israel.
Mousa Abu Marzouk made the remarks to Arabic language news outlet al-Ghad on Sunday. The figure is in addition to more than 30 people said to be held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group.
During their rampage through southern Israel, terrorists dragged back into Gaza dozens of captives, among them women, children, and the elderly. Their precise number hadn’t been clear until the two terrorist groups made their announcements.
UN Security Council Meets in Emergency Session
The U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting behind closed doors with the United States demanding that all 15 members strongly condemn “these heinous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas.”
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters as he headed into Sunday’s meeting that the United States has always condemned violence against innocent civilians, whether Israeli or Palestinian. But he said “there should be no false equivalency” about what Hamas is doing and what Israel needs to do to ensure its security, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.
China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun, as he headed into the meeting, said Beijing condemns all attacks against civilians, and that it’s important for the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, “to have its voice heard.”
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the Hamas attack’s “Israel’s 9/11,” referring to the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people. He said he didn’t want to imagine what is happening now to the hostages being held captive in Gaza, but “Israel will do everything to bring our sons and daughters back home.”
US Rep. Caught Up in Hamas Attack
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and his family were in Tel Aviv when Hamas attacked Israel on Saturday and were forced to shelter in a hotel stairwell until Sunday morning when they could safely leave the country, according to his office.
The New York Democrat’s office released a short statement on Sunday saying Mr. Goldman, his wife, and their three youngest children were in Israel for a Bar Mitzvah at the time of the attack.
“Congressman Goldman is grateful for the assistance of the State Department and Israeli authorities, and he hopes all Americans can come together to support Israel’s right to defend herself from terrorism and war crimes,” the statement reads.
US House to Vote on Resolution in Support of Israel
The U.S. House is preparing a bipartisan resolution that it “stands with Israel” and condemns “Hamas’ brutal war.”
The resolution from the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to be among the first items considered for voting once the House elects a new speaker.
“Now is the time to show the world the United States firmly stands with our friend and ally Israel in our condemnation of this heinous attack by Iran-backed terrorists,” said the committee chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
“I expect this bipartisan resolution to be one of the first, if not the first, items considered on the floor once we elect a new speaker. And I expect it to receive overwhelming bipartisan support.”
House business is currently at a standstill after the historic ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The resolution says the House of Representatives “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.”
At Least 260 Bodies Recovered From Music Festival
The Israeli rescue service Zaka says its paramedics removed about 260 bodies from a music festival attended by thousands that came under attack by Hamas terrorists.
The total figure is expected to be higher as other paramedic teams were working in the area.
Video aired on social media and by Israeli news outlets showed dozens of festival goers running through an open field as gunshots rang out. Many hid in nearby fruit orchards or were gunned down as they fled.
French-Israeli Woman Missing After Hamas Assault on Festival
The husband of a French-Israeli woman who vanished while at a desert music festival pleaded tearfully on French television for authorities to do all they could to learn if his wife was dead or is one of the captives Hamas says it’s holding.
Idor Nagar’s desperation to know the fate of Celine Ben David Nagar, 26, reflected the torment of Israelis whose loved ones disappeared amid the surprise attack Saturday morning by Hamas and the ensuing violence. Dozens of people are being held captive in the Gaza Strip.
The couple’s six-month-old daughter sat on Mr. Nagar’s lap during the video interview with France’s BFM-TV. She is still being breast-fed, he said tearfully.
At 7:11 a.m. Saturday, shortly after the start of the Hamas attack, Mr. Nagar’s wife messaged that “All is well,” he recounted. At 7:15 a.m., she messaged that “Soldiers are coming.”
However, he said through a translator, he now believes the soldiers were not Israeli but assailants. “Was she taken hostage? Killed?” he asked.
Mr. Nagar geo-localized the car his wife had traveled in. He went to the area near the Gaza border and found it full of bullet holes but with no signs of blood—a reason to hope she is alive.
France has said it is looking into several reports of missing French nationals. One French woman has died, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday, without elaborating.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called on Sunday for the “immediate liberation and without conditions” of Israeli captives. “The odious hostage takings by Hamas of men, women and children recalls … the terrorist character of this movement,” a ministry statement said.
2 Mexicans Believed to Be Captive in Gaza
Two Mexicans, a man and a woman, are believed to be held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena said Sunday.
She did not name them and gave no details about whether they are resident in Israel or were visiting the area.
On a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ms. Bárcena said that the Mexican government is in contact with their relatives and the Israeli authorities.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has condemned the attacks against the Israeli people.
Islamic Jihad Leader Says Dozens of Israelis Held Captive in Gaza
The leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group says terrorists in Gaza are holding dozens of Israeli prisoners, including more than 30 held by his group.
