**Live Updates** Hamas Launches Unprecedented Terror Attack on Israel

Fire and smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
AP Photo/Fatima Shbair
Joshua Caplan

The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented terror attack on Israel, which has included the firing of thousands of rockets onto the Israel and the infiltration of Israeli territory by land, air, and sea. Responding to the surprise attack Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the nation is “at war” and the terrorists “will pay a price it has never known before.” Thus far, the attacks in Israel have reportedly left over 700 people dead and 2,315 wounded. Hamas claims it has captured Israel Defense Force soldiers and civilians during its assault on Israeli border towns outside Gaza. Israel’s military response –“Operation Sword of Iron”– has led to the deaths of 198 Palestinians and 1,864 people injured. The attack occurred on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the annual High Holy Day cycle.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates. All times eastern.

6:17 P.M. — We have some Blue on Blue action. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) rips far-left Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) for their “reprehensible and repulsive” statements regarding Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

“U.S. aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need,” Torres tells Jewish Insider. “Congress must act decisively to provide Israel with whatever it needs to defend itself in the face of unprecedented terrorism.”

“Shame on anyone who glorifies as ‘resistance’ the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive,” the lawmaker adds.

6:02 P.M. — Sen. Marsha Blackburn writes Biden: Give Israel everything it needs immediately to defend itself from terrorists. 

5:49 P.M. — A big get by Israeli forces: 

5:30 P.M. — Israel’s Health Ministry says number of injured in Israel rises to 2,315.

5:00 P.M. — The United Arab Emirates issues a statement, says Hamas attacks “against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centers, are a serious and grave escalation.”

The country also says it’s “appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes.”

The statement also says the country “mourns the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives.”

4:50 P.M. — Iran helped plan and gave the final sign-off to Hamas to launch the terror attack on Israel, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued the “final go-ahead” last Monday in Lebanon, the newspaper says.

Read the full report here.

3:46 P.M. — Far-left “Squad” member Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) issues a statement, attacking what she falsely describes as the  “violent reality” of so-called Israeli “apartheid” in the wake of Hamas’s terror attack on Israel. 

“I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day. I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity,” Tlaib says.

“The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance,” the Michigan Democrat continues.

“The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence. We cannot ignore the humanity in each other,” she adds. “As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”

3:46 P.M. — Jerusalem-born actress Natalie Portman issues a statement on Hamas’s terror attack against Israel.

“My heart is shattered for the people of Israel,” the Oscar-winning actress writes on social media. “Children, women and the elderly have been murdered and abducted from their own homes. I am in horror at these barbaric acts and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.”

3:41 P.M. — The leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims the terror group has over 30 Israeli hostages in Gaza.

“The soldiers and settlers that we are holding as prisoners of war in Gaza are in the dozens and more. In fact, I can say that they far exceed this number. Islamic Jihad has more than 30 enemy prisoners so far,” Ziyad Nakhaleh states.

2:58 P.M. — Pro-Palestinian demonstrations are currently happening outside the White House.  

2:48 P.M. — Biden is directing U.S. warships and fighter jets to shift towards to Israel following Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

Via the Associated Press: 

The Pentagon said it was sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying warships to the eastern Mediterranean, while boosting fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

The United States, a major supplier of arms to Israel, has moved quickly to affirm its backing for Israel after Saturday’s surprise attack from the Gaza Strip, vowing “rock solid” support and warning other parties to stay out of the conflict.

2:14 P.M. — Residents of the Southern Israel city of Sderot are being ordered to stay inside amid suspected infiltration by terrorists.

“Due to the fear of terrorists infiltrating Sderot, [residents] should continue to lock themselves in their homes and stay near protected spaces, and not go out for any purpose. Please lock doors and windows and continue to obey instructions,” the city says in a statement.

2:10 P.M. — Fatah, the so-called “moderate” political group that governs the Palestinian Authority, wants an expansion of the war against Israel after Hamas launched a terror attack against the Jewish state.

Read Breitbart News’s report on the development here.

2:04 P.M. — New York City’s Times Square is flooded with hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters showing support for Hamas’s terror assault on Israel. Some demonstrators, holding Palestinian flags, are chanting slogans such as “Resistance is justified” and “Globalize the intifada.”

1:57 P.M. — Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tells Fox News that the time has come to “eradicate” Hamas.

