Netanyahu says Israel is in a state of war
Thousands of reservists from all branches of the armed forces have been called up, the IDF said
The rocket fire and attack by Hamas militants, which began on Saturday, October 7, brought Israel into a state of war. This was stated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message.
"This is not an operation, this is not an escalation. This is a war," the Israeli prime minister said in an urgent address to citizens. He added that he had ordered "to clear the border settlements of terrorists, to mobilize reservists."
"The enemy will pay a price they have never known before," Netanyahu promised.
אנחנו במלחמה. pic.twitter.com/XNM3l7fEQH
– Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 7, 2023
The chief representative of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, confirmed that Israel is at war. According to him, more than 2,000 rockets were fired at the country.
"We are fighting dozens of terrorists who infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip. Thousands of reservists of all branches of the armed forces have been called up. We ask citizens to remain calm and not to spread unverified information. We are at war," the general said.
On the morning of October 7, Hamas militants fired massive rocket attacks on cities in the south and center of Israel. After that, the militants crossed the border and entered a number of cities in the south of the country.
The Times of Israel reports that the "military operation" announced by Hamas has already resulted in dozens of casualties and nearly 300 wounded.
In response, the IDF announced the launch of the "Iron Swords" military operation in the Gaza Strip. "Dozens of IAF fighter jets are now attacking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.
"We have launched a massive conscription in all IDF units," Hagari added.
The attack by Palestinian militants was condemned by the governments of several countries, including the UK and Italy. Egypt warned of "serious consequences" of the escalation and called for "maximum restraint and not to expose the civilian population to further danger."
Russia called the escalation of the conflict a surprise. "If we had expected it, we would not have allowed it to happen," said Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. He said that Moscow is in contact with all parties to the conflict and called the situation a "vicious circle of violence."
Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused the United States of involvement in the situation. "What can stop America's maniacal passion for fomenting conflicts everywhere on the planet? Perhaps only a civil war in the United States," said the Kremlin's chief alcoholic.
Background. As reported, Hamas attacked the Rutenberg power plant, the second largest in Israel. A fire broke out at the station, and rescuers are trying to put it out.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
