People mourn for their relatives at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 198 people and injured 1,610, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
GAZA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 198 people and injured 1,610, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday.
The airstrikes were carried out in response to an earlier rocket attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
"Today, at least 198 people lost their lives, and 1,610 sustained injuries due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli military confirmed that Palestinian militants had launched almost 3,000 rockets and several militants infiltrated into southern Israel.
Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, claimed to have captured a number of Israeli soldiers and settlers.
In response, the Israeli military said that it had targeted Hamas sites and headquarters, using dozens of warplanes across various regions of the coastal enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a national address that Israel was "in a state of war and ordered a full mobilization of reserves."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held an emergency meeting with key officials, emphasizing the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves against Israeli forces and settlers.