“This is one of the hardest days in Israel’s history, and it’s very tough for all Israelis to see this invasion of southern Israel by Hamas terrorists,” Bennett says. “And these terrorists are targeting explicitly women, children, girls.”

1:40 P.M. — The latest from the Times of Israel on U.S. aid to Israel: 

US President Joe Biden tells Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that additional US aid to the IDF “is now on its way to Israel with more to follow over the coming days,” according to a White House readout on the second call between the two leaders in as many days.

The White House also says: “President Biden updated the prime minister on the intensive diplomatic engagement undertaken by the United States over the last 24 hours in support of Israel. The two leaders committed to stay in regular contact over the coming days.”

1:36 P.M. — The death toll in connection to Hamas’s terror attack on Israel passes 700 people. Over 2,200 people have been wounded. 

1:24 P.M. — Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses the nation, calling for all citizens to unite in the face of the terror attack by Hamas.

“Let us keep this spirit of heroism and this togetherness. It is our most powerful weapon,” Herzog says.

Israel’s president brands the massacre an “unforgivable sin — a sin that is led not only by a murderous terrorist organization, but by an evil axis whose base is in Iran, whose proxies work tirelessly to undermine us.”

Herzog then assures the military will win the war.
12:57 P.M. — More (unconfirmed) details about possible U.S. military aid to Israel is coming to light.

NBC News reports:

The US military is planning to move US Navy ships and US military aircraft closer to Israel as a show of support, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the planning.

The movements could start immediately but all the assets will not be in place for several days (specifically the ships).

12:50 P.M. — 

12:49 P.M. — Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer tells CNN that Israel’s death toll, which has passed 600 people, is likely to jump in the coming hours.

“We are well north of 600 people who have been killed. There will probably be more — hundreds, several hundred more,” the Israeli official says.

12:44 P.M. —  In a brief and vague White House statement, it is announced that Biden has directed “additional support” to Israel as it battles against and “unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas.”

12:42 P.M. —  

12:36 P.M. — Ambassador of Israel to the United States Michael Herzog tells CBS News that American citizens are among the hostages captured by Hamas, but is short on details. 

11:59 A.M. — Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer tells CNN that American citizens are among the “scores” of hostages in Gaza.

11:47 A.M. — A gut-wrenching interview with Yaakov Argamani, the father of Noa Argamani, who was kidnapped from a music festival in Southern Israel, is making the rounds.

“I tried to contact her from the second we heard the [rocket] sirens,” the elder Argamani tells Channel 12, per Times of Israel.

“I went to one of the offices and was informed that she was not injured. While on the phone, her roommate contacted us, and said that there was a video of her on a motorcycle and she was kidnapped and taken to Gaza,” the emotional father continues.

“I asked to see and then I saw that it was definitely her. She was so scared, so frightened. I always protected her, and at this very moment I couldn’t,” he adds. “I pray that everyone will return.”

11:40 A.M. — Israel says its forces have struck 800 targets in Gaza and has killed “hundreds of fighters,” the Guardian reports.

11:32 A.M. — Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Maj. Doron Spielman tells CNN that the Jewish state will not rest until every hostage is released from Hamas.

“We have men, women, children and grandmothers sitting in Gaza in some basement,” Spielman says. “What I can tell you is that we’re not going to stop until we exhaust every means possible of (getting them back). We will not leave any person behind, and we will do anything to make that happen.”

11:28 A.M. — Biden and Netanyahu hold another phone call in which the U.S. president reaffirmed America’s support for the Jewish state. 

11:20 A.M. — Amnesty International pushes a both sides description regarding Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

“We are deeply alarmed by the mounting civilian death tolls in Gaza, Israel and the occupied West Bank and urgently call on all parties to the conflict to abide by international law and make every effort to avoid further civilian bloodshed. Under international humanitarian law all sides in a conflict have a clear obligation to protect the lives of civilians caught up in the hostilities,”  Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard says.

“Deliberately targeting civilians, carrying out disproportionate attacks, and indiscriminate attacks which kill or injure civilians are war crimes. Israel has a horrific track record of committing war crimes with impunity in previous wars on Gaza. Palestinian armed groups from Gaza, must refrain from targeting civilians and using indiscriminate weapons, as they have done in the past, and most intensively in this event, acts amounting to war crimes,” Callamard adds.

11:09 A.M. — Ugly scenes out of Canada. 

