Israeli warplanes continue to pound Gaza, video surfaces

Tel Aviv [Israel]: Israel’s warplanes continued to bombard Gaza on Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, adding that 426 targets were struck in Gaza, including 10 towers used by Hamas.

The defence forces of Israel also evacuated Israeli residents around the Gaza Strip overnight, as tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers are operating on the ground around the conflicted region, CNN reported quoting the IDF.

The majority of the power grids is out since Saturday, and internet connectivity is still only partially functional. The CNN reporter in Gaza reported that throughout the night, there was constant sound of thundering jets and explosions, adding that there was a strong smell of gunpowder.

The IDF released video of a hit on a city building with multiple stories. The strike hit “Hamas military targets located in multi-story buildings in the Gaza Strip.

“Attached is footage of a strike on Hamas military targets located in multi-story buildings in the Gaza Strip,” Israel Air Force posted on X.

At least 232 people were killed in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Sunday as Israel carried out retaliatory strikes following the Hamas rocket fire and the unprecedented ground assault in the Middle Eastern country, Al Jazeera reported.

Following a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, Hamas fighters launched the biggest offensive on Israel in years on Saturday, penetrating areas in the south of the nation.

According to Israel’s national rescue service, the attack was the bloodiest in years, with the death toll soaring past 300.

Additionally, an undermined number of Israeli citizens and military personnel were apprehended and brought into Gaza. Late on Saturday, both Israel and Hamas claimed that gunfights were ongoing at numerous locations within Israeli territory.

The attack, which began at 6.30 am local time (03:30 GMT) on Saturday involved Hamas fighters, who infiltrated Israel by land, sea, and air.

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned Hamas it made a “grave mistake” in carrying out the rocket attacks and ground assault.

“Citizens of Israel, we are at war. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message from military headquarters in Tel Aviv after the attacks broke out.

Israel’s military launched a series of air raids on Gaza in response to the attacks.

Senior Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif declared that the rocket launch was the beginning of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, urging Palestinians all over the world to resist Israeli occupation.

Hamas would pay a “heavy price for its actions”, the Israeli military told citizens living near the Gaza Strip, asking them to remain inside their houses.