After rockets were fired from Gaza into Israeli territory on Saturday, Palestinian militant group Hamas declared a "war" on Israel, according to Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. "Hamas has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel," Gallant issued a statement on his official X handle.
He stated: "IDF troops are fighting the enemy at every location. I call on all of Israel’s citizens to follow security instructions. The State of Israel will win this war."
Israel's police chief, Yaakov Shabtai, stated that special police units are now working in 21 places, and that the whole south of Israel has been cordoned off.
Following the initial launches from several places across Palestinian territory around 6.30 a.m., rockets streaked across the sky again. The eruption of hostilities comes after months of escalating violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with deaths in the occupied West Bank reaching an all-time high.
Air raid sirens boomed over Israel's southern and central regions, with the Israeli army encouraging residents to remain near bomb shelters.
The armed branch of the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas claimed responsibility for the aerial attack, alleging that its fighters fired over 5,000 missiles.
The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) announced in a statement that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is conducting an evaluation and authorising plans of action.
“The IDF declares a state of readiness for war. Hamas… which is behind this attack, will bear the results and responsibility for the events,” the statement from the Israeli army was quoted by PTI in its report.
Magen David Adom, Israel's rescue and relief organisation, said that one person was killed and 16 others were injured in this morning's rocket assaults on southern and central Israel.