Ziad Nakhaleh said in a televised speech Sunday night that the captives will not be released until all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are set free.
The Palestinian terrorist group took part in the operation that the Hamas terrorist group carried out Saturday in which hundreds of Israelis were killed.
“The prisoners that are being held are in the tens and I can say that they are much more than that,” said Mr. Nakhaleh, who usually lives in Beirut.
He added that Palestinian Islamic Jihad has more than 30 prisoners.
Biden Promises Help for Israeli Defense Forces
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning, the White House said, and told the Israeli prime minister that “additional assistance for the Israeli Defense Forces” is now on the way to Israel.
There will be more assistance in the coming days, President Biden told Mr. Netanyahu, according to the White House. It was their second call since the surprise Hamas attack.
President Biden and Mr. Netanyahu plan to remain in touch, and the two leaders also discussed “ongoing efforts to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe they can or should seek advantage from the current situation.”
Death Toll Passes 1,100
Israel pounded the enclave of Gaza on Sunday, in retaliation for one of the bloodiest attacks in its history when Hamas killed more than 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more.
Hamas terrorists’ rampage through Israel towns on Saturday was the deadliest such incursion since Egypt and Syria’s attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago and has threatened to ignite another conflagration in the ongoing conflict.
Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque, and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza, killing more than 400 people, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledge of “mighty vengeance for this wicked day.”
“We’re going to be attacking Hamas severely and this is going to be a long, long haul,” an Israeli military spokesperson told reporters.
Pentagon Chief Says US Military Will Send Ships Closer to Israel
The U.S. military will send ships and aircraft closer to Israel’s coast, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, coming after the unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel over the weekend.
A statement issued by Mr. Austin on Sunday said that he directed the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, or closer to the Israeli coast. That includes the USS Gerald R. Ford Navy aircraft carrier, a guided missile cruiser, guided-missile destroyers, and a range of different fighter jets.
“We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region,” the Pentagon chief’s statement said. “The United States maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required.”
The U.S. government will also quickly provide the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with more equipment, ammunition, and other resources. That security package, according to the DOD, will arrive in “the coming days.”
“Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the materiel support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the United States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people,” Mr. Austin said. “My team and I will continue to be in close contact with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they have what they need to protect their citizens and defend themselves against these heinous terrorist attacks.
Israel Confirms Americans Among Hamas Captives
Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, said American citizens are among those who were taken captive but gave no details about them, nor about Americans who might have been killed.
“Unfortunately I can’t. We have a lot of dual citizens in Israel. I suspect there are several, but we’re still trying to sort through all of all this information after this horrific surprise attack and we’ll make sure to put that information out so that the loved ones of these people who were killed and who are held hostage, they know as quickly as possible,” Mr. Dermer told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
3 British Men Dead or Missing, Their Families Say
Three British men are said to either be dead or missing after the Hamas attack on Israel.
Nathanel Young, 20, was killed while serving in the Israel Defense Forces, his sister, Gaby Shalev, said on Facebook. His death was later confirmed by the Israeli Embassy in London.
British photographer Danny Darlington, who lived in Berlin, and his German girlfriend, Carolin Bohl, had not been heard from after hiding out in a bunker at kibbutz Nir Oz, according to Sam Pasquesi, who is Ms. Bohl’s brother-in-law.
Mr. Pasquesi said his family learned later Sunday from a man working at the kibbutz that the bodies of the two had been identified.
Jake Marlow, 26, had been providing security at a music festival near kibbutz Re’im when he called his mother, Lisa, before dawn to say rockets were flying overhead.
He texted her an hour later but that was the last she heard from him, she told Jewish News. The Israeli Embassy in London did not know if Mr. Marlowe “is taken hostage or dead or in a hospital,” a spokesperson said.
The UK Foreign Office did not immediately return messages seeking comment on the three.
Some Europeans Believed Dead or Captive
A French woman in Israel has died “in the context of the terrorist attacks,” France’s foreign ministry said Sunday, without providing details. French teams in Israel and Paris are trying to clarify the situations of several citizens who have not been located, the statement said.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry says it has to assume that German citizens are among those kidnapped by Hamas on Saturday. It didn’t say how many people that might be, but said they are all believed also to be Israeli citizens.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said two Ukrainian women had been killed. Both had lived in Israel for a long time, he said without elaborating on the circumstances of their death.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said two Belarusians were injured during the shelling of the city of Ashkelon, and one of them was in serious condition.
US Looking at Possibly Sending More Assistance to Israel: Blinken
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is looking at additional requests for assistance that the Israelis have made, and there could be developments on that front later Sunday.