11:00 A.M. — To put Hamas’s terror attack on Israel into perspective: 

10:17 A.M. — Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi holds calls with the heads of Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups as the Islamic regime declares a so-called “great victory” over Israel.

“Raisi discussed the developments in Palestine in separate phone calls with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, secretary general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the [Hamas] political bureau,” IRNA reports.

10:13 A.M. — Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggests to CNN that the U.S. may grant additional aid to Israel in the coming hours.

“We’re looking at specific additional requests that the Israelis have made. I think you’re likely to hear more about that later today,” the Biden official tells the news network.

10:09 A.M. — The European Union is flying Israeli flag in Brussels.

“Today, the Israeli flag flies high in front of our headquarters in Brussels. Hamas terrorists have struck at the heart of Israel capturing and killing innocent women and children. We deeply mourn the victims of these devastating attacks,” the bloc wrote on social media.

9:42 A.M. — Ladies and gentlemen, the New York Times is at it again: 

9:28 A.M. — Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells CNN that it has reports stating multiple Americans were “killed” during Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

“We are working overtime to verify that,” the Biden official says, adding that, “There are reports of missing Americans.”

8:28 A.M. — Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Israel are not commenting on the number of American citizens killed and wounded in Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and have no further details,” a spokesperson tells the Times of Israel.

8:15 A.M. — The death toll in connection to Hamas’s terror attack on Israel hits 600 people, according to the Jerusalem Post. 

8:09 A.M. — Israel’s security cabinet votes to officially declare war on Hamas, says it can undertake “significant military activities.”

Breitbart News notes:

The last official “war” was the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Israel was taken by surprise in an attack by Egypt and Syria. Though Israel has fought several conflicts since then, many of which are popularly referred to as “wars,” the country has not officially declared war in half a century.

7:35 A.M. — The latest death toll out of Israel:

7:25 A.M. — Israeli Air Force releases footage of its aerial strike on three military headquarters connected to terror groups in Gaza. 

The IAF says in a statement:

“Military headquarters belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization used for directing terror were struck, as well as military headquarters belonging to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization that were used during recent operations. In addition, military headquarters belonging to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization that were used by the terrorist organization’s rocket forces were struck. The IDF is continuing to strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip.”

7:09 A.M. —  The death toll in connection to Hamas’s terror attack on Israel hits 400 people, according to local media. Additionally, 2,048 people have been injured, the country’s Health Ministry states. 

5:56 A.M. — An Egyptian policeman reportedly shoots dead two Israeli tourists and one Egyptian in Alexandria on Sunday morning, according to Egypt’s Interior Ministry.

Breitbart News reports:

AP reports local outlet Extra News television channel, which has close ties to Egyptian security agencies, quoted an unidentified security official as saying that another person was wounded in the shooting attack, which took place at the Pompey’s Pillar site in Alexandria.

It says the suspected assailant was detained.

4:01 A.M. —Israel Defense Forces announces its troops killed over 400 terrorists in Israel and Gaza since Hamas launched its terror attack on the Jewish state.

3:01 A.M. — Israel Defense Forces releases footage of its strike on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon after the terror organization fires mortar shells into Israel. 

“As of this hour, there are forces fighting in [Kibbutz] Kfar Aza, there are searches in a large number of towns. There are IDF forces in all towns, there is no town that does not have an IDF force in it,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says during a press briefing.

2:11 A.M. — IDF announces it hit the residence of the chief of Hamas’s intelligence in the Gaza. 

2:06 A.M. — Cyber attacks take down Jerusalem Post’s website. 

1:22 A.M. — The Israel Defense Forces announces it is striking targets in Lebanon after multiple mortar shells were launched into the Jewish state.

The shells landed on the Mount Dov area near the Lebanon border, the Times of Israel notes.

“The IDF has been taking preparational measures for this type of possibility and will continue to operate in all regions and at any time necessary to ensure the safety of the Israeli civilians,” the IDF states.

It is unclear if any injures occurred.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia terror organization, is claiming responsibility for the attack.

“We targeted with missiles the radar sites, Zibdin and Ruwaisat Al-Alam,” Hezbollah says in a statement, according to Al Arabiya.

The IDF confirms it conducted a drone strike on “Hezbollah infrastructure” in response to the attack.

1:00 A.M. —Israel’s Health Ministry says 1,864 people have been injured and hospitalized over Hamas’s terror attack on the Jewish state.

