Current:Home > InvestHorrors emerge from Hamas infiltration of Israel on Gaza border-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Horrors emerge from Hamas infiltration of Israel on Gaza border
View Date:2025-01-11 15:06:50
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! (97789)
Related
- Barbora Krejcikova calls out 'unprofessional' remarks about her appearance
- Bill Belichick expects to meet with Patriots owner Robert Kraft after worst season of career
- South Dakota State repeats as FCS champs with 29th consecutive win
- Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James Unexpectedly Twin at the Golden Globes
- Burt Bacharach, composer of classic songs, will have papers donated to Library of Congress
- Runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport reopens a week after fatal collision
- What Jennifer Lawrence Really Mouthed to the Camera During Her Golden Globes Category
- Golden Globes 2024: Will Ferrell Reveals If He’d Sign On For a Ken-Centric Barbie Sequel
- ‘COP Fatigue’: Experts Warn That Size and Spectacle of Global Climate Summit Is Hindering Progress
- Glen Powell Reacts After Being Mistaken for Justin Hartley at 2024 Golden Globes
Ranking
- Judge moves to slash $38 million verdict in New Hampshire youth center abuse case
- Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner share passionate smooch at the Golden Globe Awards
- Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Date Night at Golden Globes 2024 Will Have You on the Floor
- Margot Robbie Shares How Her Girlfriends Feel About Her Onscreen Kisses With Hollywood's Hottest Men
- Stock market today: Asian shares meander, tracking Wall Street’s mixed finish as dollar surges
- South Dakota lawmakers see alignment with Noem as session begins
- China intelligence agency says it has detained individual accused of collecting secrets for Britain
- Bangladesh’s democracy faces strain as Hasina is reelected amid a boycott by opposition parties
Recommendation
-
Ford agrees to pay up to $165 million penalty to US government for moving too slowly on recalls
-
A chaotic Golden Globes night had a bit of everything: The silly, the serious, and Taylor Swift, too
-
Barack Obama and John Mulaney are among the winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
-
How to keep your pipes from freezing when temperatures dip below zero
-
Former West Virginia jail officer pleads guilty to civil rights violation in fatal assault on inmate
-
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Are the Ultimate BFF Duo at the 2024 Golden Globes
-
Colman Domingo Reacts to Rumor He's Replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
-
‘Soldiers of Christ’ killing unsettles Korean Americans in Georgia and stokes fear of cults