The surprise attack by Hamas that caught Israel unaware on the morning of Oct 7, 2023, has left at least 700 Israelis and over 400 Palestinians dead. There are reports of women and children dying on both sides.
Thousands are left injured.
Fifty years after the Yom-Kippur War (1973), Israel is at War for the first time, currently fighting Hamas in areas close to the Gaza Strip.
Over 100,000 reserve troops have been called back to duty, and a ground offensive into Gaza is not being ruled out.
Meanwhile, Israel has also cut off the power supply to Gaza, which could leave the Palestinian city dark in a matter of days.
The United States, a close ally of Israel, moved the Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the Mediterranean.
How the War unfolded
Hundreds of Hamas militants stormed out of the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on Saturday morning, even as thousands of rockets were fired into Israel. Calling the attacks “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” the militants killed scores of Israelis at sight and kidnapped several. Multiple nations have said that their citizens were among those dead.
The militants had even used paragliders to enter Israeli territory.
Following the terror attacks, Israel formally declared War.