October 7, 2023: Israel says it is ‘at war’ after Hamas surprise attack

Palestinians offer Eid al-Fitr prayers by the Dome of the Rock in the al-Aqsa compound on April 21, 2023.

The al-Aqsa compound is one of the most revered places in Islam and Judaism. The sacred grounds, known to Muslims as Al Haram Al Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount have been a flashpoint of tensions between Israel and the Palestinians for decades. 

In a statement, Hamas said it had launched Saturday’s “Al-Aqsa Storm” attack on Israel — which targeted hundreds of troops and civilians — in part to defend the holy site. 

Only Muslims are allowed to pray in the compound under a status quo arrangement originally reached more than a century ago. Non-Muslim visitors are allowed visits at certain times and only to certain areas of the complex. 

But many in the Muslims world fear that the right to be the sole worshipers there has been eroded and that the sites themselves are being threatened by a growing far-right Jewish movement and Israel’s far-right government. 

Clashes have frequently broken out at the site between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces. Police raided the compound several times over the last year. 

The complex lies in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state and which most of the international community considers to be occupied territory. Israel captured it from Jordan in its six-day war in 1967 and considers both East and West Jerusalem as its united, “eternal capital.”  

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his country “at war,” after Palestinian militants from Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory Saturday morning. In response, Israel launched air strikes on Gaza, and fighting has continued throughout the day.

The surprise attack and subsequent fighting marks a major escalation of the long-running conflict between the two sides.

Here’s the latest developments:

Death toll: Israeli authorities say at least 200 people are dead and more than 1,400 wounded in Israel. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities say at least 232 Palestinians have died, and more than 1,600 are wounded.

A fresh round of attacks: A new round of rockets fired by Gaza militants on Saturday evening made direct hits on multiple locations inside Israel, including in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli authorities. In a Telegram post, the armed wing of Hamas — the militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Israel — said it had fired an additional 150 rockets in response to the bombing of a residential tower in Gaza City.

Israelis captured: The Israel Defense Forces say Hamas has taken hostages and prisoners of war since it launched its surprise attack Saturday morning. The militant group claims it has dozens of captives. In videos geolocated and authenticated by CNN, Hamas fighters appear to take Israeli citizens and soldiers captive in and near Gaza.

What is Hamas saying: Senior Hamas member Saleh al-Arouri said the militant group, which runs Gaza, is “ready for the worst-case scenario, including a ground invasion, which will be the best for us to decide the ending of this battle.”

What is Netanyahu saying: In a televised speech on Saturday evening carried by Reuters, Netanyahu said, “What happened today has never been seen in Israel. We will take mighty vengeance for this black day.” He added, “Israel will reach every place Hamas is hiding,” and warned residents of Gaza to leave now. He also commented on the captured Israelis. “I tell Hamas, you are responsible for wellbeing of captives. Israel will settle the score with anyone who harms them,” Netanyahu said.

International reaction: President Joe Biden said in an address Saturday evening that the United States stands with Israel. The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET to address the situation. Countries and leaders from around the world reacted to the news, with many condemning the attacks and others calling for calm and restraint. Meanwhile, airlines have either canceled or dramatically reduced flights to Tel Aviv, and foreign offices and embassies are discouraging travel and advising caution to their nationals present in Israel.

The Gaza militant attacks that have left at least 200 people dead and hundreds injured are unprecedented, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Saturday.

“Israel will reach every place Hamas is hiding,” Netanyahu said, referring to the militant group behind the attacks. “I tell Gaza’s people to leave those places now.”

He also referred to the Israeli soldiers and civilians taken hostage by Hamas fighters.

“I tell Hamas, you are responsible for wellbeing of captives. Israel will settle the score with anyone who harms them,” the prime minister said, according to Reuters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is “at war” after Gaza militants launched a surprise attack Saturday morning, firing thousands of rockets and entering Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders. Fighting has carried on throughout the day.

Here’s a look at where rockets launched by Hamas have landed:

US President Joe Biden gives an address from the White House in Washington, DC, on October 7.

US President Joe Biden addressed the attack by Palestinian militants Saturday, saying, “The United States stands with Israel.”

“There is never justification for terrorist attacks,” Biden said in his remarks from the White House, where he condemned the militant group Hamas for launching a surprise attack on Israel early this morning.

He added that the US will have Israel’s back. “We will make sure that they have the help their citizens need, and they can continue to defend themselves,” the president said.

Biden said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and said that his administration’s support for Israel’s security “is rock solid and unwavering.”

“I told him the United States stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorists assaults,” Biden said of his call with Netanyahu. “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop.”

The US president also discouraged other parties hostile to Israel from exploiting these attacks.

US President Joe Biden is addressing the situation in Israel in remarks made from the White House.

He spoke earlier with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasized that the US stands with Israel, according to both governments.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET to address the situation in the Middle East.