9:40 P.M. — A Hamas spokesperson, Ghazi Hamad, says in a statement to BBC that the terror organization had direct backing from Iran for its deadly assault on Israel.

9:00 P.M. — Fresh reporting from Breitbart News’s Senior Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak on Hamas’s terror attack on Israel:

Palestinian terrorists seized dozens of Israeli civilian hostages on Saturday, holding some in Israel and dragging at least 50, including women and children, to Gaza.

The images and videos of women — and the corpses of women — being abused by Palestinian gunmen caused shock and anguish throughout Israel.

Most of these are too graphic to publish, and some cannot yet be confirmed. Some have been published by news wire agencies, with the identities of the victims concealed, as in the photo below.

Palestinians kidnap Israeli woman (AFP via Getty)

Palestinian militants transport a reportedly captured Israeli woman by motorcycle, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. Palestinian militants had begun a “war” against Israel which they infiltrated by air, sea and land from the blockaded Gaza Strip on October 7, Israeli officials said, a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Read the full report here.

8:17 P.M. — https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1710811251549360333?s=20

8:05 P.M. — Speaking to Fox News, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan says the Hamas attack on Israel “is our 9/11.”

“[F]or many years we lived side-by-side with Gaza. We believe that it’s possible, even though, and I hope your viewers know that Hamas is a genocidal, jihadist, Islamist organization that is fully committed only to the annihilation of the State of Israel. They don’t want to compromise,” Erdan says. “They don’t want a dialogue. They don’t want to see the existence of the Jewish state. So, when we evacuated, when we withdrew from Gaza 17, 18 years ago, they took power. And since then, they use[d], exploit[ed] every square inch in the Gaza Strip. And they turned, basically, the Gaza Strip into a war machine. We cannot allow this situation of Gaza as a war machine to continue.”

8:00 P.M. — CNN has authenticated a video of a woman who appears to have sustained bodily injuries being dragged out of a jeep and placed into the back by armed militants. BBC reports the footage was filmed near the Gaza city of Sheijia.

The BBC verified also distressing footage:

Another video shows Palestinian militants dragging a lifeless body of what appears to be a soldier out of car. Two men then stamp on the man’s body, cheering and lifting their guns up into the air. A crowd of men subsequently swarm the body.

Breitbart News has chosen not to publish the videos due to their graphic nature.

7:52 P.M. — In an interview with CNN, IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus highlights the seriousness of the amount of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. 

“It is unprecedented in our history that we have so many Israeli nationals in the hands of a terrorist organization,” Conricus says. “These are numbers that we have never, ever seen before and these are, they’re unprecedented, and they will force an unprecedented response from Israel.”

7:41 P.M. — Israel’s security cabinet will take a series of measures “aimed at bringing about the destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” the Prime Minister’s Office says, according to the Times of Israel.

The IDF will remove “their ability and desire to threaten and harm the citizens of Israel for many years,” the Office said.

7:35 P.M. — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) weighs in on Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, says: “The U.S. must provide Israel with every resource necessary to cripple Hamas.”

7:15 P.M. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues another statement, saying the Jewish state is “embarking on a long and difficult war.” Such war was “forced upon us by a murderous attack by Hamas,”Netanyahu says.

The IDF’s offensive  “will continue without hesitation and without respite – until the goals are achieved,” the leader adds. “We will restore security to the citizens of Israel and we will win.”

6:54 P.M. — The Biden administration may announce additional “assistance” to Israel in the next 24 hours, CNN reports, citing an anonymous federal official.

“We are in deep discussions with the Israelis about some of their particular needs as they respond to this,” a top official told the news outlet. “[W]e might have more to say about it as early as tomorrow.”

6:45 P.M. — Israeli forces says it neutralized seven Hamas militants who tried breaching the Jewish state’s territory. The brazen attempt was made from Zikim Beach, which is located north of Gaza, the Times of Israel reports.

“Over the past hours, the Israeli Navy identified seven terrorists in the area of Zikim Beach in Israeli territory. In response, IDF naval soldiers and IDF aircraft targeted the terrorists and prevented infiltration into residential areas,” Israeli forces said in a statement.

6:30 P.M. — The Times of Israel is reporting that the family of Noa Argamani is distributing disturbing video showing her abduction in southern Israel, where her and her boyfriend were attending a festival.

