'Citizens of Israel, we are at war': Benjamin Netanyahu after Hamas attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement on Saturday announced ‘Israel is at war’. His statement comes after Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented infiltration into southern Israel, sending fighters across the border and firing thousands of rockets into the country as the ruling Hamas militant group announced the beginning of a new operation. In his statement, Netanyahu said, “Citizens of Israel, we are at war. Not an operation, not an escalation — at war.” Watch:

אנחנו במלחמה. pic.twitter.com/XNM3l7fEQH

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 7, 2023

Earlier, Israel’s defence minister announced that the Hamas militant group has started a war against Israel and pledged that “Israel will win.” Following a security cabinet meeting at the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hamas “made a grave mistake” in launching barrages of rockets into southern and central Israel in its surprise morning attack. The Israeli military put the country on war alert and began striking targets in Gaza in response, setting the stage for what was likely to be a new heavy round of fighting between the bitter enemies. In a serious escalation, salvos of rockets fired from Gaza set off constant air raid sirens as far north as Jerusalem. The elusive leader of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, announced the beginning of what he called “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.” “Today the people are regaining their revolution,” he said in the recorded message, as he called on Palestinians from east Jerusalem to northern Israel to join the fight and “expel the occupiers and demolish the walls.” “We must set the earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers,” he said, claiming that Hamas had fired over 5,000 rockets into Israel. With inputs from agencies