This comes after Brazil, which holds the current presidency of the council, called for such a meeting.

At least 200 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on the country early Saturday morning, according to Israel’s emergency rescue service, Zaka.

Additionally, at least 1,452 people have been wounded, the Israeli health ministry said.

Palestinian Hamas militants are seen during a military show in the Bani Suheila district on July 20, 2017, in Gaza City, Gaza.

Hamas is an Islamist organization with a military wing that came into being in 1987, emerging out of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group that was founded in the late 1920s in Egypt.

The word “Hamas” is itself an acronym for “Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia” – Arabic for Islamic Resistance Movement.

The group, like most Palestinian factions and political parties, insists that Israel is an occupying power and that it is trying to liberate the Palestinian territories. It considers Israel an illegitimate state.

Its refusal to recognize Israel is one reason why it has rejected peace talks in the past. In 1993, it opposed the Oslo Accords, a peace pact between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The group presents itself as an alternative to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has recognized Israel and has engaged in multiple failed peace initiatives with it. The PA is today led by Mahmoud Abbas and is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hamas, meanwhile, controls the Gaza Strip, an enclave that is home to some 2 million Palestinians and is frequently the site of civilian casualties when fighting flares between militants and Israeli forces.

Hamas has over the years claimed many attacks on Israel and has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel. Israel accuses its archenemy Iran of backing Hamas.

At least 232 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Saturday, and a further 1,697 were wounded, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said in a statement. 

The ministry did not provide a breakdown of where the deaths occurred and if the deaths included Hamas militants or civilians in Gaza.

The ministry called “on humanitarian and relief institutions to work immediately to support the emergency needs of Gaza Strip hospitals.” 

The deaths come after the Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes in response to an early morning surprise attack by Hamas that left an estimated 70 Israelis dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Rockets are fired towards Israel from the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon, southern Israel, on October 7.

A new round of rockets fired by Gaza militants have made direct hits on multiple locations inside Israel, including in Tel Aviv, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue service.

“Following the red alert sirens in the last few minutes, Magen David Adom teams are conducting searches in the areas where rocket hits have been reported,” the organiation said Saturday evening. It listed Tel Aviv, Rishon Letzion and Bat Yam as the affected areas.

The majority of the emergency calls centered on the Bat Yam area, MDA said.

Rescue teams are also “searching further areas with reports of injured victims, including Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv and Rishon Letzion,” according to MDA.

Remember: The Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has said it fired an additional 150 rockets toward Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. The group said this was in “response to the bombing of the residential tower in the center of Gaza City,” in a post on Telegram.

The Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed to capture “dozens” of Israelis during the Hamas surprise attack on Saturday.

“They have been secured in safe places and resistance tunnels,” Obaida added.

The Israel Defense Forces said earlier today that Hamas has taken hostages and prisoners of war since it launched its surprise attack Saturday morning. Videos geolocated and authenticated by CNN appears to show Hamas taking Israelis captive in and near Gaza, including Israeli soldiers.

A salvo of rockets is fired from Gaza City toward Israel on October 7.

The Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, says it has fired an additional 150 rockets toward Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.

The group said this was in “response to the bombing of the residential tower in the center of Gaza City,” in a post on Telegram.

What happened: A grouping of high-rises in Gaza were hit by an explosion and two towers were seen collapsing just before 7 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET).

CNN video shows the Palestine Tower — a high-rise building with two annexes, which hosts media offices and residential apartments — hit and subsequently collapse. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties.

“Now that the occupation has bombed the Palestine Tower in the middle of Gaza City, Tel Aviv must stand on one leg and wait for our earth-shattering response,” Abu Obaida, spokesperson of the AlQassam Brigades, had said on Telegram 

Rockets fired from Gaza City, are intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome defence missile system on October 7.

Sirens and more than a dozen loud booms are being heard across Tel Aviv, according to CNN journalists on the ground Saturday.

It was not immediately clear if the loud explosions were interceptions by Israel’s anti-rocket systems or the sound of militant rockets landing in the country.

A CNN team that just got off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport took cover after hearing sirens.

“You can hear the intercept missiles banging in the air,” CNN’s Nic Robertson explained, with the sound of an explosion in the background shortly after.

Several other travelers were seen on the ground taking cover and crying. 

Smoke billows over the Israeli side of the border following a series of early morning rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7.

The massive surprise attack on Israel by Hamas on Saturday is a “Pearl Harbor type of moment” for the country, former Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson Jonathan Conricus told CNN.

The attack, in which Hamas militants entered Israel and infiltrated military bases, towns and farms and took hostages, is unprecedented in Israeli history since town-by-town fighting in the 1948 war of independence.

A Palestinian man passes Israeli soldiers patrolling in a street in Gaza on December 20, 1987.

Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have existed since before the nation’s founding in 1948. Thousands of people on both sides have been killed and many more injured in the long-simmering conflict between the two sides over the past few decades.