The newspaper reports: “The video shows her being taken away on the back of a motorcycle by Hamas terrorists as she screams “don’t kill me” and stretches her arms out to her boyfriend, Avi Natan, who is also being held by Hamas operatives.”

https://twitter.com/HananyaNaftali/status/1710763682219581916?s=20

6:15 P.M. — The hostage situation in Kibbutz Be’eri is said to have been resolved. All hostages have been rescued, while the militants have been “neutralized,” according Times of Israel, citing local media.

5:52 P.M. — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is celebrating Palestinian terrorists attacking Israeli civilians. 

5:20 P.M. — London’s Metropolitan Police says it is aware of a “number of incidents” in connection to Hamas’s terror attack on Israel and will bolster “policing patrols” across the English capital, Sky News reports.

“We remain in contact with partners and community leaders to listen to any concerns,” the police says. “Anyone who experiences threatening behaviour or is worried about their safety is urged to contact police.”

“We will ensure that an appropriate policing plan is in place in order to balance the right to protest against any disruption to Londoners,” the adds.

5:10 P.M. —A top Hamas official warns that the terror organization’s assault is just the beginning.

Via the Times of Israel:

Hussam Badran, a member of the political bureau of Hamas, says the terror group’s onslaught is only in its early stages.

Badran says the attack, called the “Al-Aqsa Deluge” by the terror group, comes after careful preparation aimed at catching Israel by surprise.

5:00 P.M. — The death toll in Hamas’s terror attack on Israel has reached at least 300, according to the Jerusalem Post. Haaretz says at least 1,590 people are wounded. 

Via the Times of Israel:

As of 11:30 p.m., there are 19 in critical condition, 293 in serious condition, 315 in moderate condition, 715 in mild condition, 20 being treated for severe anxiety and 181 still being evaluated by medical officials.

4:20 P.M. — Authorities in France and Germany also stepped up security measures for the Jewish community.  

“In Berlin, police protection has been immediately stepped up,” Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in an interview with Bild. “The federal government and the regions are closely coordinating their actions.”

4:15 P.M. — The state of New York and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) are increasing protection measures for Jewish synagogues, Gov. Kathy Hochul announces.

3:50 P.M. — Israel’s Health Ministry says 1,500 people have been injured in Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

3:45 P.M. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues another statement, saying the degree of Hamas’s terror attack on Israel “has never been seen” in the country. 

“What happened today has never been seen in Israel. We will take mighty vengeance for this black day,” Netanyahu says. 

“I tell Hamas, you are responsible for wellbeing of captives. Israel will settle the score with anyone who harms them,” the prime minister adds. 

3:30 P.M. — Local Israeli media reports the death toll has risen to 250 in Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, while 1,450 have been wounded. The number of casualties is expected to grow.

2:50 P.M. — President Joe Biden delivers a statement on Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, says the United States “stands with the State of Israel.”

“We will make sure that they have the help their citizens need, and they can continue to defend themselves,” the president says. “There is never justification for terrorist attacks.”

2:30 P.M. — The New York Post reports that Israelis are begging the country’s forces to rescue them from Hamas terrorists.

Civilians said they were being held captive by terrorists in their homes and begged the army to send forces to the southern kibbutzim of Nir Oz and Nir Am, along with other communities along the border with the Gaza Strip.

“We are being slaughtered. There is no army. It has been 6 hours,” one  kibbutz resident said. “People are begging for their lives.”

“My sister said militants entered her home,” in the southern Kibbutz of Nir Oz, a Tel Aviv resident named Gaia told Haaretz. “I’m unable to reach her.”

2:15 P.M. — Israel’s National Security Council is warning Israelis living abroad to be on the lookout for potential attacks as Hamas continues its deadly assault on Israel.

2:05 P.M. — Hamas has kidnapped an “elderly women with dementia” during its terror attack on Israel, Sky News, citing Israel television, reports. 

Click here to see a photo of the abduction. 

2:00 P.M. — President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks on the Hamas terror attack on Israel at 2:30 P.M. EST.

1:55 P.M. — Hamas terrorists are once again claiming that the armed wing of Hamas– the Izzedine al Qassam Brigades–has captured numerous Israelis, CNN says.

“We bring good news to our (Palestinian) prisoners and our people that the al Qassam Brigades have dozens of captured (Israeli) officers and soldiers in their hands,” a spokesperson for the group writes in a Telegram post.

“They have been secured in safe places and resistance tunnels,” the spokesperson adds.

