Several hours after the invasion began, Hamas militants were still fighting gunbattles inside several Israeli communities in a surprising show of strength that shook the country.
The military declined to give details about casualties or kidnappings as it continued to battle the infiltrators.
“We are at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address, declaring a mass army mobilization.
It said its forces were engaged in gunfights with Hamas militants who had infiltrated Israel in at least seven locations.
It was not immediately clear what prompted Hamas to launch the attacks, which would have likely required months of planning.
“With rockets we somehow feel safer, knowing that we have the Iron Dome (missile defense system) and our safe rooms.
The tensions have also spread to Gaza, where Hamas-linked activists held violent demonstrations along the Israeli border in recent weeks. »
