Israel is striking back after Hamas terrorists attacked the country early Saturday morning.
“There is no community in Southern Israel where we do not have forces, in all the towns," Israel Defense Force (IDF) Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "There are communities that have been rid of terrorists, but we want to finish additional scans of the area before declaring so."
Hamas terrorists fired nearly 5,000 rockets into Israel, killing at least 200 Israelis and wounding at least 985 others, according to The Associated Press.
The IDF announced "Operation Swords of Iron," the name for its "large-scale operation” to defend Israeli residents against the attack launched against Israel by Hamas this morning.
The IDF hopes to kill all the Hamas agents who attacked Israel before the end of today. They have urged Israeli residents to take shelter until the threat has been cleared. U.S. Embassy staff in Israel are also sheltering in place.
“Wherever there are Hamas terrorists they will be found and eliminated, they have no immunity," Hagari said. "We are also striking high profile targets."
Hagari also vowed to conduct a “sharp and thorough" assessment as to how the attack occurred after the forces achieve "full security in the Gaza Strip."
Katie reported more on this earlier:
The attack comes as Saudi Arabia and Israel are on the verge of a peace agreement and a united front against Iran, the globe's largest state sponsor of terror and top funder of Palestinian terrorism. It's also the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war.