Violence has been particularly heightened this year. The number of Palestinians – militants and civilians – killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces is at its highest in nearly two decades. The same is true of Israelis and foreigners – most of them civilians – killed in Palestinian attacks.

Israel and the militant group Hamas have been involved in armed conflict dating back as early as the 1987 First Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, against Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Israel captured Gaza from Egypt in a 1967 war, then withdrew in 2005. The small territory — home to some 2 million Palestinians — fell under Hamas’ control in 2007 after a brief civil war with Fatah, a rival Palestinian faction which is the backbone of the Palestinian Authority.

After Hamas seized control of Gaza, Israel and Egypt imposed a strict siege on the territory, which is ongoing. Israel also maintains an air and naval blockade on Gaza.

Before Saturday’s operation, the last war between Hamas and Israel was in 2021, which lasted for 11 days and killed at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel.

Saturday’s assault occurred on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 war, when Israel’s Arab neighbors launched a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on October 6, 1973.

US airlines are diverting and canceling flights bound for Israel’s main international airport as fighting rages between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.

United Airlines Flight 954 left San Francisco International Airport Friday night and diverted over Greenland about seven hours into the more than 13-hour-long journey, according to data from flight tracking site FlightAware. The flight is due to land back in San Francisco around 2 p.m. ET.

FlightAware shows that United has canceled a flight on the same original schedule for Saturday.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have canceled Saturday and Sunday Israel-bound flights scheduled to depart from New York’s JFK, according to FlightAware.

Elsewhere, German airline Lufthansa has also drastically reduced flights to Tel Aviv.

“There will still be one flight from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt this Saturday. All other Lufthansa flights to and from Tel Aviv have been cancelled for today’s Saturday,” the airline said in a statement.

Air France said it would suspend flights into Tel Aviv until further notice as well, citing safety concerns.

In all, FlightAware shows 14% of flights bound for Tel Aviv from around the world have been cancelled.

CNN’s Stephanie Halasz and Jonny Hallam contributed reporting to this post.

The Israel Defense Forces say Hamas has taken hostages and prisoners of war since it launched its surprise attack Saturday morning.

In videos geolocated and authenticated by CNN, Hamas appears to have taken Israelis captive in and near Gaza, including Israeli soldiers.

In one of the videos, geolocated by CNN to the neighborhood of Shejaiya in Gaza, a barefoot woman is pulled from the trunk of a Jeep by a gunman and then forced into the backseat of the car. Her face is bleeding, and her wrists appear to be cable-tied behind her back. The jeep also appears to have an Israel Defense Forces license plate, suggesting it may have been stolen and brought into Gaza.   

Another video, which appears to show Hamas militants taking multiple Israelis captive, was geolocated by CNN to Be’eri in southern Israel, which is a village close to Gaza. 

In another set of videos geolocated and authenticated, Hamas appears to be seizing Israeli soldiers.

The first video shows Hamas militants yank two clearly terrified and stunned soldiers out of a disabled tank. It’s unclear from the video how the tank was disabled, but Hamas has been utilizing drones to drop bombs onto Israeli tanks.

The militants are then seen kicking one of the soldiers on the ground in a short snippet of video. In the next clip, the soldier is seen lying motionless on the ground.

The second soldier is led away by Hamas militants.

A third soldier — whose face was very bloody — is seen lying on the ground motionless near the tank track. CNN does not know the current whereabouts or status of the three soldiers.

Another video, taken afterward, shows a number of different armed men around the tank. The three soldiers seen in the first video are nowhere to be seen.

The armed men in the second video are seen pulling a fourth Israeli soldier from the tank.

The soldier is motionless as he’s dragged down the side of the tank and onto the ground. The armed men then begin to stomp on the man’s body.

The video is heavily edited — Hamas has blurred the faces of their militants — and it was posted to Hamas’ official social media accounts. CNN has geolocated the video and can report that it was taken along the eastern Gaza border near the border wall.

In this file image Saleh Al-Arouri makes a speech in Cairo, Egypt, on October 12, 2017.

Senior Hamas member Saleh al-Arouri said the militant group, which runs Gaza, is ready “for all options, including a war and an escalation on all levels.”

Al-Arouri claimed there are ongoing “intensive international and regional efforts” to end the crisis, “but now nothing will be more important than the battle.”

Meanwhile, the Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, on Saturday claimed they are still fighting in 25 locations.

The group also said in a statement that there are ongoing clashes at the Re’im military base near Gaza’s northern border crossing with Israel.

Nine people were wounded, including two who remain in serious condition, following an attack on a farm in Israel where 14 Nepalis were working on Saturday, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release Saturday.

Militants captured an underground shelter near the farm where the attack took place, Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel, Kanta Rizal, told CNN. The embassy is in touch with some Nepalis inside the shelter, Rizal said.

The embassy has no information about any Nepalis taken hostage and moved elsewhere, the ambassador added. 