He told CNN President Joe Biden’s “direction was to make sure that we’re providing Israel everything it needs in this moment to deal with the attacks from Hamas.’’
Mr. Blinken, who gave interviews to multiple U.S. television news shows Sunday, also talked about how the Hamas attack could have been motivated in part to derail an emerging diplomatic deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“It’s no surprise that those who are opposed to the talks, those who are opposed to Israel normalizing relations with its neighbors and the countries beyond the region are Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. And so it’s entirely possible that one of the motivations for this attack was to try to derail these efforts to advance normalization,” Mr. Blinken said.
He said Washington had seen reports that Americans were missing or had been killed and “we’re working overtime to verify that.”
Israeli Cabinet Officially Declares War
The Israeli Security Cabinet has invoked Article 40 Aleph and declared war—against the terrorist group Hamas—for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, according to a statement from the government.
The move was confirmed by the Prime Minister of Israel’s office on Sunday morning, according to a statement posted to social media.
“Last night, the Security Cabinet approved the war situation and, to this end, the taking of significant military steps, as per Article 40 of Basic Law: The Government,” the statement reads.
The move comes about a day after Hamas launched a quick assault on Israel near the Gaza area while reportedly firing thousands of rockets in the bloodiest day in decades. Reports have indicated that at least 600 people were killed, and officials have said that Hamas terrorists kidnapped a number of Israeli civilians.
Hundreds of Hamas Terrorists Killed: Israeli Official
An Israeli military official says “hundreds of terrorists” have been killed and dozens captured in fighting with Hamas terrorists in Gaza and southern Israel.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari spoke to reporters on Sunday, more than 24 hours after Hamas launched an unprecedented assault into Israel, killing hundreds of people, firing thousands of rockets, and taking captives back into blockaded Gaza.
Israel is battling terrorists in the south and launching airstrikes across Gaza that have leveled buildings.
At Least 26 Israeli Soldiers Die in Hamas Attack
At least 26 Israeli soldiers have been killed in an attack by Hamas on the country’s south, Israel’s military said Sunday.
The figure is part of a death toll of more than 250 people in the deadliest attack against Israelis in decades.
Romania Repatriates Citizens
Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that 346 Romanian citizens and other foreigners were repatriated from Israel overnight on two separate flights.
The ministry said Sunday that a mobile consular team was sent to Ben Gurion Airport from the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and Romania’s representative office in Ramallah to provide consular assistance.
On Saturday, the ministry “strongly condemned” Hamas’s rocket attacks against Israel, “including against the civilian population, terrorist infiltrations and hostage-taking.” It said Israel has a sovereign right to defend itself.
Reservists Called
IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said on Sunday morning that the military will be calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists as Israeli forces make preliminary plans for ground troops to enter Gaza to thoroughly clear out Hamas’s armed forces and military infrastructure following the deadly Saturday attack by the Islamist terrorists on Israel.
Mr. Hagari said that the IDF on Sunday would be focused on completely securing and retaking control of all of the 22 villages and 29 entry points breached by Hamas and Islamic Jihad a day earlier.
He added that there were no more known active hostage situations in Israeli homes, although searches for terrorists hiding in the invaded areas are ongoing.
The IDF has reported killing over 400 terrorists, wounding thousands, and capturing dozens. Meanwhile, over 300 Israelis have died, with close to 1,800 wounded and dozens captured.
Israel Strikes Hamas Intelligence Building
The IDF announced Sunday morning that its fighter jets struck a building belonging to the head of the intelligence department for the Hamas terrorist organization. The airstrikes are part of its “Operation Swords of Iron.”
“The IDF is currently continuing to strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip,” the group added in its announcement at 9:08 a.m. Sunday local time.
So far, the IDF has conducted 500 targeted airstrikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad locations, including command centers, hiding tunnels, and 10 large buildings.
Israel Strikes Lebanon After Hezbollah Attacks
Israel fired barrages of artillery into southern Lebanon on Sunday after Hezbollah targeted three Israeli military positions in the disputed Mount Dov region, also referred to as Shebaa Farms.
The Israeli military stated on Sunday that it retaliated with artillery strikes in Lebanon following cross-border mortar attacks. “IDF (Israel Defense Forces) artillery is currently striking the area in Lebanon from where a shooting was carried out,” the IDF said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Israel has held the Mount Dov region since 1967. It is a 15-square-mile (39-square-km) patch of land that both Syria and Lebanon claim are Lebanese.
Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon, claimed it was in “direct contact” with the leaders of Palestinian groups. It added that it saw Palestinian attacks on Israel as a “decisive response to Israel’s continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel.”
