Israel’s defence minister declared that the Hamas militant group has started a war against Israel and promised that “Israel will win.”
Following a security cabinet meeting at Israel’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant cautioned that Hamas “made a grave mistake” in launching barrages of missiles into southern and central Israel in its surprise morning onslaught.
In one of the most dangerous incidents in recent years between Israel and the Islamist group that administers Gaza, Hamas fighters jumped the border fence numerous times and invaded Israeli towns.
“The state of Israel will win this war,” Gallant said.
Palestinian militants in Gaza launched an unprecedented infiltration into southern Israel on Saturday, moving fighters across the border and firing thousands of rockets into the country as the ruling Islamist militant group announced the start of a new campaign.
In response, the Israeli military declared a state of war and began hitting targets in Gaza, laying the stage for a fresh round of severe conflict between the bitter adversaries. Salvos of rockets fired from Gaza triggered persistent air raid sirens as far north as Jerusalem.