Nepal’s foreign ministry urged its nationals in Israel to remain cautious and follow safety measures advised by authorities. 

“The Government of Nepal strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Israel today that caused loss of precious human lives and injured many more. At this critical hour, we convey our solidarity with the Government of Israel,” the ministry said in a news release. “The Government of Nepal extends heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the people and Government of Israel as well as the victims of this cruel attack and their families. We wish for speedy recovery of the injured.”

Editor’s Note: CNN has removed a photo taken by Hassan Eslayeh, a freelance journalist with whom the network has severed ties.

A nurse and an ambulance driver have been killed in Israeli strikes on two hospitals located in Gaza, medical aid group Médecins Sans Frontièrs (MSF) said Saturday.

“Following the escalation between Israel and Gaza, Israeli forces struck the enclave’s ‘Indonesian hospital’ and an ambulance in front of ‘Nasser Hospital’ in southern Gaza,” MSF said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The strikes killed one nurse, one ambulance driver, injured several and damaged an oxygen station.”  

MSF has been supporting the “Indonesian hospital” since 2021, and Nasser hospital since 2011. Both hospitals are located in Gaza. 

“The scale of this new round of hostilities must not be underestimated, with Palestinian and Israeli authorities reporting massive casualties all over Israel and Gaza,” it added. 

Brazil, which holds the current presidency of the United Nations Security Council, said it will call an emergency meeting of the council after the surprise attack on Israel Saturday. 

In a statement, Brazil’s foreign ministry condemned the unprecedented attack by Hamas and offered “its solidarity with the Israeli people.”

Brazil also said it continues to support a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

The Israeli Emergency Services estimate about 70 people are now dead in Israel, with hundreds seriously injured, after Gaza militants launched a surprise attack Saturday, firing thousands of rockets and entering Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders.

Additionally, 985 people have been wounded in the attacks in Israel, the Israeli Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile in Gaza, at least 198 Palestinians have been killed, with 1,610 injured, the Palestinian health ministry said. Israel launched air strikes on Gaza in response to the attack, as Netanyahu vowed to “exact a huge price from the enemy.”

Hamas has taken “hostages and prisoners of war,” the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari, said.

“There are hostages and prisoners of war that Hamas took. There are also deaths among IDF soldiers. We don’t have an exact number yet - we are at war,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pictured near Salem military post in the occupied West Bank on July 4.

US President Joe Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the situation in Israel on Saturday.

In a statement, Biden condemned the attacks by Hamas and said the United States stands by Israel.

Biden added that he and his team are monitoring the situation and will stay in touch with Netanyahu.

Earlier, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying Biden called the prime minister Saturday and voiced his support for Israel.

In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that the US “unequivocally condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities.”

“We will remain in close contact with our Israeli partners,” Blinken said.

The US embassy complex in Jerusalem, Israel, on September 27.

The US embassy in Jerusalem issued a “shelter in place” for embassy personnel due to the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. 

“The U.S. Embassy is closely monitoring the security situation as a result of rockets fired from Gaza across southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and the infiltration of Hamas militants,” the statement reads.

The embassy “is aware that there have been casualties as a result of these incidents” and cautions US citizens to “remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness,” it added.

US officials, from the White House to the State Department and the Senate Intelligence Committee, have been monitoring the attacks throughout the morning.

Israeli rescue teams wait next to ambulances parked just outside the southern city of Sderot, Israel, to evacuate the wounded on October 7.

So far, 908 wounded people have been taken to Israeli hospitals, the Israeli health ministry said. Separately, at least 40 people have died in Israel, officials said earlier.

In Gaza, nearly 200 are dead and more than 1,600 are injured, Palestinian health ministry said.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his country “at war” Saturday, after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory in a major escalation of the long-running conflict between the two sides.

Smoke rises in the aftermath of rocket barrages that were launched from Gaza, in Ashkelon, Israel, on October 7.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his country “at war” Saturday, after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory in a major escalation of the long-running conflict between the two sides.

Israeli authorities say at least 40 people are dead and nearly 800 more wounded in Israel after the early morning surprise attack. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities say nearly 200 people were killed after Israel launched air strikes. Fighting is still taking place on the ground.

If you’re just catching up on the news, here are the key details:

Bodies of Palestinians killed in airstrikes are taken to the morgue at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, on October 7.

At least 198 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Saturday, with 1,610 injured, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said. 

The ministry did not provide a breakdown on where the deaths occurred, and if the deaths included Hamas militants or civilians in Gaza. 

The deaths come after the Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes in response to a barrage of thousands of rockets from Hamas into Israel and an incursion by Hamas fighters that left at least 40 people dead in Israel and nearly 800 wounded.

The Israel Defense Forces top official in charge of activities in the Palestinian territories, Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, said that Hamas had “opened the gates of hell” with its surprise attack.

