Israel's counteroffensive after the Hamas attack. A column of tanks is headed towards Gaza while Prime Minister Netanyahu met with ministers and military leaders and firefights with Hamas are underway near Gaza.

The Government's security cabinet has voted to place the country in a state of war and that "significant military activities" can therefore be undertaken . The passage of the Security Cabinet is necessary under Israeli laws according to which one cannot go to war without a government decision.

The toll increases by the hour: there are hundreds of dead and wounded on both sides.

There are thousands of injured and there are also many hostages and missing persons.

The Israeli army said it had conducted 500 attacks on Gaza and killed 400 militants, while Hamas reported holding hostages in tunnels and having had "Iran's support" in the attack . Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi confirmed this, saying his country "supports the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation."

Hezbollah is also on the field with artillery and guided missile strikes from Lebanon on Israeli positions in the disputed area of Sheeba Farms. And Tel Aviv responds, also hitting Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in retaliation.

In Israel there are still "two sleeper cells" of Hamas ready to go into action if the Israeli military enters the Gaza Strip for a ground operation.

An Israeli woman posted a photo on social media of her 85-year-old grandmother who was taken hostage by Hamas. “This is my grandmother and she was captured and taken to Gaza,” Adva Adar wrote, adding “her name is Yaffa Adar and she is 85 years old.” The lady was in one of the kibbutzim where armed Hamas militiamen arrived.

Operation " Al-Aqsa Flood " began yesterday morning with Mohammad Deif, head of Hamas, who spoke of a "great revolution" .

"We will take revenge on Hamas for this black day" said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech to the nation in which he reiterated that "the army will use all its strength to undermine Hamas, we will strike them everywhere" . "What happened had not been seen in Israel and I will make sure it doesn't happen again." According to the prime minister "it will be a war that will take time, it will be difficult, days of challenges are ahead of us". He then warned Hamas "not to harm a single hair of the hostages in Gaza." "You - he added, addressing them - are part of the chain of heroes of Israel and we are all with you".

POPE FRANCIS – «I am following with apprehension and pain what is happening in Israel, where violence has exploded even more ferociously, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries», said Pope Francis at the Angelus. "Please stop the weapons attacks," he added, "and let us understand that terrorism and war do not lead to any solution, but only to the death of many innocent people." «War is a conflict, it is always a defeat - underlined the Pontiff -. Let us pray for peace in Israel and Palestine."

ATTACK ON TOURISTS – An attack was carried out against a group of Israeli tourists in Alexandria, Egypt. This was reported by Arab media, cited by Haaretz, underlining that two Israeli tourists died. The Israeli Foreign Ministry - the media reports - is verifying the news. The shooter was a police officer in the area of the Aumd al-Sawari sanctuary in the El Manshiyya area. The Egyptian broadcaster Extra News reported this, citing a security source and underlining that in addition to two Israeli tourists, an Egyptian was also killed while another was injured. The policeman was immediately arrested and the injured man was transferred to hospital for treatment.

ITALIAN PARISH PARISH IN A TUNNEL WITH 35 PILGRIMS – «There is a bit of confusion here, we heard the sirens and saw the rockets and anti-aircraft fire. It wasn't pleasant. Now we are at the hotel. We are all well". It is the testimony from Jerusalem of a Venetian parish priest, Don Mirko Dalla Torre, who is currently on a pilgrimage together with 35 faithful from the community of Sernaglia della Battaglia (Treviso). This was reported by the website of L'Azione, the weekly magazine of the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto. «We still managed to visit the Holy Sepulchre. We were at the Western Wall and they sent us into a tunnel twice because Hamas was attacking Jerusalem. There was a possibility that missiles would fall on the temple. We heard some shots and then the guide let us out because it was too dangerous to stay. The Temple Mount cannot be visited. At the Temple there was a large group of kids chanting against Hamas."

(Unioneonline/ss-L)

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