Israel Declares 'State Of War' As Hamas Terrorists Fire Over 5,000 Rockets, Infiltrate Israeli Territory

Israel has announced a "state of war" following a rocket attack by the Hamas terrorists from the blockaded Gaza strip.

Hamas militants in Palestine claimed that this was only their 'first strike'.

According to the reports, more than 5,000 rockets were launched towards Israel on a festive holiday morning as loud sirens blared across the country.

The Israeli defense forces have also raised concerns about an alleged infiltration by Hamas terrorists.

Visuals from Israel reportedly showed that paragliders were used in the attack.

rime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has stated that he will soon convene a meeting with security chiefs to address the situation.

The Israeli government has asserted that Hamas will pay heavy price for its actions.

This recent outbreak of violence represents a significant escalation in geopolitics in recent years following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

"A number of terrorists have infiltrated into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Residents in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip have been asked to stay in their homes," Israel Defence Forces said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sirens are blazing in the holy city of Jerusalem and across Israel as multiple points of impact have been reported across the country.

The armed wing of Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, declared that it has launched "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" and claimed to have fired over 5,000 rockets in the initial 20-minute strike.

"We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel), their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over," the terrorist group said.

Emergency services reported that an elderly Israeli woman was killed and 15 others were injured in the rocket attacks.

The Israeli government has advised civilians to stay close to shelters and for those near the Gaza strip to remain at home.

"On Shabbat and the holiday of Simchat Torah - non-stop rocket sirens are sounding across Israel, including Jerusalem. Israel is under terrorist infiltration carried out by the Hamas terrorist organization. We will do everything to protect ourselves," said the Israeli government.