On Sunday, Israel’s military pummelled the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians, a day after a surprise onslaught by the Hamas organization murdered over 600 Israelis, the worst attack on Israeli land in decades.
A day after Hamas fired hundreds of missiles into Israel and dispatched a wave of fighters who killed down civilians and abducted at least 100 hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the country to brace itself for a “long and difficult” conflict.
On Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, Hamas began a multi-pronged onslaught, showering down at least 3,000 missiles. At the same time, fighters penetrated cities and kibbutz settlements and stormed an outdoor party, killing several attendees.
Panicky Israelis sheltering in their houses informed reporters that militants were going door to door and killing or taking victims away.
As an NDTV crew traveled to Ashkelon, a seaside city a few miles from Gaza, the blockaded strip where Israel is conducting an all-out war against Palestinian organizations, the sky was ablaze with missile trajectories.
As the journalists witnessed, several highways were obstructed, causing traffic bottlenecks, providing a real-time description of the situation in Israel.
Before they could check in late at night, a rocket burst near their hotel, forcing them to take cover in the basement.
Oil prices rose more than 4% on Monday after Hamas launched an attack on Israel over the weekend, raising fears of supply disruptions from the crude-rich region. In early Asian trading, Brent rose 4.7 percent to $86.65, while West Texas Intermediate rose 4.5 percent to $88.39.
The unexpected strike and Israel’s declaration of war in retaliation have killed over 1,000 people and fueled fears that the battle may spread to include the United States and Iran.
