From BZ/dpa
At least 250 people died as a result of Hamas’ terror in the attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israel on Saturday.
The Israeli rescue service Zaka announced this on Saturday evening. In addition, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health, 1,452 people were injured. The terrorists are said to have fired over 3,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
At the same time, armed Palestinians advanced into Israel by land, sea and air. According to media reports, they killed numerous Israelis in towns near the border. Some attackers also barricaded themselves in houses with hostages. According to the military, several Israelis were kidnapped into the Gaza Strip. The fighting and the hunt for terrorists continued into the evening.
Burning cars after a terrorist attack by Hamas in the Israeli city of Ashkelon in the south of the country Photo: AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov
The Israeli Air Force shelled Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to the massive attacks. At least 242 people died and almost 1,700 were injured, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced.
On Saturday evening there was another rocket alarm in the greater Tel Aviv area and other cities in the country.
Several people were injured in the attacks, three of them seriously, according to the Magen David Adom emergency service. Israeli media reported, citing the fire department, that a building in Tel Aviv was hit by rockets and collapsed. Two people were rescued.
An Israeli rocket hits Gaza City. The Israeli army said it destroyed several Hamas command centers. On the house on the left, some people watch the explosion Photo: MAHMUD HAMS / AFP
Numerous explosions were heard over the coastal metropolis on Saturday evening, most of which were probably triggered by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Previously, warning sirens wailed in several cities across the country.
The Islamist Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, fired thousands of rockets at Israel on Saturday. At the same time, armed Palestinians advanced into Israel by land, sea and air. According to the military, several Israelis were abducted to the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli army soldier takes shelter with his dog behind a car near Sderot. In the background lies a civilian killed by Hamas Photo: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU, USA and Israel. The fighting continued into the evening. In the evening, there were heavy rocket attacks on several cities, including the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, with several people injured.
Biden promises support
US President Joe Biden assured the State of Israel of the support of the United States. “The United States stands with Israel,” Biden said at the White House on Saturday. The world had to see “disgusting images” from Israel with thousands of rockets raining down on cities, he said. “Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” Biden had previously emphasized in a press release.
“The United States is warning all other groups hostile to Israel to seek to capitalize on this situation,” Biden said. “And my government’s support of Israel’s security is rock-solid and steadfast.” Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday and will continue to be in close contact with him, the White House said.
Call for an end to aid to Palestinians
After the major attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel, there are calls for immediate consequences from the federal government and security authorities. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has already increased the protection of Jewish and Israeli institutions in Germany.
In an interview with the German Press Agency on Saturday, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor warned of attacks on facilities in Germany. Representatives of the opposition and the traffic light coalition called for quick decisions on financial aid to Palestinians. At the same time, the federal government and the EU are being asked to toughen their stance towards Iran. Israel’s arch-enemy Iran welcomed the attack.
Israeli reservists report for duty in a city in the north of the country Photo: JALAA MAREY / AFP
Faeser told BILD on Sunday that the security authorities were keeping a very close eye on possible Hamas supporters in the Islamist scene. “In this terrible situation, the following applies even more: the protection of Jews in Germany is our top priority.” All security authorities are sensitized, and the federal and state governments have closely coordinated their actions.
CDU security politician Roderich Kiesewetter told “Spiegel” that protection for Jewish institutions in Germany must be increased quickly. “The Office for the Protection of the Constitution and federal and state police authorities must pay more attention to Palestinian and pro-Iranian groups.” Kiesewetter is vice-chairman of the Bundestag’s parliamentary control committee, which monitors the German intelligence services.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) called for a quick decision on financial aid to Palestinians. “The terror is shocking. We shouldn’t just respond to him with words,” the FDP leader told BILD on Sunday.
He is therefore hoping for a recommendation from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on how the German state should proceed with financial support for the Palestinians in light of this violence. “Any consequences could be implemented immediately,” said Lindner.