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In photos: Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas' unprecedented operation

Israel has launched deadly airstrikes on besieged Gaza after Hamas fighters attack Israeli towns.

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Palestinian members of the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, who were killed in clashes on the Gaza-Israel border, and those wounded are removed from the area and brought to the Gaza. / Photo: AA

Israel launched deadly airstrikes on the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza in which more than 200 people have been killed. The strikes come in response to a Hamas attack on Israeli border towns in which more than a hundred Israelis have lost their lives.

On early Saturday morning, the Palestinian group Hamas launched a major assault on Israel, marking one of its most significant attacks in decades.

Thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, leaving behind columns of dark smoke. Palestinian fighters used various means, including motorcycles, trucks, and even paragliders, to infiltrate Israeli communities.

Reports indicate that over a hundred Israelis have lost their lives, and hundreds more have been injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, "We are at war, not engaged in an operation or rounds of fighting—we are at war," as Israeli forces initiated airstrikes in Gaza.

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Search and rescue efforts continue among rubbles of destroyed buildings after Israeli attacks in Gaza City. /Photo: AA

Residents of Gaza are used to Israeli airstrikes and there are concerns of the conflict escalating as the Israeli forces use disproportionate firepower on the besieged Palestinian territory.

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Children are seen in a destroyed house after Israeli attacks in Gaza City. /Photo: AA

A heavily foritfied fence has sealed off Gaza from the Israeli territory and supply of essential medicines and food is often cut off.

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Palestinians take down the fence on the Israel-Gaza border and enter Israel after clashes and attacks in Gaza City. /Photo: AA

The leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, stated that the assault was a response to the 16-year besiege of Gaza, Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank cities over the past year, military actions at Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, increased attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians, and the growth of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have persisted since before the nation's establishment in 1948, resulting in numerous casualties on both sides over the decades.

Violence has escalated notably this year, with the number of Palestinians— including civilians—killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank reaching its highest point in nearly two decades.