A captured Israeli tank in the Gaza strip<\/p>\n
Palestinians have launched their biggest operation against Israel in years in a surprise offensive that combined fighters crossing the fence into Israeli occupied cities with a heavy barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip.<\/strong><\/p>\n Videos\u00a0purportedly showed\u00a0resistance fighters inside a military base on Saturday, as\u00a0bodies of dead soldiers lied on the ground.<\/p>\n At least 40\u00a0Israelis have\u00a0been killed and over 700 injured,\u00a0Israel’s N12 News reported, citing\u00a0the Israeli ambulance service.<\/p>\n The Times of Israeli said Palestinian fighters\u00a0infiltrated the town of Sderot and other settlements.<\/p>\n Hamas released a video showing its fighters had captured three Israelis.<\/p>\n “Scenes of Al-Qassam Brigades capturing a number of enemy soldiers in the battle of Al-Aqsa Flood,” said a sentence appearing on a black background at the start of the video.<\/p>\n Signs in Hebrew in the background suggested the footage was filmed on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing to the Gaza Strip.\u00a0Other videos circulating on social media showed bodies of a number of people in military fatigues.<\/p>\n The unprecedented offensive started a few minutes before 7 a.m. as Israelis celebrated the last day of the weeklong Sukkot festival, with hundreds of rockets fired at Israel.<\/p>\n Videos showed young Israelis fleeing in panic when Palestinian fighters\u00a0raided a\u00a0music festival in the desert.<\/p>\n Red alert\u00a0warning sirens were activated in Tel Aviv, Sde Boker, Arad, and Dimona in the south as explosions were heard by residents on Saturday. In al-Quds,\u00a0rocket sirens sounded followed by the sound of explosions.<\/p>\n Cars were seen on fire after a rocket landed in Ashkelon, southern Israel.<\/p>\n Hamas’ armed wing said more than 7,000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel on Saturday,\u00a0declaring it had started “Operation al-Aqsa Storm”.<\/p>\n “We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation, their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over,” Hamas said.<\/p>\n Gaza-based Islamic Jihad said its fighters have joined the operation as\u00a0Hamas called\u00a0on Palestinians everywhere to fight and\u00a0on resistance groups in Lebanon also to join the fighting against Israel.<\/p>\n “We are part of this battle, our fighters are side-by-side\u00a0with their brothers in the Qassam Brigades until victory is\u00a0achieved,” said Islamic Jihad armed wing spokesman Abu Hamza on a post on Telegram.<\/p>\n #BREAKING<\/a> | Deputy Head of Hamas Political Bureau of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri: Operation #AlAqsa<\/a> Storm is a battle to attack the Zionist enemy and respond to its crimes.#Gaza<\/a> #Palestine<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YyVQpgQivM<\/a><\/p>\n — Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 7, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n