Hezbollah Says Rockets and Mortars Fired at Israel
The Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group said in a statement on Sunday morning that it fired dozens of rockets and mortars at Israel “in solidarity” with Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel.
The attack used a “large numbers of rockets and shells” that directly hit three Israeli positions in the contested Mount Dov region, the terrorist group said, adding it did so in solidarity with the “Palestinian resistance.”
The IDF said it responded with artillery strikes as well as a drone strike. It did not report any Israeli injuries from Hezbollah’s strike.
Meanwhile, there have been no immediate reports on Lebanese casualties.
‘Leave Now,’ Israeli PM Tells Palestinians in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Palestinian civilians in Hamas-controlled locations in the Gaza Strip to leave immediately, in the hopes that they will vacate before the Israeli military ups their response to the Islamist terrorist group’s latest bloody offensive against Israel and its citizens.
“I say to the residents of Gaza: Leave now because we will operate forcefully everywhere.,” Mr. Netanyahu said of Hamas hiding places in Gaza, according to a statement posted on X around 4:25 a.m. Sunday local time from Tel Aviv.
“This morning, on Shabbat and a holiday, Hamas invaded Israeli territory and murdered innocent citizens including children and the elderly. Hamas has started a brutal and evil war,” he said in his message on X, updating the world about the war acts leveled at Israel’s citizens by the terrorists.
Saturday was the culmination of the week-long Torah-commanded harvest festival, Sukkot, for the Jewish people.
IDF Shares Plan of Action
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus in his live briefing on X late Saturday shared the priorities of the Israeli military in the immediate days and weeks to come.
Its first priority is to restore the situation in the south of Israel to ensure safety to the Israeli communities there, Lt. Col. Conricus said. Thereafter, the IDF plans to obtain “a full and comprehensive tally of the numbers of Israelis,” and account for all civilians and soldiers, including establishing their locations.
The second priority is “to make sure the border is closed and that future attacks are prevented and that Hamas won’t have any other opportunities to attack Israel,” he said.
“Third, and that’s already ongoing, we will start to strike Hamas’s military targets in Gaza. And that’s the stage when we start responding to Hamas aggression and attacks,” he added.
Situation ‘Still Not Fully Under Control’: Israeli Military
“This is a very sad day in Israel,” IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said in an update livestreamed on X late Saturday, in which he said that the situation is “still not fully under control,” with fighting continuing in southern Israel.
“There are still Hamas terrorists inside Israel,” Lt. Col. Conricus said, adding that Israeli special forces and IDF troops are continuing to fight, going house to house to clear communities of terrorists. He estimated that Israeli forces had managed to kill over 200 Hamas operatives.
Calling the Hamas attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers “barbaric,” Lt. Col. Conricus said that the loss of civilian life has been unprecedented.
While he cited the same 200-plus death toll figure that the IDF announced earlier in the day, Lt. Col. Conricus said that this “number will unfortunately rise.”
The number of Hamas terrorists who crossed into Israel from Gaza to perpetrate their attacks was in the “high hundreds,” he said, adding that they attacked dozens of Israeli communities and military bases.
“They went door to door, house to house, in search of Israeli civilians, executed in cold blood Israeli civilians in their homes,” he said.
The terrorists then kidnapped and dragged into Gaza both soldiers and civilians, including women and children.
“I am sad to say that we have a significant number of Israelis held by Hamas in Gaza,” he said, calling the number “unimaginable,” though he did not provide a specific estimate as to how many.
The sheer number of abductions, he said, along with the known casualty count, would “shape and influence the future of this war against Israel and it will shape the future of what we’re doing against Hamas.”
The Tel Aviv skyline, seen in the background of the video, was quiet. Earlier in the day, there were barrages of Hamas rocket strikes streaking through the sky. The IDF spokesperson predicted that more strikes would come during the night.
He said there had been heavy barrages of missile attacks targeting central and southern Israel throughout the day.
“More than 3,000 rockets have been fired at Israel, aimed at Israeli civilians, and unfortunately they have claimed a heavy toll in human life and in human life in Israel,” he said. Hamas claimed to have fired 5,000 rockets when it claimed responsibility for the attack.
Lt. Col. Conricus said that the IDF would be focusing its efforts on striking Hamas targets inside Gaza in order to degrade the terror group’s ability to perpetrate further attacks.
“This is going to be a long and difficult war,” he said.
Live briefing from Tel Aviv—with an IDF Spokesperson LTC (Res.) Jonathan Conricus https://t.co/nOU4IDlsQx
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 7, 2023
Jack Phillips, Mimi Nguyen Ly, Melanie Sun, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.