Here was Alian’s message:

Alian’s bellicose rhetoric echoed earlier comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the country would “return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.” He added that “the enemy will pay an unprecedented price.”

The IDF previously said that Hamas will “face the consequences and responsibility for these events.”

Israeli soldiers work to secure residential areas following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen in Sderot, southern Israel, on October 7.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Richard Hecht told CNN on Saturday that he hopes by the end of the day Saturday, there will be no more live terrorists in Israel.

To secure the area for civilians, special forces are fighting in various locations and firefighters and taking control and cleaning some areas, he added.

Additionally, “tens of thousands” of Israeli reservists have been called up to help since the offensive began early on Saturday, Hecht said.

When asked how Israel is securing infiltration routes, Hecht said, “We are fully deployed and focused on air coverage to see what is happening, we deployed forces to the infiltration points and again we are slowly securing the area and trying to take care of all these people that came in.”

The IDF is concerned about a possible attack coming from the northern countries of Lebanon or Syria, Hecht said. “We are ready in the north [in] case there is some Palestinian faction, in case they decide to come into it we will be ready, something we are looking at and we are ready for it.”

U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on October 5, in Washington, DC.

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to speak soon, multiple officials familiar with the matter say. 

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan has been in touch with his Israeli counterpart about the situation in Israel, a senior Biden administration official says. Officials at the National Security Council at all levels are reaching out to their counterparts as well.

Meanwhile, here’s what how some other nations are reacting:

UAE: The foreign ministry in a statement stressed the need to “stop escalation” between Palestinians and Israelis and “preserve human lives.” 

“The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid dangerous repercussions,” the statement published on state-run WAM said. 

Spain: Foreign minister José Manuel Albares said Spain strongly condemns “the very serious terrorist attacks from Gaza against Israel” and said he is “overwhelmed by this indiscriminate violence.” 

“All our solidarity with the victims. Spain is firmly committed to peace, security and stability in the region,” he said in a post on X, formerly known at Twitter.

Italy: “The Italian government is closely following the brutal attack taking place in Israel. It condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing terror and violence against innocent civilians and supports Israel’s right to defend itself. Terror will never prevail,” the Italian presidency said.

Educational facilities across Israel will be closed on Sunday, the country’s education ministry said.

The standard work week in Israel is Sunday through Thursday.

At least 40 people have been killed since Hamas launched its Saturday morning surprise attack on Israel, the country’s emergency service said.

Another 779 people have been wounded, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.

IDF aerial video attacks on Gaza on October 7.

The Israel Defense Forces have released video of what it says are airstrikes on Hamas in Gaza in the last few hours.

Aerial video of the missile attacks released by the IDF show the powerful explosions caused by the strikes. Among the targets are what appear to be a power line and several individuals running

Inside Gaza, the roar of Israeli warplanes could be heard followed by loud explosions and rising plumes of black smoke.

Gaza’s streets on Saturday have been mostly devoid of cars and people. Streets were empty as people had gathered in shops, bakeries and gas stations to load up on supplies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, holds a meeting with security cabinet in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes Israel’s response to the Hamas incursion on Saturday will “exact a huge price” from the militant group.

Speaking at the beginning of a political-security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the following:

American officials are watching with alarm the large-scale attack on Israel from Gaza as they work to assess the exploding conflict. 

“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,” wrote the top American diplomat in Israel, Stephanie Hallett, on social media.

US President Joe Biden, who last spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netayanhu during a meeting in September, has long defended Israel’s right to defend itself and was expected to closely monitor the conflict throughout the day.

Still, the outburst of violence comes at an extremely sensitive moment in US-Israel relations. It would appear on its surface to complicate a growing effort by the Biden administration to broker a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Top Biden officials had been working for months to mediate such an agreement, which would transform the region but is also expected to include some type of concessions to the Palestinians, who have been watching the talks with concern. 

The barrage of rockets from Gaza and Netanyahu’s declaration that “we are at war” now threaten that deal.

The broad contours of the deal had been mostly hammered out, but there remained sticking points and US officials had suggested there remained a long way to go before it was finalized.

Saudi Arabia has traditionally been one of the main regional defenders of the Palestinian cause.

Biden’s current relationship with Netanyahu is also in a different place than it was during the last major outbreak of violence between Gaza and Israel, in 2021. 

Back then, Biden and his aides sought to contain the conflict from breaking out into larger war, including in regular phone calls between the two leaders.

It also included intensive, hour-by-hour behind-the-scenes diplomacy to convince regional players, including the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, to play a role in brokering an eventual ceasefire.

Since then, there have been strains in the two men’s relationship, driven mostly by decisions taken by Netanyahu and his far-right governing coalition.

Biden’s meeting with Netanyahu in September on the sidelines of the UN meetings was their first face-to-face since Netanyahu retook power earlier this year. He is expected to visit the White House in the coming months.

World leaders are reacting to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel Saturday morning. Many are, as has been the case during previous conflicts, calling for calm and restraint.