1:50 P.M. — An unspecified number of rockets fired by terrorists in Gaza have hit Tel Aviv, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue service announces.

“Following the red alert sirens in the last few minutes, Magen David Adom teams are conducting searches in the areas where rocket hits have been reported,” the organization says, CNN reports.

The number of causalities in the attack is unknown.

1:40 P.M. — The death toll in Israel is rising quickly, according to local reports. 

Via Times of Israel: 

The death toll from the Hamas terror group’s massive attack on Israel rises to more than 200, Hebrew-language media reports say.

The toll is expected to rise higher.

At least 1,100 have been wounded, many seriously.

1:30 P.M. — The latest death toll in Israel hits 150 amid Hamas’s terror attack on the country, according to local media, and 1,104 people have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry.

1:20 P.M. —A former Israel Defense Forces international spokesperson says Hamas’s terror attack on Israel is a “Pearl Harbor type of moment” for the Jewish state.

“The entire system failed. It’s not just one component. It’s the entire defense architecture that evidently failed to provide the necessary defense for Israeli civilians,” Jonathan Conricus said, according to CNN. “This is a Pearl Harbor type of moment for Israel, where there was reality up until today, and then there will be reality after today.”

1:10 P.M. — Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is in Iowa campaigning for president, declares, “America stands with Israel.”

“This is what happens when you have a president like Joe Biden who spends the last two and a half years projecting weakness on the world stage,” Pence says, according to the Des Moines Register.

1:05 P.M. —  Sirens and multiple “loud booms” are ringing out in Tel Aviv, according to CNN. It’s unclear if the booms are rockets.

1:02 P.M. — Biden’s State Department makes a social media blunder. More details to come. 

12:30 P.M. — CNN reports that it has authenticated multiple videos appearing to show Hamas terrorists holding Israelis soldiers and civilians hostage.

The news outlet reports:

In one of the videos, geolocated by CNN to the neighborhood of Shejaiya in Gaza, a barefoot woman is pulled from the trunk of a Jeep by a gunman and then forced into the backseat of the car. Her face is bleeding, and her wrists appear to be cable-tied behind her back. The jeep also appears to have an Israel Defense Forces license plate, suggesting it may have been stolen and brought into Gaza.

Another video, which appears to show Hamas militants taking multiple Israelis captive, was geolocated by CNN to Be’eri in southern Israel, which is a village close to Gaza.

12:15 P.M. — EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemns Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, saying that the Jewish state has the right to defend itself.  

The bloc “stands in solidarity with Israel which has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks,” Borrell says. 

12:01 P.M. — A top Hamas official claims the terror organization is prepared for the “worst-case scenario” as Israeli forces respond to the ongoing terror attack launched from Gaza.

“We are ready for the worst-case scenario, including a ground invasion, which will be the best for us to decide the ending of this battle,” Saleh al-Arouri says in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, according to CNN.

11:45 A.M. — Florida Governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis issues a statement condemning Hamas’s terror attack on Israel and criticizes President Joe Biden’s policy toward Iran, a key funder of the Palestinian terror organization. 

“Israel is now under attack by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists. Iran has helped fund this war against Israel and Joe Biden’s policies that have gone easy on Iran have helped fill their coffers.” Desantis wrote on social media. “We are going to stand with Israel as they root out Hamas and we need to stand up to Iran.”

The Biden administration is said to have recently greenlit an agreement with Iran to pay the terror-supporting regime $6 billion in exchange for five detained U.S. citizens.

Breitbart News previously reported:

The deal, according to the Associated Press (AP), entailed the Biden administration issuing a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without U.S. sanctions. The money would then be held in Qatar’s central bank for Iran to use, reportedly for the purchase of humanitarian goods.

In addition, the Biden administration agreed to release five Iranian citizens held in the U.S.

According to the AP, Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the deal late last week, but Congress was not notified of the deal until Monday, which was also 9/11, the 22nd anniversary of the U.S. suffering terrorist attacks by Islamic fundamentalists.

The deal appears to go against the U.S. policy of not paying countries to release American prisoners so as not to incentivize the behavior.

11:40 A.M. — Yahya Rahim Safavi, who serves as a top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, lauds Hamas’s terror attack on Israel. 

“We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,” Safavi says, according to Reuters. “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”

Rockets are launched by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, in Gaza, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

In a separate statement, Iran’s foreign ministry is also lauding the attack.

