The death toll for Israelis murdered by Hamas terrorists has jumped to a staggering 600, which does not include those who were taken hostage into Gaza.
Here’s more from the AP:
Israeli soldiers battled Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel on Sunday and launched retaliation strikes that leveled buildings in Gaza, while in northern Israel a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict.
There was still some fighting underway more than 24 hours after an unprecedented surprise attack from Gaza, in which Hamas militants, backed by a volley of thousands of rockets, broke through Israel’s security barrier and rampaged through nearby communities. At least 600 people have reportedly been killed in Israel — a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades — and more than 300 have been killed in Gaza.
The militants also took captives back into the coastal Gaza enclave, including women, children and the elderly, who they will likely try to trade for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The high death toll, multiple captives and slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades.
At least 44 of the 600 dead are IDF soldiers and around 2,000 are injured. It is reported elsewhere that 100 were taken hostage into Gaza by Hamas.
At the time of this article it’s reported that Israel has struck over 400 targets in Gaza, leveling residential buildings. I assume all that is from the air, as they say a ground assault hasn’t happened yet.
Hezbollah decided to attack Israel today by firing dozens of rockets at three areas along the border. Israel responded:
Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets and shells on Sunday at three Israeli positions in a disputed area along the border and Israel’s military fired back using armed drones. Two children were lightly wounded by broken glass on the Lebanese side, according to the nearby Marjayoun Hospital.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military official, told reporters the situation at the northern border was calm after the exchange.
The article also reports that two Israeli tourists were shot and killed by a police officer in Egypt yesterday.