"Citizens of Israel! We are at war. This is not an operation ... but a war. This morning, Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel and its citizens. In the morning, I convened the heads of law enforcement agencies and instructed them to clear populated areas from terrorists who had infiltrated [Israel]. This operation is carried out during these hours. At the same time, I ordered a widespread mobilization of the reserves. The enemy will pay a price it has never known," Netanyahu said in an address to the nation.
As of Saturday's afternoon, more than 545 people are being treated in Israeli hospitals amid an escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS reported.
On Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said militants infiltrated Israel and fired more than 1,000 rockets from Gaza into its territory. Following the incident, the IDF declared a "counterterrorist" operation against Hamas. The military wing of the Hamas movement, the Al-Qassam Brigades, in turn, announced an operation against Israel. The number of people injured in Israel reportedly exceeded 200, while several people were killed.