New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said he was deeply shocked by the news of Israel being attacked by Palestine militant group Hamas. "Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," PM Modi tweeted.
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Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2023Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2023
His reaction comes to the unprecedented, multi-front attack by Hamas on Israel at daybreak on Saturday as the Palestine militant group fired thousands of rockets while dozens of their fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday.
Six hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country. Israel's national rescue service said at least 22 people have been killed and hundreds wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.
The Soroka Medical Centre in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba said it was treating at least 280 casualties, with 60 in serious condition. There was no official comment on casualties in Gaza, but Associated Press reporters witnessed the funerals of 15 people who were killed and saw another eight bodies arrive at a local hospital. It was not immediately clear if they were fighters or civilians.
Social media was replete with videos of Hamas fighters parading what appeared to be stolen Israeli military vehicles through the streets and at least one dead Israeli soldier within Gaza being dragged and trampled by an angry crowd of Palestinians shouting God is Great." Videos released by Hamas appeared to show at least three Israelis captured alive. The military declined to give details about casualties or kidnappings as it continued to battle the infiltrators.
"We are at war," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address, declaring a mass mobilisation of the country's army reserves. "Not an operation,' not a round,' but at war." "The enemy will pay an unprecedented price," he added, promising that Israel would return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.
