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Jerusalem/Gaza, October 9 (IANS) The death toll of Hamas' unprecedented surprise attack on Israel rose to 700, while at least 413 others were reportedly killed in Israel's retaliatory attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Citing government officials, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news on Sunday night reported that at least 700 people were killed in Hamas' combined attack.
On Sunday night, the Israeli Health Ministry updated the number of injuries in Israeli hospitals, reporting that at least 2,243 were wounded, including 22 in critical condition, Xinhua news agency reported.
In southern Israel, the Israeli military still has not taken full control and Hamas militants were in several communities near Gaza continuing gunfights with Israeli soldiers.
The IDF Home Front Command called residents in the south to stay at home.
Meanwhile, over 2,300 were wounded by ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which includes 213 children and 140 women.
In a statement, the Gaza-based health ministry said that among the 413 killed, 78 were children and 41 were women.
In the past few hours, Israeli aircraft carried out tens of raids on different areas in the Gaza Strip, including residential homes, agricultural lands, government institutions, and police checkpoints in Gaza, according to Palestinian security sources.
Short videos on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from various areas in the Gaza Strip and large explosions were heard from time to time.
Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said to Israeli media outlets that the Air Force destroyed about 800 Hamas targets in Gaza, noting that the soldiers captured dozens of "terrorists" during the fighting in the areas bordering the Strip.
Early Saturday, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, which included the launching of thousands of rockets and the infiltration of dozens of militants into the Israeli towns bordering Gaza.
Saturday said to be the bloodiest day in Israel’s history
Israel formally declared a state of war on Sunday as the death toll from an unprecedented Hamas attack a day earlier rose above 700 and was expected to rise further, with the fate of over a hundred people abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip still unclear, as per media reports.
Officials estimated on Sunday that over 700 people were killed in the massive assault launched by Hamas terrorists in Israeli communities near Gaza and by the thousands of rockets fired into Israel, making it the bloodiest day in the nation’s history, according to reports, Times of Israel reported.
A spokesperson for ZAKA, a volunteer group that handles human remains after terror attacks and other disasters, told Hebrew media that the death toll rose sharply, as Israeli teams managed to clear Hamas gunmen out of communities along the border and recover victims, Times of Israel reported.
Israeli jets carried out “intense” airstrikes on targets in Gaza on Sunday afternoon, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the security cabinet had voted Saturday evening to put the country officially at war, meaning it can carry out "significant military activities", it said.
Battles were ongoing on Sunday in at least three communities near the Gaza border overrun by Hamas gunmen a day earlier, and rocket fire continued to dog Israeli communities, as Israel girded for what was expected to be a prolonged campaign against the Gaza-based terror group.
In an assault of shocking breadth, Hamas gunmen rolled into as many as 22 locations in southern Israel on Saturday morning, including towns and smaller communities as far as 24 km from the Gaza border. In some places, they roamed for hours, gunning down civilians and soldiers as Israel’s military scrambled to muster a response. At the same time, thousands of rockets were fired at towns in the south and centre of the country, Times of Israel reported.
The scenes of chaos and suffering and the prolonged failure to gain control of the situation have shocked and outraged the nation, and sparked demands for answers on the many failures of intelligence, deployment, and policy that had enabled such a national catastrophe, with hundreds of terrorists flooding civilian communities in armed convoys.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer told CNN in an interview Sunday that the death toll was "well north of 600 people", adding: "There will probably be more hundreds, several hundred more."
US to provide munitions, equipment to Israel
The US will provide munitions and equipment to Israel and boost American forces in the Middle East in response to the attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Pentagon said on Sunday.
"The US government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
On Saturday US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to convey his condolences.
"Secretary Austin made clear to Minister Gallant his ironclad support for the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli people. He reaffirmed that the Department's commitment to Israel's security and its absolute right to defend itself from acts of terrorism is unwavering. Secretary Austin has directed his team to ensure that DoD is closely consulting with all of our Allies and partners who share a commitment to peace and oppose terrorism. Secretary Austin will continue to consult with Minister Gallant in the coming days and weeks to ensure that Israel has the support it needs," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Reiterating unequivocal support for Israel, Austin's detailed statement on Sunday went on to say: "My thoughts continue to be with the people of Israel and the many families who have lost loved ones as a result of the abhorrent terrorist attack by Hamas. Today, in response to this Hamas attack on Israel, and following detailed discussions with President Biden, I have directed several steps to strengthen Department of Defense posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts.
"I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean. This includes the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). We have also taken steps to augment US Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The US maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required.
"In addition, the US government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days.
"Strengthening our joint force posture, in addition to the materiel support that we will rapidly provide to Israel, underscores the US ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people. My team and I will continue to be in close contact with our Israeli counterparts to ensure they have what they need to protect their citizens and defend themselves against these heinous terrorist attacks."