Here’s what’s being said in the Middle East:

Egypt: Often the mediator between the two sides, Egypt is already trying to find a way to stop the bloodshed. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he is in “intensive” communication with peers and international officials to “halt the ongoing escalation,” the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey: Speaking at a political conference, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country calls on “the parties to act with restraint in light of the events in Israel this morning and to stay away from impulsive steps that will escalate tension.”

Saudi Arabia: The Kingdom said it is closely following the “unprecedented” situation and called on “both sides to immediately stop the escalation. The Saudi Foreign Miinstry said in a statement that it is repeating its “previous repetitive warnings of the dangers of the situation blowing up as a result of the continuing occupation and depriving the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights.”

Iran: An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed support for the Palestinian militant attack on Israelis on Saturday, Iranian state-affiliated ISNA said.

Here’s how European Union officials have reacted:

Ursula von der Leyen: The President of the European Commission said on X, previously known as Twitter, that she “unequivocally” condemns the attack. “It is terrorism in its most despicable form. Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks.” 

Charles Michel: The President of the European Councila also condemned the “indiscriminate attacks launched against Israel and its people this morning inflicting terror and violence against innocent citizens. My thoughts are with all the victims. EU stands in solidarity with Israeli people in this horrific moment.” 

What some European leaders are saying on X:

French President Emmanuel Macron: “I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks which are currently hitting Israel. I express my full solidarity with the victims, and their families and loved ones.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “Shocking news reaches us today from Israel. The rocket fire from Gaza and the escalating violence shock us deeply. Germany condemns these Hamas attacks and stands by Israel.” 

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “I am shocked by this morning’s attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli citizens. Israel has an absolute right to defend itself. We’re in contact with Israeli authorities, and British nationals in Israel should follow travel advice.” 

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte: “Appalling images from Israel. Terror organisation Hamas is waging an unprecedented attack on Israel. Innocent civilians are being attacked by terrorists. This violence must stop; Israel has every right to defend itself.”

Russia and Ukraine weigh in:

Both sides in the Ukraine war have also commented.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister and Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov told RIA Novosti on Saturday that Russia is in contact with Israeli and and Palestinian officials and calls on both sides for an immediate ceasefire. 

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Ukraine “strongly condemns the ongoing terrorist attacks against Israel, including rocket attacks against the civilian population in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.” 

“We express our support for Israel in its right to defend itself and its people,” it added. 

Photographs from across Israel show how the Saturday morning attack from Gaza has upended life in Israel as far north as Tel Aviv.

Rockets are fired from Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, 2023.

Israeli fire brigade teams douse the blaze in a parking lot outside a residential building following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on October 7, 2023.

A man takes shelter by a wall as a siren sounds and rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip, in Mevaseret Zion, Israel, on October 7, 2023.

Residents leave their homes in Tel Aviv on October 7, 2023, after a barrage of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

An Israeli woman donates blood at a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023.

A remnant of a rocket launched from Gaza lies on the ground, in Ashkelon, Israel, on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli military said about 2,200 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel on Saturday since fighting began.

Those numbers contradict figures from Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif, who previously said that 5,000 rockets had been launched.

To put that in context, some 4,000 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel during the 50-day war between the two sides in 2014.

Reinforcements: Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear. Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement that the military would reinforce southern Israel and the communities surrounding Gaza

Palestinians have been barred from crossing checkpoints into Jerusalem from the West Bank since Hamas began its assault early Friday morning.

Some context: Such checkpoints controlling the movement of Palestinians has long been a point of contention.

Palestinians say such restrictions on their freedom of movement are humiliating and see them treated as second-class citizens.

Israel contends they are an important tool to combat militant incursions and terror attacks.

Israeli Emergency Services Magen David Alom said one of its staffers was killed and another four have been wounded in Hamas’ early morning attack and incursion into Israel.

The group added that one of their vehicles has been taken into the Gaza Strip.

Israeli authorities earlier said at least 22 people have been killed, with more than 250 casualties.

Many details are still unclear about the assault, it is not yet known whether the 22 are civilians or military members.

Hamas said it captured Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border during its surprise attack Saturday morning.

In videos published by the militant group, at least three men dressed in civilian clothing were seen held at gunpoint. Hamas said the men were Israeli soldiers.

The Israel Defense Forces said it had no comment and CNN cannot verify Hamas’ claim. 

Residents of two Israeli communities told the country’s Channel 12 television station that assailants from Gaza are trying to break into their homes. They have repeatedly pleaded on television for assistance from the Israel Defense Forces.

One resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz told the broadcaster over the phone that his family, including two children ages 7 and 9, have barricaded themselves in a safe room while militants fired at the door.

Some background: A kibbutz is a type of self-sustaining community in Israel. Traditionally agrarian, the kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) were more popular in the country’s early years.

Israeli rescue teams tend to an elderly man seated on a chair in the entrance of a building that received a direct hit in Ashkelon during a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.

