Battles continue against terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Hamas killed at least 40 Israelis on Saturday as it launched a massive offensive from the Gaza Strip, including firing more than 2,500 rockets and sending dozens of Palestinian terrorists to infiltrate the Jewish state.
As of 3 p.m., there were reports of active combat between Israeli security forces and Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
There were also reports of a hostage situation in Ofakim, located some 12 miles from the Gaza border.
More than 800 Israelis were evacuated to hospitals across the country, including many at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva and Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.
Scores of the wounded were in serious condition, including at least 80 at Soroka, where there were also 10 victims in critical condition.
People were asked to donate blood across Israel, especially those with type O universal donor blood.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Security Cabinet at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked,” said Netanyahu at the start of the meeting.
“The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well. The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war.
“We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal—victory in the war,” added the premier.
In response, the Israel Air Force launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” initially striking 17 Hamas “military” compounds and four operational headquarters in Gaza.
The IDF was ordered to a “state of war readiness” and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the call-up of reserve troops.
He also announced a “special security situation” within 80 kilometers of the Gaza Strip, enabling the IDF to close relevant sites and impose safety restrictions on the population.
President Isaac Herzog denounced the “cold-blooded” killings of Israelis and called on the international community to act.
“Today we saw the true face of Hamas. A terrorist army whose only goal is the cold-blooded murder of innocent men, women, and children,” said Herzog.
“Supported and directed by their proxy commanders in Iran, they carried out an unprovoked, heinous attack against the Jewish state on a Jewish holy day [Simchat Torah]. Innocent civilians were massacred and wounded, and many are still under attack.
“The State of Israel will take all measures necessary to eliminate this clear and immediate danger to our citizens. Israel will overcome in the face of all challenges. I call upon the family of nations: This war waged against us marks a line in the sand. Now is the time to hear clear, unequivocal condemnation of Hamas, its allies, and its backers in Iran. Now is the time to stand firm with Israel in support of its just and moral battle in the face of an abhorrent enemy,” said the president.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Saturday gave full support to the government to strike hard at Hamas.
“At times like these, there is no opposition or coalition in Israel. We will give full backing to the security forces for a harsh response against terrorism and its proxies,” said Lapid.
“The whole world must stand with Israel as we defend ourselves from terror,” said Lapid. “We must mobilize the international community against [Palestinian] terror.”
The United States condemned Hamas’s multi-pronged offensive.
“Sickened by the images coming out of southern Israel of dead and wounded civilians at the hands of terrorists from Gaza. The United States stands with Israel,” said acting U.S. Ambassador in Jerusalem Stephanie Hallett.
“I condemn the indiscriminate rocket fire by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians. I am in contact with Israeli officials, and fully support Israel’s right to defend itself from such terrorist acts,” she said.
Netanyahu was expected to speak with U.S. President Joe Biden later in the afternoon.
@Comrade S.
Why? I mean you made a point of it.
Hello, brood of vipers. As usual, I appreciate your company. You have all strayed FAR from the OP, so I will comment on that first:
https://youtu.be/Of3usqNEJ0k
It’s NBC, but one gets what he can. BTW Denys Davidov expresses his full support of Israel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1sucKVWhCA
I’m surprised you are all so ignorant of Jewish history. Here is the Stanislau massacre, from a genealogical perspective:
https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/stanislawow-lists/stanislawow.html
One of my distant cousins was among those killed. Of course he was Jewish. That part of my family is not large, but all of them seem to be from one shtetl in Eastern Galicia, Bursztyn. All of the relatives who remained in Europe, both Jewish and Christian, were persecuted by the Nazis; but records are not easy to come by. At least one close cousin, not Jewish, died at Auschwitz; his son was gunned down by the Germans in Slovenia. A closer cousin, also Christian, did forced labor on the Eastern Front, until he escaped. The Russians, your beloved Russians, captured him and sent him to Siberia. He escaped the glorious Russians, and made it back to Slovenia weighing some 75 pounds.
It would be a disgrace to their good names, to say more about this to you.
@Sebastien
@Edgar
No they didn’t kill Christian Ukrainians, but they did kill Christian Poles, as well as Jews of course. Stanislawow was just south of Lviv and just north of Kolomiya…in Poland, but I am not familiar with the slaughter of Poles in Stanis?awów. I am familiar with the Stanis?awów Ghetto massacre of course, Bloody Sunday, which was the second largest massacre of Jews second only to the massacre at Babi Yar as I recall. Michael has previously shared his Jewish heritage, so I assumed that this was the reference to which he was referring.
