Israel, a nation in the Middle East, has officially declared a state of war in response to the largest attack initiated by Palestinian fighters. Furthermore, reports indicate that these Palestinian fighters have successfully seized control of Israel’s border in the Gaza Strip.
Militants from Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory in a major escalation of the long running conflict between the two sides.
The early morning rocket attack, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described as “massive”, left at least one person dead and multiple wounded.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant movement that runs Gaza, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack and called for a general uprising against Israel.
“If you have a gun, get it out. This is the time to use it – get out with trucks, cars, axes, today the best and most honorable history starts,” Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif said in a recorded message.
Dubbing the operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” he said that the group had “targeted the enemy positions, airports and military positions with 5,000 rockets” and that the assault on Israel was a response to attacks on women, the desecration of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the ongoing siege of Gaza.
