The Islamist organization Hamas today launched the biggest attack on Israel in years, in a surprise move with gunmen crossing the border and a barrage of rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip.

As alarm sirens sounded across southern and central Israel, including Jerusalem, the israeli army declared it to be in a state of warwith the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call an emergency meeting security officials.

Today’s episode was the most serious since the 10-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021, with Israeli media reporting clashes between Palestinian militant groups and security forces in towns in southern Israel.

Mohammed Deif, a senior Hamas military commander, announcing the launch of the operation on Hamas media, calling on Palestinians everywhere to fight.

“This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” he said, adding that 5,000 rockets were fired in just 20 minutes.

Israel

An Israeli woman was killed, according to emergency services, while ambulance crews were deployed to areas around the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said its forces were operating inside Gaza, without giving further details.

“A number of terrorists have infiltrated into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip,” the army said in a statement, adding that residents in the area around the Gaza Strip had been warned to stay in their homes.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas had “launched a massive rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory” and that militants had entered Israeli territory in “various locations”. The statement said the chief of staff was conducting an “assessment of the situation” and that Hamas “will face the consequences and responsibility for these events.”

Israeli media reported that gunmen opened fire on passers-by in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, while videos circulating on social media appeared to show show collisions on city streets as well as armed men on jeeps moving in the countryside.

Palestinian media also reported that a number of Israelis were taken prisoner by militants while Hamas media released video that appeared to show a damaged Israeli armored car.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would meet with senior security officials in the coming hours, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallad approved the mobilization of reservists.

In Gaza, residents could hear the roar of rocket fire while reporting armed clashes along the fence with Israel near the southern city of Khan Younis and saw movements of armed fighters.

The Israeli Ambulance Service said teams had been sent to areas in southern Israel near Gaza and that residents had been warned to stay indoors.