BREAKING : Over 40 Israelis killed after surprise attacks by Hamas

BREAKING : Over 40 Israelis killed after surprise attacks by Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel is at war after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack against the nation and its citizens in the early morning hours.

Netanyahu ordered a mobilization of reserves and promised a forceful response that the enemy has not experienced before.

Hamas militants are believed to have killed over 40 people in the overnight raid which say attacks on a festival or concert, as well as the kidnapping of Israeli citizens who are thought to have been dragged over the Gaza border. Reports suggest a whopping 700 injured, with militants breaking through the border at key points to launch their sneak attack which also included thousands of rockets.

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However, the Israeli military struck targets in Gaza in response for some 2,500 rockets that sent air raid sirens wailing constantly as far north as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away. It said its forces were engaged in gunfights with Hamas militants who had infiltrated Israel in at least seven locations.

The fighters had sneaked across the separation fence and even invaded Israel through the air with paragliders, the army said.

“The United States unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians,” said U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

“There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand firmly with the Government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,” she added.

BREAKING : Over 40 Israelis killed after surprise attacks by Hamas

THE PULSE