Hundreds dead after Hamas attack stuns Israel

The Hamas surprise attack on Israel has killed at least 200 and wounded 1,100, Israel's rescue service says. At least 232 Palestinians have been killed after Israel launched air strikes in Gaza in retaliation.

Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday on Saturday, killing hundreds and stunning the country. Israel said it is now at war with Hamas and launched airstrikes in Gaza, vowing to inflict an 'unprecedented price'.

Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities hours after the incursion began. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 200 people were killed and 1,100 wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.

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An unknown number of Israeli soldiers and civilians were also seized and taken into Gaza, an enormously sensitive issue for Israel. At least 232 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israel’s retaliation and at least 1,610 wounded, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said.

Airstrikes in the evening flattened a 14-storey residential tower that also holds Hamas offices in central Gaza City. Israeli fired a warning just before, and the number of casualties was not immediately known.

Soon after, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets into central Israel, hitting four cities, including Tel Aviv and a nearby suburb, where two people were seriously injured. The strength, sophistication and timing of the attack shocked Israelis.