Palestinian terror group Hamas on Saturday (7 October) launched the biggest attack on Israel in years, killing more than 20 people.

Following the attack, Israel has declared a ‘state of war’ and has launched strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.

Here are the five major highlights of development surrounding the Hamas attack in Israel:

Over 5,000 rockets fired, Hamas terrorists infiltrated and killed Israeli citizens

More than 5,000 rockets were launched towards Israel by Hamas terrorists on a festive holiday morning as loud sirens blared across the country.

The Hamas terrorists also infiltrated into southern Israeli town of Sderot, and fired on people on the streets.

According to Israel’s ambulance service, at least 22 Israelis were killed in the attack so far with more than 250 wounded. It added that the toll was expected to rise.

Netanyahu declares war, says enemy will pay unprecedented price

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first public statement following the surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday, said that the nation is “at war” and will extract an unprecedented price from its enemy.

“We are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours,” Netanyahu told his countrymen in a televised address.

“At the same time, I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” Netanyahu warned as the Israeli army called for mobilisation of reservists.

“In the meantime, I call on the citizens of Israel to strictly adhere to the directives of the IDF and Home Front Command. We are at war, and we will win it,” Netanyahu asserted.

Israel Air Force bomb multiple Hamas targets in Gaza

Following the attack, Israel announced ‘Operation Iron Swords’ against Hamas terrorists after declaring a ‘state of war’.

The Israel Air Force (IAF) has launched an attack with dozens of fighter jets targeting Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip in several locations.

“Dozens of air force fighter jets attacked targets of the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip a short time ago. The IDF appeals to the public to obey the instructions of the Home Front Command, which save lives,” the Israel Defence Force said in a post on X.

The Israeli Air Force in a post on X said that it struck multiple Hamas targets in Gaza strip.

“In the last few hours, dozens of IDF fighter jets struck 17 military compounds and 4 operational command centers belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip,” the IAF said.

Intelligence failure

The attack by Hamas terrorists, especially the infiltration and killing of people in the Israeli town, is being dubbed as a massive failure on the part of Israeli intelligence agencies.

According to reports, the surprise attack by Hamas terrorists is significant intelligence failure for Israel.

Dozens of militants from Gaza penetrated the border into southern Israel, catching the local military off guard and conducting kidnappings and murders, with some of the violence being filmed.

Despite Israel’s advanced and invasive surveillance on Palestinian territories, particularly on Hamas activities, the preparations for this attack went unnoticed.

This oversight is surprising given the extensive Israeli efforts to monitor and gather intelligence, including targeting individuals within Palestinian society who might be potential informers due to various vulnerabilities.

The Israeli media and public have questioned how such an attack could occur, especially on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur war, which was also marked by intelligence failures.

The incident has led to criticism of Israeli leaders and the security establishment, with the attack occurring during a time of social and political instability in Israel.

World leaders condemn the attack

Many world leaders have condemned the attack by Hamas terrorists in Israel.

The head of the European Union’s executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday that the attack “is terrorism in its most despicable form.” She said that “Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks.”

German Chancellor Olaf Sholz said the terrorist rocket fire and rising violence “shock us deeply.” He added that “Germany condemns these attacks by Hamas and stands beside Israel.” 

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that he “firmly” condemns the “terrorist attacks” against Israel and expressed “my full solidarity with the victims, their families and their loved ones.”