Civilians and soldiers held hostage in Gaza, says Israel – as it happened
Gaza #Gaza
Summary
Here is a summary of what we know so far as the Israeli military response to attacks by Hamas enters day two.
At least 250 Israelis have died in Hamas attacks, Israeli officials have said. More than 1,590, Israelis have been wounded, Israel’s health ministry said.
At least 230 Palestinians have been killed and 1,610 wounded in Gaza by Israeli retaliation after the Hamas attack.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the country is “embarking on a long and difficult war” and that the first stage would be over in the coming hours.
Israeli civilians and soldiers are held hostage in Gaza, a spokesperson for the Israeli defense forces confirmed. The spokesperson declined to specify the number of hostages.
The US president, Joe Biden, issued a staunch condemnation of the attacks by Hamas against Israel, saying in an address on Saturday “The United States stands with Israel”. He issued a statement earlier calling the attacks “horrific” and an “appalling assault.”
Hamas militants entered Israeli territory in the early hours of Saturday morning, appearing to take control of various communities in the south of the country. Fighting is still going on in some areas.
Hamas fired thousands of rockets towards Israel, according to Israeli authorities. The Hamas military commander, Mohammed Deif, said 5,000 had been fired, but an Israeli military spokesperson said 2,500 had been fired.
Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes, sending the area’s already crumbling medical infrastructure into chaos.
Netanyahu has offered a unity government after declaring a state of war. The move would bring Netanyahu and the opposition Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid, together during the national emergency.’
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas told US secretary of state Antony Blinken that “injustice” towards Palestinians is driving the conflict with Israel to an “explosion”, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The agency also reported Abbas received a phone call from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in which Abbas “emphasised that the current escalation in the region is a result of the political impasse” and a “denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination”.
The UN security council is due to meet on Sunday. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned the attack by Hamas and urged “all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration”, UN spokesperson Steéphane Dujarric said in a statement.
The White House said that US and Israeli officials have been discussing Israel’s defence needs in the wake of Saturday’s Hamas attack and that an announcement of military aid could come “as early as tomorrow”.
Egypt is in talks with Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a bid to defuse Palestinian-Israeli tensions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi discussed in a phone call with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell the need for international action to stop escalation in Gaza and “create a real political horizon to end the occupation”, the Jordanian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, which has been in talks with the US about normalising relations with Israel, called on both sides to exercise restraint.
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said the UK government stands in “full solidarity” with Israel against a “cowardly and depraved” attack.
The US does not have anything to suggest Iran was involved in “specific” Hamas attacks on Israel, a senior official said. The official also denied that Iran had any specific warning or indicator of the strike before it happened.
The UN peacekeeping force has been deployed along the Lebanon-Israel border to “maintain stability and help avoid escalation”.
The Metropolitan police in London said it is aware of a “number of incidents” related to the Israel conflict in parts of London, it has said in a statement. As a result, the force has increased policing patrols across parts of London.
Updated at 20.36 EDT
Key events
Hostages in Ofakim rescued – report
Summary
Netanyahu: “We are embarking on a long and difficult war.”
A summary of today’s developments
London police increase patrols following ‘incidents’
Israeli commander killed during fighting
Netanyahu offers to form unity government after declaring a state of war
At least 250 people in Israel killed and around 232 people killed in Gaza Strip
US president Joe Biden delivers remarks on Hamas’s attacks: “The United States stands with Israel”
What we know so far
Israeli defense forces acknowledge hostages in Gaza
Brazil to call UN security council meeting
Netanyahu speaks with Biden
We have enough Israeli captives to free detainees, Hamas official says
At least 100 dead in Israel: report
198 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes, say officials in Gaza
‘We have a big number of Israeli captives’, Hamas claims
US will ensure Israel has what it needs, US defence secretary says
EU talks with Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia
At least 40 dead, 740 injured in Israel: report
Netanyahu calls on Israel to unite
US condemns Hamas attack
Egypt ‘making intensive contacts’ to contain crisis
Israel continues strikes in Gaza
Unrest in Jerusalem
An intelligence failure for the ages
Hezbollah congratulates Hamas but takes careful stance
What we know so far
‘Difficult hours ahead of us’, Israeli military says
Sunak ‘shocked’ by attacks on Israeli citizens
European leaders condemn attack against Israel
Egypt calls for restraint
280 injured in Israel, 30 seriously: report
UK condemns Hamas attacks
Seven communities under Hamas control: report
‘We are at war’, Netanyahu says
EU condemns Hamas attack on Israel
IDF fighter jets striking Hamas targets in Gaza
Netanyahu to meet top security officials
Israel declares state of war
Israel on war footing, says military
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Here is footage of the aftermath of the Ashkelon rocket attack distributed by the IDF:
Broadcaster Kan has also reported a rocket attack on the city of Ashkelon, with the Barzilai hospital there hit. No casualties were reported. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said doctors had already moved patients to safety.