There are “large” numbers of Israel Police and Border Police responding to multiple locations and threats, police spokesman Dean Elsdunne said on Saturday.

Elsdunne said bomb squad technicians have been deployed to clear missile debris and shrapnel sites.

Elsdunne added that Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai is holding a “special situational assessment” at the national police headquarters in Jerusalem, which Israel Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir is attending.

21 fronts: In a separate briefing, Shabtai said, “We are currently in a state of war, a complex attack in the area around Gaza, and the towns in southern Israel. Right now there are 21 active fronts in the south.”

Members of the Israeli frorces take cover on the side of a street in Ashkelon, Israel, on October 7, 2023.

Videos of the violence Saturday morning across Israel have begun to circulate online, giving the world a glimpse of the chaos on the ground.

Clips geolocated by CNN show militants firing on civilians in the southern Israel city of Sderot.

A video published by Reuters appears to show Palestinian gunmen dragging what looks like an Israeli soldier out of a tank. It is not known what condition the soldier is in, but the tank seems to be parked at a fence separating Gaza from Israel.

The tank is a Merkova, a battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces.

The Hamas attack on Israel has been underway for about five hours, with sirens continuing to ring as far north as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The sirens started ringing out early Saturday morning after rockets were fired from Gaza. They could still be heard as of of 12:30 p.m. local time.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah praised the Saturday morning attack by militant group Hamas against Israel in a a statement posted on Hezbollah-backed Al Manar TV.

Hezbollah is in direct contact with Hamas leadership, according to the statement.

Hezbollah is a Shiite Lebanese militant and political group that has fought in several conflicts with Israel. The group has strong ties to Iran as well.

An aerial view shows vehicles on fire as rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.

At least 22 people have been killed in the surprise attack launched by militant group Hamas on Saturday morning, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service. 

MDA said more than 250 casualties have been reported, including the 22 people who died.

MDA did not say how many of those killed or wounded were civilians.

Israeli fire brigade teams douse the blaze in a parking lot outside a residential building following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on October 7, 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address to the nation on October 7.

Here is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his first public comments since Hamas’ surprise attack early Saturday morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the media following talks at the Chancellery on March 16, 2023, in Berlin, Germany.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is “at war” following the surprise attack from Hamas early Saturday morning.

Smoke is seen in the Rehovot area as rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip, in Israel, on October 7, 2023.

Residents in the Gaza Strip flee their homes to move away from the border with Israel after barrages of rockets were fired from the coastal enclave into Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Israel Defense Forces said that dozens of its fighter jets are striking “a number of” targets” in Gaza that belong to Hamas

It did not provide further details.

Militants from Hamas entered Israel from Gaza by land, by sea and by air using paragliders, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman DF spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht said at a briefing on Saturday.

Hecht said fighting on the ground is taking place in the following places:

Hecht declined to answer repeated questions from journalists about whether the IDF had advance intelligence that the attack was coming.

He added that the military would be calling up thousands of reservists.

Is Israel at war: When asked whether the IDF considers itself to be at war, Hecht said: “This is a state of readiness for war.” 

Israeli paratroopers march on October 25, 1973, along the Suez-Cairo road on the western bank of the Suez Canal during the 1973 War.

The surprise rocket and infiltration attacks from Hamas on Israel come on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 War, a surprise attack by Israel’s Arab neighbors which began on October 6, 1973.

Israel calls the war the Yom Kippur War, as the blitz began on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar. Jews typically observe the day by fasting and repenting on their sins during the previous year. In much of the Arab world, it’s known as the October 6 War and considered a victory.

The conflict began with Egypt and Syria sending in troops in the hopes they could retake territory in the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula previously seized by Israel in the June 1967 Six-Day War.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco and Jordan aided Egypt and Syria with troops, financial assistance and weapons. The Soviet Union airlifted supplies to the Arab combatants, while the United States provided aid to Israel.

The war ended with Israeli troops approaching Damascus and an entire Egyptian army surrounded.

To note: The Jewish calendar is lunar, so holidays are not celebrated on the same date every year. Yom Kippur this year began at sundown on September 24 and ended on September 25.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks during a meeting with his Greek counterpart in Athens, Greece, on May 4, 2023.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel “will win this war” against Hamas, hours after the group launched rockets and sent soldiers into Israeli territory early Saturday morning.

Gallant said:

The Israel Defense Forces have launched Operation “Swords of Iron” against Hamas following the militant group’s surprise attack early Saturday morning according to an IDF spokesperson.

Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif said earlier Saturday that the group was launching an operation dubbed “Al-Aqsa Storm” targeting “enemy positions, airports and military positions.”

People try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.

At least 100 people have been injured across Israel in Saturday’s militant attacks from Gaza, according to figures from two hospitals.

At least 80 people with varying degrees of injuries have been transferred to Soroka Medical Center, a major medical center in the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva the hospital said in a statement.

The Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, a city in central Israel, said it is treating at least 21 people injured on Saturday, including two in serious condition, four in moderate condition and 15 with mild injuries. 

Some of the injured suffered gunshot wounds. Others were wounded by shrapnel, the Kaplan Medical Center said. 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivers a joint press conference with Austria's President on September 5, 2023, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said Israel “is facing a very difficult moment” but it can “overcome all those who wish us harm.”

He called on everyone to follow instructions from the Home Front Command and to show mutual responsibility and resolve.

Israel’s Security Cabinet will convene on Saturday at Israel Defense Forces’ headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to the prime minister’s office.

The cabinet is due to meet at 1 p.m. local time, a little more than three hours from now.

A security assessment is currently being held, the prime minister’s office said.

Members of Israeli security forces carry an injured person on a stretcher following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.

One woman has died and at least 15 people have been injured across southern and lowland regions of Israel in an attack by Hamas early Saturday, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue service said.

In an update, MDA said the woman who was killed was in her 60s, revising her age down from 70s, which CNN had earlier reported. 

Two people are in critical condition, six in moderate condition and seven have minor injuries, the rescue service said in a statement. 

MDA spokesperson Zaki Heller also urged people to donate blood and said a special blood donation drive is being organized in Tel Aviv for Saturday morning “due to an urgent need.”

A number of airports in southern and central Israel have been closed temporarily, except for private and sports flights, according to Israel’s airport authority. 

But Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv remains open and will operate in accordance with security and safety guidelines, the authority said.

Smoke billows from a residential building following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 7, 2023.

Footage obtained from social media by CNN shows a fire broke out near several buildings at southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, with billows of black smoke rising form the site.

What appeared to be sounds of gunfire can be heard.

Residents look at the wreckage of destroyed vehicles in Ashkelon following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Muhammad Al-Deif, the Hamas military commander, called for a general uprising against Israel in a recorded message on Saturday.

He said the attack on Israel was a response to attacks on women, the desecration of the al-Aqsa mosque and the siege on Gaza.

And he called on Arab and Islamic people to come to “free al-Aqsa,” the mosque in Jerusalem.

Video obtained by CNN from social media appears to show gunmen in the back of a pickup truck driving down a street in the southern Israeli city of Sderot.

The gunmen, clad in dark clothing, appear to point what look like guns at an SUV coming in their direction and gunfire can then be heard.

Rockets are fired from Gaza City towards Israel on October 7, 2023.

CNN teams in Jerusalem heard rocket-warning sirens and booms, likely the interceptions of incoming rockets.

Sirens have continued to sound around Israel for more than two hours since the rocket barrage from Gaza began.

The Israel Defense Forces has said Hamas will “face the consequences and responsibility” for its attack.

A member of the Israeli forces runs past a fire rages in a house in Ashkelon, following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Israel Defense Forces has announced it is mobilizing soldiers as it declares a “state of war alert.”

Reservists are also being called up.

Infiltrators have entered Israel’s southern part of Kibbutz Beeri, a Channel 12 reporter said, saying that residents were urging the Israeli Defense Forces(IDF) to rush to the area. 

The commercial channel also reported that infiltrators had taken hostages in Netiv HaAsara, also in southern Israel, northwest of the Negev dessert.

Gaza is one of the most densely packed places in the world, an isolated coastal enclave of almost 2 million people crammed into 140 square miles.

Governed by Hamas, the territory is largely cut off from the rest of the world by an Israeli blockade of Gaza’s land, air and sea dating back to 2007. Egypt controls Gaza’s southern border crossing, Rafah.

Israel has placed heavy restrictions on the freedom of civilian movement and controls the importation of basic goods into the narrow coastal strip.

Rockets are fired from Gaza City as Israel's Iron Dome air defense system attempts to intercept them on October 7, 2023.

Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif released a recorded message Saturday, announcing operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” and saying the Palestinian militant group had “targeted the enemy positions, airports and military positions with 5,000 rockets.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are conducting security assessments at the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu’s office said.

A number of militants from Gaza have entered Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday, warning Israelis who live near Gaza to stay in their homes.

The woman in her 70s in Kfar Aviv in the Gderot region, previously described as critically injured, has died, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said.

A woman in her 70s in the Gderot region of Israel is in critical condition following a barrage of rockets from Gaza, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said.

Two other people in the Ashkelon area are lightly injured, the rescue service said.

A man in his 20s in Yavne was moderately injured by shrapnel in the barrage of rockets from Gaza towards Israel, Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said.

The rockets were fired at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning local time (11:30 p.m.), when most Israelis are likely to have been asleep.

Rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel on the morning of October 7, 2023.

Multiple rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel Saturday morning, a CNN producer in Gaza saw.

The rockets prompted sirens as far north as the Tel Aviv area, east to Beer Sheva, and many other locations in between.