“Today’s operation marked a new page in the field of resistance and armed operations against the occupiers,” spokesman Nasser Kanani says.

“The resistance has so far achieved brilliant victories during this operation, and this is a bright spot in the history of the Palestinian people’s struggle against the Zionists,” he adds.

11:35 A.M. — Israeli police officers rush to evacuate a woman and a child as rockets rain down on the city of Ashkelon. The photo was captured by Tsafrir Abayov of the Associated Press.  

11:29 A.M. — President Joe Biden issues a statement condemning Hamas’s terror attack on Israel.

“The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel,” Biden says.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and its people,” the president adds. “My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering. My team and I are tracking this situation closely, and I will remain in close touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Biden has acted frostily towards Netanyahu since the Israeli prime minister returned to power in November. They two world leaders finally met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. During the sit-down,  Biden  offered a long-awaited White House visit by the year’s end.

11:25 A.M. —  At least 985 people have been hospitalized in connection with Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, according to the Jewish state’s Health Ministry.

SDEROT, ISRAEL – OCTOBER 07: Firefighters respond after a fire broke out in a building as a result of Palestinian factions firing rockets in response to Israeli airstrikes in Sderot, Israel, on October 07, 2023. Israeli Army Radio says more than 100 Israelis have been killed and about 1,000 others injured in latest escalation with Palestinian groups. (Photo by Saeed Qaq/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

11:19 A.M. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues another statement outlining Israel’s key objectives in its fight against Hamas. 

“Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked,” Netanyahu says. 

“The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well,” the prime minister continues. 

“The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war. We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal – victory in the war,” he added. 

11:07 A.M. — An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson hopes all Hamas terrorists that infiltrated Israel will be neutralized within the next 24 hours.

“We are very much focused on saving forces, where there is ongoing fighting as we speak and handling these terrorists, hopefully by the end of the day there will be no more live terrorists inside Israel,” Richard Hecht tells CNN.

“We are fully deployed and focused on air coverage to see what is happening, we deployed forces to the infiltration points and again we are slowly securing the area and trying to take care of all these people that came in,” Hecht continues.

Hecht also notes that Israel stands ready to defend itself against possible attacks from Lebanon and Syria.

“We are ready in the north [in] case there is some Palestinian faction, in case they decide to come into it we will be ready, something we are looking at and we are ready for it,” he tells the news outlet.

11:02 A.M. — Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, who serves as Israeli military’s top liaison to the Palestinians, says Hamas has “opened the gates of hell” due to its deadly attack.

Fire and smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea, killing dozens and stunning the country. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

”I want to say one thing — Hamas has opened the gates of hell into the Gaza Strip. Hamas made the decision, and Hamas will bear the responsibility and pay for its deeds,” Alian says.

10:57 A.M. — President Joe Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday, according to CNN.  The Israeli government released a statement revealing that Biden phoned Netanyahu and affirmed his support for the Jewish state in the face of the unprecedented terror attack.

The statement reads: “US President Joe Biden called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasized that the US stands by Israel and fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself. The Prime Minister thanked the US President for his unreserved support and made it clear that a prolonged and powerful campaign would be required in which Israel would win.”

10:46 A.M. — Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirms that terror attacks are still ongoing in 22 locations. Hostage situations are unfolding in Kibbutz Be’eri and the city of Ofakim. Additionally, heavy gun fire between Israel troops and Hamas terrorists has led to multiple injuries, according to the Times of Israel via Channel 12.

10:44 A.M. —Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin says the U.S. will ensure that Israel has the tools to defend itself against Hamas.

“Over the coming days the department of defence will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism,” Austin stated.

10:38 A.M. — Hamas has taken a number of Israelis as hostages to the Gaza Strip, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces confirms. The spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, also confirms that Israeli Defense Force soldiers have been killed in the terror attack.

Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah)

“There are hostages and prisoners of war that Hamas took. There are also deaths among IDF soldiers. We don’t have an exact number yet – we are at war,” Hagari says.

10:00 A.M. — Former President Donald Trump issues a statement on Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, describing the deadly assault as a “disgrace” and suggests U.S. taxpayer dollars helped contribute to the shocking events.

“Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration,” Trump said.

“We brought so much peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, only to see Biden whittle it away at a far more rapid pace than anyone thought possible. Here we go again,” the former president continued.

Israel “has every right to defend itself with overwhelming force,” he added.

 

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