Hamas rocket fire aimed at Israel continued sporadically Sunday morning as Israeli forces continued to hammer away at terrorist targets in Gaza. Beginning at 6:30 am on a Shabbat that was also the major Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas unleashed unending barrages of rocket fire aimed at southern and central Israel.
Within a two-hour span, the terror group had fired some 3,000 rockets at the Jewish State, while hundreds of Hamas operatives broke through the border security fence and invaded local communities in an unprecedented, unexpected attack by land, air and sea.
It looks like a horror movie, but it’s near a Kibbutz in southern Israel.
This was a massacre. #Israel pic.twitter.com/PgOMTMIoWJ
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) October 8, 2023
Israel’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday that at least 2,000 Israelis were wounded by Hamas terror attacks and taken to hospitals, including 345 in serious condition and 19 more in critical condition.
At least 500 Israelis were murdered by Hamas forces, many of them during the terror group’s invasion of 22 Jewish communities along the Gaza border, where IDF soldiers and police officers fought for hours to rescue hostages and wrench back control of the towns. Hamas terrorists also shot and killed Israeli youths in a nature party. More than 3,000 young men and women were terrified to be suddenly circled by merciless gunmen who started mowing them down.
Dozens of Israeli men, women, teens, and children were captured and taken hostage by the terror group, and many were spirited away into Gaza, where they are being held by Hamas.
The terrorists also managed, temporarily, to seize control over two Israel Defense Forces military bases near the border.
The Iron Dome aerial defense system intercepted many of the rockets — but many reached their targets along the Gaza border, Israel’s Mediterranean coast, cities in the central region and in the Negev.
Israeli security personnel estimated Sunday that the actual numbers of dead and captured are, tragically, much larger.
IDF Lieutenant Colonel and Nachal Brigade Commander Yonatan Steinberg, 42, was among those killed, in addition to 25 other IDF soldiers, a Magen David Adom ambulance driver and medic, three firefighters, 30 Israel Police officers and the head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Liebstein, who died in a firefight with terrorists invading the area.
“Magen David Adom deeply mourns the death of its Senior EMT / ambulance driver, Aharon Chaimov, of blessed memory, a 25-year-old resident of Ofakim, who was murdered this morning (Saturday) while fulfilling his duty, going out to save lives and treat the wounded from the combined attack that began this morning on the State of Israel,” MDA lamented in a statement.
“Aharon, a resident of Ofakim, was injured by terrorist gunfire while going out to treat the victims and was killed. Aharon left behind two children, a wife, parents, siblings, and family members.”
At least nine Bedouin Israelis were killed in Negev communities, in addition to Lieutenant Jiyar Davidov, commander of the Rahat police station, who fell in battle in the south. Zakaria Abu Jama’a, age 5 from Arar’a, was killed by a rocket hit near his home. Fatma Altlakat, 35, from Arar’a was killed by gunfire near Ofakim. Malek Ibrahim al-Kran, 14 and his 15-year-old brother Javad were both killed by a direct hit from a rocket. Amin Aqel al-Kran, 11 and his cousin Muhammad D’ib al-Kran, 13, both of Albat, were killed by a rocket that struck their home. Faiza Abu Sabeih, 57, from Albat, and her granddaughter Mai Zuhair Abu Sabeih, 13, were also killed by rocket fire. Dalia Abu Madiam, in her thirties and a resident of Mehrat, was injured in the neck when she was working in Gaza and later was pronounced dead as well.
As of 10 am Sunday morning, rocket fire from Gaza had slowed dramatically, but military analysts warn the lull may be just that — a lull – and urge Israelis to remain close to protected spaces.
Magen David Adom teams provided medical treatment overnight to 28 people who were injured in rocket attacks in southern parts of Israel. Among them were two in serious condition, two in moderate condition, 15 in good condition and nine anxiety victims. In addition to the loss of MDA medic Aharon Chaimov z”l, four MDA crew members were injured by gunfire, and there are still a few with whom MDA has lost connection.
Emergency response teams from MDA and United Hatzalah all remain on high alert.
