Smoke plumes billow during Israeli air strikes in Gaza City on October 12, 2023 as raging battles between Israel and the Hamas movement continue for the sixth consecutive day. Washington urged Israel to show restraint in its response to Hamas’s surprise attack — the worst in the country’s 75-year history — which Israeli forces said killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians. In Gaza, officials have reported more than 1,200 people killed in Israel’s uninterrupted campaign of air and artillery strikes, while the UN said more than 338,000 people have been displaced.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Hamas militants on October 12 fired a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv in response to Israeli air strikes that targeted “civilians” in two Gaza refugee camps, the Palestinian group said.

“Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades fired rockets at Tel Aviv in response to (Israeli strikes) targeting civilians in Al-Shati and Jabalia camps,” Hamas said, referring to its armed wing, in a text message sent to journalists.

AFP correspondents witnessed dozens of air strikes over 30 minutes on October 12 morning in the direction of Al-Shati camp and in the blockaded strip’s north.

“The occupation (Israeli forces) committed massacres this morning in Al-Shati camp and Jabalia camp, leaving dozens of martyrs and injured,” Iyad al-Buzum, spokesman for the Hamas interior ministry, told AFP.

AFP journalists saw at least seven dead bodies and six buildings destroyed in Al-Shati camp.

Israel has launched a withering air campaign against Hamas militants in the blockaded Gaza Strip after the Islamists carried out a massive assault on Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,200 people.

Around another 1,200 people have been killed in the Palestinian coastal enclave in Israeli air strikes, according to Hamas officials.

New Delhi:

Israel has responded with all its might after the Hamas’ unprecedented terror strikes on its cities yesterday. The counterstrike by Israeli forces has targeted Hamas installations in the Gaza Strip. The rocket strikes and the counter-attack has claimed over 700 lives so far.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has shared on X videos of operations carried out against Hamas in Gaza “in response to the brutal terrorist offensive”.

The videos show aerial footage of the targeting of Hamas-linked vehicles and installations.

“Since 12 am yesterday, in response to the brutal terrorist offensive against Israel launched by Hamas, the IDF carried out the following operational activities in Gaza,” the IDF said in a post.

Since 12 am yesterday, in response to the brutal terrorist offensive against Israel launched by Hamas, the IDF carried out the following operational activities in Gaza: 1/4

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 8, 2023

In the thread that followed, it shared visuals, including night shots, of targeted bombings in the Gaza Strip.

“IDF aircraft struck a concealed launch site and targeted 2 terrorists near it. Terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory from the sea and through the security fence were targeted by IDF aircraft. We also struck an operational command center of the Hamas rocket system operatives and an operational command post belonging to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization,” the IDF posted.

00:00 am: IDF aircraft struck a concealed launch site and targeted 2 terrorists near it.

Terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory from the sea and through the security fence were targeted by IDF aircraft.

We also struck an operational command center of the… pic.twitter.com/V41s26Ao4N

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 8, 2023

In an attack that shook the world, the Hamas yesterday pounded Israel with about 5,000 rockets within 20 minutes. The offensive overwhelmed the Iron Dome, Israel’s formidable aerial defence system. Hamas fighters also entered Israel by sea and land, kidnapping and attacking civilians.

Soon after, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is “at war” and that the “enemy will pay an unprecedented price”.

The IDF said its aircraft had struck two operational situation rooms, located inside mosques, in Gaza.

In another post, the Israeli forces said it had struck 10 Hamas targets, including its intelligence headquarters and a military compound used by its aerial forces.

7:23 am: We struck 10 Hamas targets, among them, Hamas’ intelligence headquarters and a military compound used by Hamas’ aerial forces.

In parallel, we struck an aerial weapons production site used by the aerial forces belonging to Islamic Jihad, and a building including… pic.twitter.com/KcJDmCAXzr

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 8, 2023

“In parallel, we struck an aerial weapons production site used by the aerial forces belonging to Islamic Jihad, and a building including units where the terrorist organization stores weapons and military equipment,” the IDF said.

The Hamas attacks, particularly its targeting of civilians, has drawn strong condemnation globally. The West has expressed its unequivocal support to Tel Aviv. In the West Asian region, several countries that have diplomatic ties have called for restraint. Many others have backed Palestine and pointed to how yesterday’s attacks were a result of Israel’s “violent and extremist policies”.

Soon after yesterday’s attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X that he is “deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel”. “We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” he added.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

At least 100 Israeli civilians and soldiers have been taken hostage during the terror attack by Hamas group, the Israeli embassy in the US said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Over 300 Israelis have been “murdered” and more than 5,000 rockets have been fired by the Hamas group, the embassy said.

A majority of the kidnapping and hostage-taking happened in the first hour of the surprise terror attack by the Hamas group, whose fighters infiltrated into Israel in large numbers via powered paragliders and bulldozers to raze border fences.

Many graphic visuals on social media show injured Israeli soldiers and civilians, with their hands tied, being taken by force in Hamas vehicles. In one video, Hamas group is seen kicking and hitting the corpse of a woman on the back of a truck.

The conflict’s bloodiest escalation in decades saw Hamas carry out a massive rocket barrage and ground, air and sea offensive on Saturday.

Gaza officials said intense Israeli air strikes on the coastal enclave had brought the Palestinian death toll to at least 256, with nearly 1,788 wounded.

Israeli TV stations carried telephone calls from terrified residents of towns and kibbutzes speaking even as gunmen were trying to break into their shelters on Saturday, news agency Reuters reported.

A woman identified as Ella, barricaded in a bomb shelter for hours in Be’eri kibbutz, where there were reports of Israelis held hostage by Hamas, spoke live with N12 News.

“We can hear a lot of gunfire, we were told that terrorists are in the dining hall, we can hear a lot of shooting,” she said. “I’ve lost contact with my family. I know my father has been kidnapped … no one is telling us what’s going on. I don’t know if my mother is alive.”

Adding to the shock, Palestinian groups circulated footage on social media showing what they said were captured Israeli soldiers and civilians being driven into Gaza and hostages being held by more armed men inside Israel.

With inputs from Reuters