Israeli Death Toll Climbs to Over 600, Declares War For First Time Since 1973

Israeli media on Sunday reported the death toll from Saturday’s deadly attack on the south of the country by Hamas gunmen has climbed to over 600, primarily civilians who were targeted in their homes.

Sky News’s Alistair Bunkall discussed the massive death toll, noting that “It’s an unbelievable figure for Israelis to try and comprehend.”

The victims were shot in and around their homes by gunmen who crossed the Gaza border and targeted civilians, kidnapping over 100, and taking them back to Gaza. Hamas also launched over 5,000 rockets into Israel, hitting several buildings and killing multiple Israelis.

Many of the victims were also from an outdoor concert in the desert where revelers were sent running as gunfire erupted. Many of those victims’ bodies were only recovered on Sunday as the Israeli military continued to secure the south of the country and fight Hamas gunmen.

The death toll is expected to continue to rise as the Israeli military regains control of villages and the fate of many civilians kidnapped by the Palestinian gunmen remains unknown. Israel quickly retaliated against Hamas-affiliated targets in Gaza. “Palestinian officials say more than 300 people have been killed in Gaza, without differentiating between fighters and civilians,” added the Associated Press.

Bunkall further reported on the security situation in Israel, “There is a lot of talk of a ground incursion into Gaza, and that in and of itself will be extremely bloody for both sides.”

“And then the other dynamics, the northern border between Israel and Lebanon and the West Bank are both very volatile and potentially could blow up. Over the last 90 minutes, there’s been an incursion over the northern border,” he continued, adding:

It looks like it was a drone. The Israeli Patriot missile system engaged. It’s unclear whether it shot it down. But these are just all indications of how febrile the situation is on the ground at the moment, as the Israeli government and the Israeli security forces try and get a grip on it again.

Israel’s cabinet official declared war on Sunday afternoon, the first time it had done so since the 1973 Yom Kippur war — an undeniable sign of the lasting impact this surprise attack has had on the country and will likely to have on the region for a long time to come.

Watch the full clip above via Sky News.