Updated at 22.25 EDT
Hostages in Ofakim rescued – report
Israeli broadcaster Kan has reported that an Israeli couple being held hostage in Ofakim has been rescued, with three soldiers “moderately and lightly wounded” and the hostage takers killed.
It has also reported that Israeli forces have regained complete control of the police station in the city of Sderot, saying 10 terrorists had been killed.
The Brandenburg Gate is illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag in Berlin on Saturday night.
The Brandenburg Gate is illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag in Berlin on Saturday night. Photograph: Sven K’uler/AP
Updated at 21.56 EDT
In the past 90 minutes, the Israel Defense Forces have banned anyone from entering Gaza and “asks the public to be vigilant”. It has also claimed its fighter jets recently attacked three Hamas operational headquarters, and its Navy units had seen off an attack by seven terrorists in the area of Zikim beach in the territory of Israel.
The Empire State building lights up in the colours of the Israeli flag.
Updated at 21.56 EDT
Israel’s security cabinet has finished its meeting. Netanyahu’s office has said it has approved steps to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad “for many years,” including cutting electricity and fuel supplies and the entry of goods into Gaza.
Earlier, the energy minister Israel Katz ordered the electricity supply to Gaza to be halted, saying in a statement: “It’s not going to be how it was.” Gaza is largely reliant on Israel for its power supplies.
Summary
Here is a summary of what we know so far as the Israeli military response to attacks by Hamas enters day two.
At least 250 Israelis have died in Hamas attacks, Israeli officials have said. More than 1,590, Israelis have been wounded, Israel’s health ministry said.
At least 230 Palestinians have been killed and 1,610 wounded in Gaza by Israeli retaliation after the Hamas attack.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the country is “embarking on a long and difficult war” and that the first stage would be over in the coming hours.
Israeli civilians and soldiers are held hostage in Gaza, a spokesperson for the Israeli defense forces confirmed. The spokesperson declined to specify the number of hostages.
The US president, Joe Biden, issued a staunch condemnation of the attacks by Hamas against Israel, saying in an address on Saturday “The United States stands with Israel”. He issued a statement earlier calling the attacks “horrific” and an “appalling assault.”
Hamas militants entered Israeli territory in the early hours of Saturday morning, appearing to take control of various communities in the south of the country. Fighting is still going on in some areas.
Hamas fired thousands of rockets towards Israel, according to Israeli authorities. The Hamas military commander, Mohammed Deif, said 5,000 had been fired, but an Israeli military spokesperson said 2,500 had been fired.
Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes, sending the area’s already crumbling medical infrastructure into chaos.
Netanyahu has offered a unity government after declaring a state of war. The move would bring Netanyahu and the opposition Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid, together during the national emergency.’
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas told US secretary of state Antony Blinken that “injustice” towards Palestinians is driving the conflict with Israel to an “explosion”, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. The agency also reported Abbas received a phone call from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in which Abbas “emphasised that the current escalation in the region is a result of the political impasse” and a “denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination”.
The UN security council is due to meet on Sunday. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned the attack by Hamas and urged “all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration”, UN spokesperson Steéphane Dujarric said in a statement.
The White House said that US and Israeli officials have been discussing Israel’s defence needs in the wake of Saturday’s Hamas attack and that an announcement of military aid could come “as early as tomorrow”.
Egypt is in talks with Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a bid to defuse Palestinian-Israeli tensions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi discussed in a phone call with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell the need for international action to stop escalation in Gaza and “create a real political horizon to end the occupation”, the Jordanian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, which has been in talks with the US about normalising relations with Israel, called on both sides to exercise restraint.
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said the UK government stands in “full solidarity” with Israel against a “cowardly and depraved” attack.
The US does not have anything to suggest Iran was involved in “specific” Hamas attacks on Israel, a senior official said. The official also denied that Iran had any specific warning or indicator of the strike before it happened.
The UN peacekeeping force has been deployed along the Lebanon-Israel border to “maintain stability and help avoid escalation”.
The Metropolitan police in London said it is aware of a “number of incidents” related to the Israel conflict in parts of London, it has said in a statement. As a result, the force has increased policing patrols across parts of London.
Updated at 20.36 EDT
Netanyahu: “We are embarking on a long and difficult war.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said online that the country is “embarking on a long and difficult war” and that the first stage would be over in the coming hours, a possible reference to the elimination of the estimated 200-300 militants that entered Israeli territory on Saturday morning.
“The first phase ends in these hours by destroying most of the enemy forces that have penetrated our territory. At the same time, we started the offensive formation and it will continue without reservation and without respite – until the goals are achieved. We will restore security to the citizens of Israel and we will win.”
