The militant group Hamas launched attacks on Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Saturday morning, prompting the Israeli government to declare a "state of war."
The situation is chaotic:
Forces in the country have ordered residents to remain indoors after confirming Hamas militants had 'infiltrated' the country in several locations near the Gaza border in southern Israel.
'The military declares a state of war alert,' it said in a statement. 'In the last hour, the Hamas terrorist organization had begun a massive shooting of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, and terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations.'
Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst has posted some harrowing videos to social media where he is clearly concerned about his very survival:
Apocalyptic scenes right now in southern Israel. pic.twitter.com/uuseUdcytV
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) October 7, 2023
He also said he can't report everything that's happening due to operational security, but things at the Gaza border "are very, very bad" right now:
Some things we can’t report yet. But the situation is very bad. pic.twitter.com/XXkH3KoZeP
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) October 7, 2023
It's impossible to verify every clip being posted at this hour, but if this one is legitimate, it is extremely disturbing:
🚨🚨WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT
— Jay Engelmayer (@jengelmayer) October 7, 2023
Palestinians parading around the body of a young Israeli woman.
These are the people world leaders want Israel to make peace with.
These are the people @JoeBiden and the @un say are good people who deserve every consideration.
Pray for Israel. pic.twitter.com/wIgN9S2ph6
This poster claims that mosques are endorsing the conflict:
Mosques in Jerusalem are inciting war against Israel. pic.twitter.com/sCBhiTwcdd
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) October 7, 2023
The situation obviously appears to be tense, and there are reports that an Israeli soldier has been captured:
Hamas supreme military commander Mohammed Deif said the operation, Al-Aqsa Storm, was a declaration that 'enough is enough' as he urged Palestinians to confront Israel.
Images on social media appeared to show armed militants in built-up areas, while Israeli media reports suggested an Israeli soldier had been kidnapped by Hamas militants as they swept the streets.
Here's a terrifying video that purportedly shows Hamas militants taking over an unknown street in Israel:
The militants are showing no signs of trying to deescalate the situation; in fact, they appear to be trying to inflame it:
In a statement posted on Telegram, Hamas called on 'the resistance fighters in the West Bank' as well as 'our Arab and Islamic nations' to join the battle.
Following the first attacks, Hamas commander Deif has urged Palestinians to engage in a civil uprising.
In remarks reported by CNN, he said: 'If you have a gun, get it out. This is the time to use it – get out with trucks, cars, axes. Today the best and most honorable history starts.'
'Today the people are regaining their revolution,' he said in other statements reported by AP, as he called on Palestinians from east Jerusalem to northern Israel to 'expel the occupiers and demolish the walls.'
Israel officials countered, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saying, "Hamas has made a big mistake this morning," and that "Israel will win."
This is a breaking story, unfolding even as of this writing, and RedState will update you as new information comes in.
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