Israel at war: Israel embassy reports 100 Israelis kidnapped

Hamas stunned Israel on Saturday with the most damaging surprise attack on land, sea, and air that Israel has faced in decades, some citing the 1973 and 1948 wars in comparison.

The terror group successfully invaded around 22 Gaza corridor communities, of varying sizes, by cutting through the IDF’s enhanced border fence in several spots all along the border, amphibious landings with naval commandos at Zikim, and motorized paragliders and drone-type vehicles simultaneously starting around 6:30 a.m.

As of press time, around 300 Israelis have been murdered, and more than 1,800 wounded, though that number continues to jump wildly with significant uncertainty in the field. The Israeli Embassy to the United States was reporting that some 100 soldiers and civilians had been kidnapped to Gaza and are still being held hostage.

Operational Update: pic.twitter.com/hJlnftPmJN

— Embassy of Israel to the USA | #IsraelUSA75 (@IsraelinUSA) October 8, 2023

The wounded and dead resulted from all attacks: the invasion, the rockets, and from a surprise attack on various youth events in open areas. This was the largest number of Israeli casualties, especially civilians, in decades.

Gaza’s rulers also let loose a barrage of more than 5,000 rockets throughout the day, in what amounted to a complete breakdown of the IDF’s intelligence, possibly not coincidentally, around the anniversary of the Egyptian surprise attack on Israel on October 6, 1973.

One ongoing issue, among others, has been that the ongoing 18-month terror wave in the West Bank has diverted extensive forces from defending both the northern and southern borders. It was unclear to what extent strikes by more than 10,000 IDF soldiers against the government’s judicial overhaul had impacted border security.

Rocket fire from Gaza continued throughout the evening Saturday night, including in central Israel. Several direct hits left Israelis in critical condition or dead. The majority of the rockets were fired in the morning, with a smattering in the afternoon, and an estimated over 200 rockets late in the evening and overnight.

Hamas attempted a new amphibious assault at Zikim beach after midnight, but those forces were eliminated by the IAF. Additional Hamas vehicles tried to penetrate into Israel on land, and they were also struck by IDF aerial units.

A Hamas' rocket command center and an Islamic Jihad's operations center were also both struck by IDF aircraft.

'The State of Israel will win this war’

In a statement he issued on Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Israelis, “We will win this war, but the price is too heavy to bear. This is a very difficult day for all of us.”

“What happened today is not seen in Israel - and I will make sure that it does not happen again. The entire government stands behind this decision,” Netanyahu said.

He warned Hamas that the IDF would turn its hiding places into cities of ruin.

“I say to the residents of Gaza: get out of there now, because we will act everywhere and with all the strength,” Netanyahu said.

In one of the most embarrassing incidents, a key IDF frontline Gaza headquarters was infiltrated and it took most of the day for the IDF to restore complete control.

There were widely distributed videos on social media of IDF equipment and vehicles being taken or set on fire by Hamas.

Within hours of the attack, Netanyahu declared – what was already painfully evident – that the country was at war.“Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war,” he said before entering a hastily called cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. Earlier, the IDF had announced that the campaign was called Operation Swords of Iron.

“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 said.

“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,” he said.

After the initial attacks, Netanyahu said, “I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered – first of all – to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists.

He also said he had “ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we will return fire at a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price.”

Netanyahu convened the security cabinet on Saturday night.

After that meeting, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “What was before is no longer. We will change the face of the reality in Gaza for years to come.” Gallant also widened an earlier emergency declaration regarding rockets, movement outdoors, and other issues from the Gaza corridor to include the whole country.School was canceled across the country for Sunday.

Israel decided to cut off Gaza’s electrical supply as one of many responses.

Late Saturday night, the IDF had rallied to take the fight to Hamas’s invaders in all of the 22 communities in Operation Swords of Iron, with Ofakim and Beeri said to be central areas of fighting, including larger ongoing hostage situations.

Ofakim, around 30 km. deep into Israel, was another source of embarrassment for the IDf and was the deepest part of the invasion.

An IDF source estimated that full Israeli control of all of the invaded areas might be restored within hours, and would not take days. At press time, the IDF had restored control over Sderot, Sofa, Kerem Shalom, Nirim, Netziv Asara, Nir Oz, Motzav Nahal Oz, Hulit, Nir Am, Nir Yitzhak, Beersheba, Sdei Teiman, Magen, and Urim.

The IDF has also undertaken around 500 counter-airstrikes and eliminated nine previously unidentified Hamas attack tunnels. But more importantly, the IDF has moved 35 battalions into the area and is mobilizing four full reserve divisions to the area – in one of the largest reservist mobilizations in decades. About 80,000 reservists were called up during the 2014 Gaza War.