Updated at 20.15 EDT
Blinken has also held talks with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan and encouraged Ankara’s engagement, Miller said.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has held a call with European counterparts: German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani, UK foreign secretary James Cleverly, and the EU’s chief foreign diplomat, Josep Borrell.
Blinken’s spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said: “They discussed the unprecedented scale and brutality of the Hamas attacks on Israeli territory, which they condemned in the strongest terms. The secretary underlined the United States’ support for Israel’s right to defend itself and encouraged continued engagement by Quint countries and the EU.”
Quint refers to a grouping of countries made up of the US, France, Germany, Italy and the UK.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said he supports Israel’s right to defend itself and has said the Israeli ambassador was “very shaken” when he spoke to him on Sunday morning. He says the Australian government is urging restraint and is concerned about escalation in the region but condemns violence against civilians.
“This is indiscriminate. Civilians being targeted, killed and murdered, as well as many of them being taken hostage. This is dreadful,” he said.
The prime minister said that, based on the advice he has at the time, all “Australians are safe”. He says there are Australia Defence Force personnel in the region, but there is no risk to their safety.
Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry had called upon Australias government to “condemn without equivocation these flagrant crimes”.
“Any calls for de-escalation by ‘both sides’ or attempts to draw equivalences between the crimes of a terrorist organisation and the defensive measures of a sovereign and democratic state are misconceived and only play into the hands of the terrorists,” he said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Israel at this time.”
The scale and deadly nature of Saturday’s attack has been compared to the Yom Kippur war, which took place 50 years ago this week, when a joint surprise offensive was launched by Syrian forces in the Golan and Egyptian forces in the Sinai peninsula. Our Jerusalem correspondent, Bethan McKernan, has more here on the 19 days of war that changed Israel, the region, the trajectory of the cold war, and caused a global oil crisis.
Hello, Graham Russell here taking over from Nadeem Badshah to continue to bring you the latest developments in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in the wake of a surprise attack by Hamas that has led to hundreds of deaths.
Aa spokesperson for the Israeli army has said recently fighting with Hamas was still continuing in parts of southern Israel and that the situation was not entirely under control.
The spokesperson also that the high number of hostages taken by Hamas would shape Israel’s response.
A summary of today’s developments
At least 250 Israelis have died in Hamas attacks, Israeli officials have said. Meanwhile, more than 1,590, Israelis have been wounded, Israel’s health ministry said.
At least 230 Palestinians have been killed and 1,610 wounded in Gaza by Israeli retaliation after the Hamas attack.
There are reports of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a unity government after declaring a state of war. The move would bring Netanyahu and the opposition Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid, together during the national emergency. Netanyahu made the offer during a meeting with Lapid and the National Unity party leader, Benny Gantz, according to the Times of Israel.
Saudi Arabia, which has been in talks with the US about normalising relations with Israel, called on both sides to exercise restraint.
The UN security council is due to meet on Sunday. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned the attack by Hamas and urged “all diplomatic efforts to avoid a wider conflagration”, UN spokesperson Steéphane Dujarric said in a statement.
The Metropolitan Police in London said it is aware of a “number of incidents” related to the Israel conflict, it has said in a statement. As a result, the force has increased policing patrols across parts of London. It is also aware that Saturday’s attacks may lead to protests over the coming days.
Updated at 19.04 EDT
The White House said that US and Israeli officials have been discussing Israel’s defence needs in the wake of Saturday’s Hamas attack and that an announcement of military aid could come “as early as tomorrow”.
A senior administration official said that Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu discussed “ensuring that the Israelis had all the support they needed” and that the specifics were discussed in a subsequent conversation between US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.
The US official pointed out that after the last major conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2021, Biden pushed through a $1bn replenishment of interceptors for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system. Last year, the president also signed the ‘Jerusalem declaration’ restating US commitment to Israeli security.
“It was reaffirmed today and we are in deep talks with the Israelis about some of their particular needs as they respond to this terrible assault on the Israeli state and the Israeli people,” the senior US official said. “Really up and down our military chains, there is regular coordination about some of the needs that Israel anticipates and I am not going to get ahead of that process..but I would say that that is very much underway, and we might have more to say about it as early as tomorrow.”
The White House said it was sharing available intelligence with Israel, but said there was no proof as yet that Tehran was behind the Hamas attack.
“We don’t have anything to indicate Iran was involved in the specifics of what is unfolding now,” the official said. “But in terms of Iran’s full support for Hamas, Hamas would not exist without that support over many, many years and decades..and that is why we continue to hold Iran accountable for its support for terrorist groups, whether Hamas or Lebanese Hezbollah.”
As for Hezbollah’s threats of intervention if Israel launches a ground war in Gaza, the senior US official briefing reporters said that the US had conveyed messages to “anyone who might seek to take advantage in any way” that it would be a “huge mistake in this situation”.