INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
At least 40 people have been killed in Israel after a major surprise attack with militants crossing into Israel from Gaza during heavy
rocket fire.Several Israelis have reportedly been taken back to Gaza as hostages.Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on targets
years.The attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas saw fighters cross the perimeter fence just after dawn
At the same time, barrages of rockets were launched from Gaza - some reaching as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.How the gunmen managed to
penetrate one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world is unclear.The Israeli military has said that dozens of fighter jets are
carrying out air strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza, and it has hit 17 Hamas military compounds
It also said it has mobilised tens of thousands of reservists.The Palestinian health ministry says 161 people have been killed in Israeli
strikes.The rocket barrages from Gaza - the biggest attack by Hamas on Israel in years - began just after dawn on Saturday, the Jewish
shelters in the area surrounding Gaza.Footage posted online appeared to show a group of heavily armed Palestinian militants dressed in black
fatigues driving around Sderot in a pick-up truck.In one video, the same militants seemed to be exchanging fire with Israeli forces on the
streets of the town, which is only 1.6km (1 mile) from Gaza.There are also unconfirmed reports in the Palestinian media that a number of
Israelis have been taken hostage by militants.On its social media channels, Hamas released videos apparently showing Israelis captured by
their homes during chaotic scenes after Palestinian militants entered their towns and villages.Residents say they do not remember a
went to defend his community.The rocket barrages meanwhile continued throughout Saturday morning, with thousands of projectiles launched
ordered - first of all - to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists
Deif said.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas -a political rival of Hamas- chaired an emergency meeting, and has defended the right of the
how Israeli intelligence failed to see the well-coordinated Hamas attack coming, Israeli government officials have told the BBC.There has
violence and urged both sides to refrain from retaliating.Iran has backed the Palestinian attack, saying it congratulated the fighters,
