Hamas has said it has abducted soldiers and civilians, including an Israeli mother and her children, and taken them back into the Gaza Strip.
Footage has emerged allegedly showing an Israeli mother and her children being kidnapped. Another posted to the Hamas Telegram channel claimed to show a wounded IDF soldier being taken back to Gaza and beaten by passers-by.
Screengrab of the video alleged to show an abduction of an IDF soldier
The terror group also published a video showing it dropping a bomb from a drone on a military ambulance near the Gaza border, wounding Israeli troops. A fourth video shows a young Israeli woman getting pushed into a truck by Hamas terrorists.
It comes as the terror group has fired thousands of rockets at Israel's south and centre and dispatched dozens of terrorists into communities located along the Gaza border, killing at least six Israelis.
More than 270 Israelis were being treated at hospitals across the country on Saturday morning, including 150 at Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheva and 94 at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. People were asked to donate blood, especially those with Type O universal donor blood.
As of 11:30am, Hamas terrorists were in full control of at least three Israeli communities. There were unconfirmed reports of massacres in several places.
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said there were 21 “active scenes” across southern Israel.
There were reports of terrorists penetrating the country's borders by air using hang-gliders and others doing so by sea.
Ofir Liebstein, the head of the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, was killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
The rocket fire began a few minutes before 7am, a day after Israel marked the 50th anniversary of the surprise Egyptian and Syrian attack that started the Yom Kippur War.
Rocket alert sirens were activated as far south as Arad and Dimona as well as in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Direct hits were reported on several buildings in Tel Aviv and Ashkelon.
Hamas terrorists penetrated several Israeli communities, with footage circulating online showing Palestinians driving vehicles and opening fire on civilians in the city of Sderot.
In response, the IDF engaged the invading terrorists and dozens of fighter jets carried out air strikes on Hamas assets in Gaza.
(With additional reporting from jns.org)