Seb-
That’s a very good question to Michael. I’m interested in the answer.
If not Jews why were they killed????? The Germans were not killing Ukraine Christians for nothing especially village (presumably) peasants who were producing grain and other foods that the Germans could use.
Whatever bad happens anywhere in the world, Michael always seems to have been involved , either himself or some relatives.
I doubt this last Ukrainian relative story very much, IF it happened it was over 80 years ago just before Michael was born and the news certainly was not ,spread all around the world and the Nazis did not advertise their atrocities. He talks about “thousands of “US”, as if he were there personally. (Like the Haggadah at Pesach)
Maybe he’s twisting some mashuggena Biblical prophesy to prove his assumptions, which is his normal modus operandi (if anything about him IS normal-I haven’t see it yet over the years.).
@Michael
Were they Jews?
@Edgar Well, just so long as they are Green bulldozers and artillery with batteries made in the dirtiest coal fired factories in China using rare minerals mostly found in war torn regions of Africa where terrorist armies use child soldiers and forced laborers, as well as Taiwan and parts of the Russian Federation and neighboring states. We have to save the planet after all or we’ll all be dead in ten years. Again.
Israel under Netanyahu has forgotten its history especially in the killing fields of Ukraine the centre of the Shoah
And the emergence of that Banderism in the present war and the total failure of Israel to educate has disarmed the Jews.
The fiasco of present is just an outcome of that betrayal
Yes absolutely level Gaza and all of the rest too
Jews must not have Antisemites in their midst
Will that be done no not until a new leadership is built
Michael S I notice you are disturbed by what I said to you
Those who revised history re Banderism in Ukraine war are responsible for this tragedy
But I don’t expect a reckoning for your ultimate mischief against the Jews
Banderite=Palestinian
You have been working to DISARM Jews and prepared ground for this tragedy
Purpose of Christianity always doing that down the centuries
Sebastien-\\The “levelled Playing field” you mention ca nbe easily made with Bulldozers following behind the rolling barrage of massive artillery from north Gaza down to the Sinai border.
I’m tired advocating this, which I’ve done at least 25-30 times or more over the years. Leniency to monsters NEVER pays. But again Israel NEVER learns that .
They should in this, as well as other coming battles tell the UN, the EU, the British any anyone else who dares to “advise” moderation, to just” bugger off, we are fighting for our lives”..
What good is a treaty with the Saudis who advise this obscene action, if Israel has innocent blood pouring out in torrents.
Damn and Blast Saudia in that case.
This is an INTERNAL operation, and nobody’s business except for those involved in the field.
There is to much advantage for Saudia not to make full peace with Israel, and Israel should know this. Iran is hovering on Saudia’s backdoor, and they are scared, although trying not to show it.
I just noticed Felix farting out some words, mixing them with my name.
Felix Cat, I didn’t know you were familiar with Ukrainian geography. I do have cousins who were killed in Ukraine — not far from Lviv, in fact: a place now called Ivano Fankivsk, but then called Stanislawow/ Stanislau. The Germans lined up a couple thousand of us and shot us.
Of course, none of that has anything to do with the OP. Please stop blowing these word farts. They don’t make any sense.
@Edgar
Your analysis was and remains correct. Quite unfortunately such sound advice was deemed too damaging to the established status quo. Now, whole families lying among both the dead and the captured, and it is to people such as these who are left to pay the butchers bill for such twisted logic as maintaining and supporting the existence of such an existential threat as Hamas. The calls to reason such as yours were regretfully not enough to draw sense back into the policies of state, and though the full consequence of this folly is not yet realized, it is already too terrible to believe.
Notably, it was twelve hours past the beginning of Hamas’ assault before Israel cut the power to Gaza.
LATEST is that over 200 dead and over 1000 wounded as well as many kidnapped.
Massive Israel intelligence failure.
I’ve written many times that Gaza must be stamped falt , with bulldozers pushing the rubble into the sea, thereby increasing the land area. The rebuild for JEWS.
I HATE to have been a Cassandra.
Israel is badly at fault . Its lenient attitude has caused this. Now all it needs is Hezbollah to stab from Lebanon making a 2 front war. G-D Forbid.
This is the time for great destruction against the enemy. It is Antisemitism. Just like Lvov July 1941.
Expose this Michael
He has spent YEARS supporting Antisemitism here on site
Oh my!
Affirmative Action needed. Israel like the U.S. The problem in Gaza remains the absence of a leveled playing field. 😀