(JNS) — Hamas claimed on Saturday to be holding more than 35 Israelis hostage in the Gaza Strip after dispatching dozens of terrorists into the Jewish state as part of a major attack.
There were also unconfirmed reports that more than a dozen Nepalese nationals, working in Israel, were abducted and taken to Gaza.
Unconfirmed footage circulating online showed alleged Hamas terrorists ushering numerous Israelis into Gaza.
A father interviewed by Channel 12 said his two daughters, aged 3 and 5, were missing and feared kidnapped.
Hamas killed at least 40 Israelis on Saturday amid an ongoing offensive in which the Palestinian terrorist group has fired more than 2,500 rockets.
As of 3 p.m., there were reports of active combat between Israeli security forces and Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
There were also reports of a hostage situation in Ofakim, located some 12 miles from the Gaza border.
More than 800 Israelis were evacuated to hospitals across the country, including many at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva and Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.
Scores of the wounded were in serious condition, including at least 80 at Soroka, where there were also 10 victims in critical condition.
The Security Cabinet met at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv for approximately two hours. The full Cabinet was set to meet at 6 p.m. to decide on the way forward.
“Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked,” Netanyahu said at the start of the Security Cabinet session.
“The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well. The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war.
“We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal—victory in the war,” said the premier.
In response, the Israel Air Force launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” initially striking 17 Hamas “military” compounds and four operational headquarters in Gaza.
The IDF was ordered to a “state of war readiness” and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the call-up of reserve troops.
He also announced a “special security situation” within 80 kilometers of the Gaza Strip, enabling the IDF to close relevant sites and impose safety restrictions on the population.
