Israel Latest: Scores of Civilians, Soldiers Kidnapped by Hamas

(Bloomberg) -- Israel is “at war,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, after militants from the Gaza Strip fired over 3,000 missiles and infiltrated southern parts of the country early Saturday. The surprise attack — not yet under control as of early Sunday — killed at least 200 Israelis, while at least 230 Palestinians died in fighting and reprisal strikes by the Israeli military.

The operation by militant group Hamas — which included taking scores of Israeli hostages — was an unprecedented incursion into Israel and a consequential failure of the nation’s intelligence operations. The Israel embassy in the US said 100 civilians and soldiers have been kidnapped.

Netanyahu, in a call with Joe Biden, said Israel is preparing for a long conflict. The US president condemned Hamas and said America’s “support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.” 

All timestamps Israel.

IDF Strikes Lebanon (7:25 a.m.)

The Israeli Defence Forces said it’s carrying out artillery strikes in an area in Lebanon from where a shooting took place.

Al Jazeera said explosions were heard in the Shebaa Farms area, land claimed by both Lebanon and Syria that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.

China Says Two-State Solution Needed to Resolve Conflict (5:40 a.m)

China called for an immediate ceasefire to prevent a further deterioration of the situation, according to a foreign ministry statement. It reiterated a call for a “two-state solution” and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

“The recurring conflicts between Palestine and Israel fully demonstrate that the long-term stagnation of the peace process is unsustainable,” it said. “The international community should increase its se...
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