Hamas's deadline expires: Ashkelon under bombardment
The decades-long tension between Israelis and Palestinians has flared up in its most severe form with the attack launched by Hamas on Saturday.
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The surprise attack launched by the Palestinian group Hamas against Israel on October 7 continues into its third day as both sides escalate the intensity of the conflict.
The military wing of Hamas, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida, meanwhile, issued a call to the residents of the city of Ashkelon. Abu Obeida had warned Ashkelon residents to leave the area by 17:00.
As of 17:00, Hamas began an attack on the city of Ashkelon by the Al-Qassam Brigades. Rockets were fired one after another from Gaza toward Ashkelon. The Israel Defense Forces state that rocket sirens were sounding in Tel Aviv and the rest of the country while Hamas was warning people to leave the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. The vast majority of the rockets fired by Palestinian groups from Gaza were destroyed in the air by Israel's "Iron Dome" system.
No statement has been made by Israeli authorities so far.
'OPERATIONS CONTINUE AT BEN GURION AIRPORT'
Meanwhile, following Hamas's announcement today that it had carried out an airstrike on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel issued a denial regarding the statement. It was stated that operations at Ben Gurion Airport are continuing.
In the past few hours, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades had announced that they struck Ben Gurion International Airport with rockets in retaliation for the targeting of civilians in Gaza.
NUMBER OF DEAD AND WOUNDED RISING
The Palestinian Ministry of Health updated the figures for those who lost their lives and were injured in Israel's airstrikes on Gaza in a statement on its Facebook social media account. The statement noted, that the number of deaths in the Gaza Strip has risen to 770, and the number of wounded is approximately 4,000.
The Ministry reported that the number of Palestinians who have died in the West Bank since October 7 is 18, and the number of injured is approximately 100.
According to the Israeli press, the number of Israelis who have died in the attacks launched from Gaza has exceeded 1,000.
FORMATION OF AN 'EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT' ACCEPTED IN ISRAEL
It has been stated that the coalition parties in the Israeli government have agreed to the formation of anemergency government. According to a report by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation KAN, a statement regarding the matter was released by the Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The statement indicated that the coalition parties agreed to the formation of an emergency government and authorized Netanyahu to lead it. The current government consists of Likud, as well as the ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties Shas, United Torah Judaism, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit.
In his address to the nation last night, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had called on the Israeli opposition to form an "emergency national unity government."