IDF elite rescue unit 669 has been evacuating large numbers of wounded using its helicopter fleet. Four helicopters were hit by Hamas fire, but eventually continued the evacuations.

The IDF said that it had thwarted hundreds of Hamas terrorists from a second attempted invasion, as well stopping as a mix of earlier Hamas attackers who had already entered Israeli territory Saturday morning.

Hamas invasion attempts were thwarted at the Karni Crossing, the Erez Crossing, Kerem Shalom crossing, Kibbutz Sofa, Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Kibbutz Nirim, among others.

In addition, the IDF destroyed two major multistory Hamas command centers in the mid-afternoon, and two additional multistory command centers late in the evening, including Hamas’s intelligence headquarters, and key offices of its senior leadership and for developing weapons.

Despite Netanyahu’s statement that Israel is at war, it was still unclear what level of ground operation the security cabinet would order – from a full takeover of Gaza, to a temporary takeover to hand over to another authority, to a more limited ground war, as has occurred over the last decade. Notably, IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari refused to answer a question on that issue at an early evening press conference.

At press time, Hezbollah had not joined the conflict. Hagari said that Israel had delivered clear and threatening messages to the Lebanese terror group about the consequences it would face if it did enter the fray.

Ofir Lipstein, head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, was killed in an exchange of fire with terrorists as he defended his settlement of Kfar Aza during the attack. He leaves behind four children, Walla reported. Serving in this position since 2018, he reportedly stepped out with his weapon to fight the terrorists who infiltrated his community.Deputy head of the council, Yossi Keren, is currently filling Lipstein’s place.

A second Israeli, a woman in her 60s, was killed when a rocket hit her building in the Gederot Regional Council.

Close to midnight, the IDF announced that a senior officer, IDF Col. and Nahal Brigade Commander Yehonatan Steinberg was killed during fighting to retake control over the Kerem Shalom.

The IDf said that Steinberg, 42 and from Kibbutz Shomriah, was on his way to an area where there was a gunbattle to assist with command responsibilities, but was ambushed before he arrived.

Sirens sounded multiple times in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and southern Israel. Shelters were opened across the country.

A direct hit was reported on a building in Ashkelon. Dozens of vehicles also caught fire in the city. Many parts of Ashkelon and the surrounding area were without electricity. Later, there were direct hits in Rishon Lezion and Bat Yam. At least two people under age 30 were in serous condition.

In Ramle, four civilians trapped under a damaged building were rescued by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority.“We urge residents to stay in protected areas, avoid approaching the scenes, and refrain from touching rocket remnants that may contain explosives or similar hazards,” Israel Police said.

“The public is urged to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command to stay close to protected areas, and residents of the Gaza periphery are requested to stay indoors,” the army said.

“Hamas has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel. IDF troops are fighting against the enemy at every location,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, following a situation assessment, as the IDF struck back with multiple forces.

Dozens of fighter jets and other aircraft of the IDF targeted 17 military facilities and four operational headquarters of the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

“We have combat management over the Gaza Division, including support from combat helicopters; we have control there,” the IDF added. “We are conducting blockades with the Israel Police in all regions. There are airstrikes on several targets, such as tunnels, launchers, and fighter jets striking the border. Hundreds of such strikes have been carried out – resulting in many casualties, including numerous terrorists.

“The main effort is to eliminate all terrorists on the border and anyone attempting to return to the Gaza Strip. We first engage with aerial fire, followed by heavy ground assets,” the army said.

Social media videos have shown that Hamas' infiltration was so wide along the Gaza border, that initial IDF forces which went in to oust the terrorists did not have a full picture of how deep the penetration had gone.  

Gallant approved the draft of reserve soldiers according to the IDF’s requirements. He also announced a “special security situation” across the country. This status enables the IDF to provide security instructions to civilians and to close public sites in accordance with security needs.

“IDF is targeting all Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said. “Wherever there are Hamas operatives, they will be targeted, they have no immunity.”

Gallant added: “The State of Israel will win this war.”

Hundreds of Israelis sought medical attention at hospitals throughout the country.

Magen David Adom (MDA) said it had treated hundreds of people throughout the country, including many in critical condition. In addition, MDA teams provided care for victims of anxiety and other minor injuries resulting from falls on the way to shelters.

Hospitals – including Soroka Medical Center, Kaplan Medical Center, Asaf Harofeh Hospital, Samson Assuta Ashdod Hospital, Hadassah Medical Center, and Barzilai Medical Center – all took in the wounded.

“The State of Israel is facing a difficult hour,” said President Isaac Herzog. “I stand with the IDF, its commanders, soldiers, and all the security and rescue forces. I want to send words of encouragement and strength to all the residents of Israel who are under attack.

“I call upon everyone to listen to the instructions of the Home Front Command, to show mutual support, and to stay resilient,” the president continued. “Together, we can overcome all those who wish us harm.”