October 7, 2023: Israel says it is 'at war' after Hamas surprise attack

Militants from Hamas entered Israel from Gaza by land, by sea and by air using paragliders, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman DF spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht said at a briefing on Saturday.

Hecht said fighting on the ground is taking place in the following places:

Hecht declined to answer repeated questions from journalists about whether the IDF had advance intelligence that the attack was coming.

He added that the military would be calling up thousands of reservists.

Is Israel at war: When asked whether the IDF considers itself to be at war, Hecht said: "This is a state of readiness for war." 

The surprise rocket and infiltration attacks from Hamas on Israel come on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 War, a surprise attack by Israel’s Arab neighbors which began on October 6, 1973.

Israel calls the war the Yom Kippur War, as the blitz began on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar. Jews typically observe the day by fasting and repenting on their sins during the previous year. In much of the Arab world, it’s known as the October 6 War and considered a victory.

The conflict began with Egypt and Syria sending in troops in the hopes they could retake territory in the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula previously seized by Israel in the June 1967 Six-Day War.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco and Jordan aided Egypt and Syria with troops, financial assistance and weapons. The Soviet Union airlifted supplies to the Arab combatants, while the United States provided aid to Israel.

The war ended with Israeli troops approaching Damascus and an entire Egyptian army surrounded.

To note: The Jewish calendar is lunar, so holidays are not celebrated on the same date every year. Yom Kippur this year began at sundown on September 24 and ended on September 25.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel "will win this war" against Hamas, hours after the group launched rockets and sent soldiers into Israeli territory early Saturday morning.

Gallant said:

The Israel Defense Forces have launched Operation "Swords of Iron" against Hamas following the militant group's surprise attack early Saturday morning according to an IDF spokesperson.

Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif said earlier Saturday that the group was launching an operation dubbed “Al-Aqsa Storm" targeting “enemy positions, airports and military positions."

At least 100 people have been injured across Israel in Saturday's militant attacks from Gaza, according to figures from two hospitals.

At least 80 people with varying degrees of injuries have been transferred to Soroka Medical Center, a major medical center in the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva the hospital said in a statement.

The Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, a city in central Israel, said it is treating at least 21 people injured on Saturday, including two in serious condition, four in moderate condition and 15 with mild injuries. 

Some of the injured suffered gunshot wounds. Others were wounded by shrapnel, the Kaplan Medical Center said. 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said Israel "is facing a very difficult moment" but it can "overcome all those who wish us harm."

He called on everyone to follow instructions from the Home Front Command and to show mutual responsibility and resolve.

Israel's Security Cabinet will convene on Saturday at Israel Defense Forces' headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to the prime minister's office.

The cabinet is due to meet at 1 p.m. local time, a little more than three hours from now.

A security assessment is currently being held, the prime minister's office said.

One woman has died and at least 15 people have been injured across southern and lowland regions of Israel in an attack by Hamas early Saturday, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue service said.

In an update, MDA said the woman who was killed was in her 60s, revising her age down from 70s, which CNN had earlier reported. 

Two people are in critical condition, six in moderate condition and seven have minor injuries, the rescue service said in a statement. 

MDA spokesperson Zaki Heller also urged people to donate blood and said a special blood donation drive is being organized in Tel Aviv for Saturday morning "due to an urgent need."

A number of airports in southern and central Israel have been closed temporarily, except for private and sports flights, according to Israel's airport authority. 

But Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv remains open and will operate in accordance with security and safety guidelines, the authority said.