Current:Home > FinanceHorrors emerge from Hamas infiltration of Israel on Gaza border -SummitInvest
Horrors emerge from Hamas infiltration of Israel on Gaza border
View
Date:2025-04-16 01:47:28
TEL AVIV, Israel -- Indiscriminate killing. Kidnappings. Homes raided and a music festival under attack. More than 900 Israelis have been killed as a result of the most devastating assault on Israel since the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
Hamas militants broke through the fences surrounding Gaza on Saturday morning , attacking Israeli soil by land, sea and air, using mechanized hang gliders and motorbikes to storm communities caught completely unaware.
"They came through the streets on pickup trucks with turrets on the back, spraying bullets, everything around them at the civilians walking up and down the street," Maj. Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the IDF in the city of Sderot, which was overwhelmed by Hamas and subsequently liberated, told ABC News' Ian Pannell. "Women with little babies. People dying on the ground."
Hamas fired at least 3,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel, targeting towns and cities in southern Israel.
MORE: Israel-Gaza live updates: IDF says Hamas fighters are 'hiding' in Israeli communities
The majority of the rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, but, what is considered to be a major intelligence failure by the Israeli authorities, saw Hamas storm swathes of territory in Israel's south.
In the skies above the Supernova Festival, taking place near the kibbutz of Re'im -- approximately 3 miles from the Gaza border -- those rockets were the first sign of what was to come.
At least 260 people were killed there, according to the Israeli authorities, with video emerging of Israelis fleeing on foot across the desert and some being kidnapped and taken back to Gaza.
One of the attendees, Noam Manket, said that those who tried to flee in their cars were shot by Hamas gunmen. She fled on foot and is yet to hear from some of her closest friends who attended the festival with her.
"You just keep running because you realize that if you don't keep running, then you don't go back home," she told ABC News.
More than 100 Israeli citizens and soldiers are believed to have been taken hostage in Gaza. In a statement, Hamas has threatened to execute the hostages if the devastating bombardment of the Gaza strip, launched in response to the surprise attack. President Biden said Monday at least 11 Americans are among those killed, and more may have been kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza.
Many families learned that their family members had been kidnapped after identifying them from videos shared on social media.
One of those taken was Karina Ashaev. Her sister, Sasha, described what it was like when she first saw her in a video online, bound and covered in blood as she was driven away on a motorbike.
"At first I saw this and didn't think it was her. I just swiped next," Sasha told ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman. "Her whole face was in blood, she was screaming. We recognized her by her nose, her brows, her chest. And then we know it was her."
MORE: Did Iran direct the Hamas attacks on Israel? Both US and Israel say no hard evidence
Uriel Bohbot, whose brother Elkana was also captured, can also only wait to hear for news.
"I can see that he's afraid he's so scared ... hopefully, he's gonna be alive," he told ABC News. "I don't know if he will die or live."
In the kibbutz of Be'eri, one of the largest in Israel, 108 bodies were discovered on Monday in the aftermath of the surprise Hamas attack. On the ground, the bodies of Israeli citizens littered the area, but more horrifying stories are expected to emerge as the authorities continue their recovery operations.
Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The Palestinian authorities report at least 687 people, including 140 children and 105 women, have been killed so far in the strikes. The IDF said on Monday they had hit over 1,500 military targets.
The death toll is expected to climb.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- You can finally pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and save up to $250 via trade-in
- Drake scores Tupac's custom crown ring for $1M at auction: 'Slice of hip-hop history'
- In 'Family Lore,' award-winning YA author Elizabeth Acevedo turns to adult readers
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Record heat waves illuminate plight of poorest Americans who suffer without air conditioning
- Blue blood from horseshoe crabs is valuable for medicine, but a declining bird needs them for food
- As these farmworkers' children seek a different future, who will pick the crops?
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Horoscopes Today, July 28, 2023
Ranking
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Joe Biden finally acknowledged his granddaughter. Many know the pain of a family fracture.
- Dr. Paul Nassif Says Housewives Led to the Demise Of His Marriage to Adrienne Maloof
- 8 dogs going to Indiana K-9 facility die from extreme heat after driver’s AC unit fails
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Back-to-school 2023 sales tax holidays: See which 17 states offer them.
- After cop car hit by train with woman inside, judge says officer took 'unjustifiable risk'
- In broiling cities like New Orleans, the health system faces off against heat stroke
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
Why it's so important to figure out when a vital Atlantic Ocean current might collapse
Tornado damage to Pfizer factory highlights vulnerabilities of drug supply
Pregnancy after 40 and factors you should weigh when making the decision: 5 Things podcast
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
Dehydration can be exacerbated by heat waves—here's how to stay hydrated
Peanuts for infants, poopy beaches and summer pet safety in our news roundup
Erratic winds challenge firefighters battling two major California blazes