“Israeli Precision Strikes Target Gaza Buildings in Response to Hamas Terror Attack”

Following a terror attack by the Hamas group, several buildings in the Gaza Strip were struck by precise Israeli munitions. In one such incident on Saturday, the Israeli Air Force targeted and destroyed a shopping center in Gaza. Visuals from the attack depicted the building enveloped in thick smoke after being hit multiple times, likely by rockets or laser-guided bombs.

On Saturday, the armed wing of Hamas, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced “Operation Al-Aqsa” with the aim of launching thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian infrastructure, air bases, and military sites.

In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated a counterattack within hours of the Saturday morning assault, launching an operation named “Swords of Iron.” The Israeli army described it as a “large-scale operation to defend Israeli civilians against the combined attack by Hamas.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned that the conflict would be “long and difficult” as fighting between Israel and Hamas resulted in hundreds of casualties on both sides after the unexpected attack.

According to Gaza officials, intensive Israeli airstrikes in the coastal enclave have led to a Palestinian death toll of at least 256, with nearly 1,788 wounded, as reported by the news agency AFP.

Meanwhile, as the conflict continued, Hezbollah, Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group, stated that it had fired “a significant number of artillery shells and guided missiles” at Israeli positions in contested border regions “in solidarity” with Hamas. Israel’s army had earlier responded with artillery fire in southern Lebanon after a shot was fired from the area, although the attackers were not identified.

Netanyahu, speaking on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), declared, “We are embarking on a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous Hamas attack.” He also stated that the first stage was ending with the destruction of the majority of enemy forces that had infiltrated Israeli territory, and he pledged relentless pursuit until victory.

Throughout the night, Israel continued to conduct airstrikes on the Gaza Strip while rockets from the blockaded Palestinian territory were launched toward Israel.