Live updates – Israel at war: At least 300 killed, dozens kidnapped, 1,864 injured

Sirens sounded Saturday morning in Israeli cities and towns throughout the Jerusalem area, central Israel, and southern Israel, prompting the IDF to declare “Operation Swords of Iron.”

Multiple civilians reported hearing loud explosions in their immediate vicinity; as of 7:30 PM on Saturday, at least 3,000 rockets had been fired toward Israeli civilians.

Live Updates:

Sunday: 8:20 Control of the Sderot police station reclaimed after Hamas terrorists holed up in the police station for 20 hours.

Sunday: 7:54 Another rocket barrage fired at Tkuma and the Yizre’am Farm area in southern Israel.

Sunday: 7:27 Residents of the north report hearing explosions from rockets fired at Israeli territory from Lebanon in a possible sign that Hezbollah is joining the fighting. IDF responds with artillery fire.

Sunday: 7:26 The police continue to block a number of roads in the south due to the war and have asked drivers not to approach these roads.

Sunday 6:50: IDF spokesperson: “Throughout the night, Hamas targets in highrise buildings were struck in the Gaza Strip.

Sunday 6:30: The Israeli Airforce struck the homes of Hamas leaders in Gaza: Yahya Sinwar, Mahmoud a-Zahar, Nizar Awdallah, Fathi Hamid, Issam a-Da’lis. Kamel Abu Awan, and Abu Ma’uiz Sarj.

Sunday 5:20: After nearly an hour and a half of relative quiet, terrorists in Gaza have fired another barrage of missiles into the Gaza periphery.

Sunday 4:35: IDF is striking Hamas terror targets in Gaza.

Sunday 4:25: Security forces have regained control of the Sderot police station, which was captured by terrorists early Saturday morning. 10 terrorists were eliminated at the police station. Authorities in Sderot fear that there are more terrorists at large in the city.

Sunday 4:20: Forces eliminated an additional terrorist who was holed up in a home in Ofakim, the couple that was held hostage was taken to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva.

Sunday 3:50 AM: The Taliban terror organization, which controls Afghanistan, has reportedly asked its neighbors for passage so it could join Hamas in its attack on Israel.

Belarusian news agency NEXTA tweeted: “Russia’s allies, the Taliban terrorist organization, supported Hamas: ‘If the Muslim countries neighboring Israel grant us the right of passage, we will conquer Jerusalem.'”

Sunday 3:21 AM: Speaking to Al Jazeera, Hamas spokesman Ibrahim Hamad said that the attack on Israel is “absolutely a message” to Muslim countries seeking normalization with Israel. He urged them to absolve themselves of this “great shame.”

Sunday 3:09 AM: MDA EMTs and paramedics are tending to a woman in her 50s who was severely injured from a rocket strike in Ashkelon, five others were lightly injured.

Sunday 3:00 AM: Reports of a confrontation between security forces and terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri.

Sunday 2:40 AM: The hostage situation at the home in Ofakim has ended. Yamam forces (police special forces) eliminated the terrorists, and the couple that was held hostage were rescued unharmed.

Sunday 2:35 AM: Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon sustained a direct missile hit.

Sunday 2:30 AM: All areas under the jurisdiction of the IDF Gaza Division have been declared closed military zones. The IDF has clarified that entry of civilians into the area is strictly forbidden.

Sunday 2:25 AM: Security forces are breaching a sieged house in Ofakim.

Another heavy missile barrage on southern Israel.

Police are now saying there are five terrorists holding the police station in the town of Sderot.

Sunday 2:23 AM: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, during the call, the two discussed “developments in the unprecedented situation in Gaza and its surroundings and the necessity to work to immediately stop the escalation, stressing the kingdom’s rejection of targeting civilians in any way and the need for all parties to respect international humanitarian laws.”

The Saudi Foreign Ministry added that the Minister stressed the need for “joint efforts to calm the situation and to avoid further violence.”

Sunday 2:15: Another heavy missile barrage on southern Israel

Sunday 2:10 AM: Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan remarked on the attack: “Today is Israel’s 9/11 moment. Life for us will never be the same after today’s vicious terror attacks by Hamas terrorists. 250 murdered Israelis is the equivalent of over 8,000 Americans. When we say never again, never again is now. May God bless the State of Israel.”

Sunday 2:00 AM: According to Israeli estimates, there are approximately 100 Israelis being held captive in Gaza, among them civilians, soldiers, and officers.

Sunday 1:54 AM: The IDF Spokesperson’s Arabic language desk has sent a message to the residents of the Gaza Strip stating: “For your security, you must leave your homes at once.”

Sunday 1:00 AM: It was reported that the hostages held in the Kibbutz Be’eri cafeteria were freed. At the same time, it was reported that four hostages were being held in Ofakim. It is not clear if these are the same hostages previously reported.

Sunday 12:30 AM: Hamas has claimed that it has a much larger number of Israeli captives than what Israel believed.

A spokesperson for Hamas’ military arm said, “The number of Israeli captives is several times higher than what Netanyahu believes. They have been spread through all of the roads in Gaza, and they will go through what the population in the Strip is going through.”

Saturday 10:30 PM: US President Joe Biden spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah following his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Saturday 10:00 PM: Bulldozers began demolishing the police station in Sderot, while a terrorist was holding out inside. Later, the terrorist escaped the police station.

Saturday 9:00 PM: sirens sounded in Rishon Lezion, Beit Dagan, Holon, Ganot, and Mishmar Hashiva.

Saturday 8:00 PM: Air raid sirens were activated in Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Herzliya, and various other communities. Less than ten minutes later, a second barrage was fired toward Ramat Gan, Kfar Chabad, Yavne, Rishon Lezion, Tel Aviv, and other areas. Magen David Adom reported hits and injuries in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion.

Three people were seriously injured by one of the barrages on central Israel. At the same time, a building in Bat Yam was reported hit by the barrage; no one was injured, but damage was caused.

Following this, the IDF reported that it is striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

The barrages were fired as Jews around Israel celebrated the Simchat Torah holiday, and in many cases disrupted the holiday prayer services.

Parallel to the rocket attacks, dozens – perhaps hundreds – of terrorists infiltrated multiple Israeli communities, overtaking Israeli towns on the Gaza border and murdering Jews in nearby cities as well. Initial reports were that these attacks left at least 100 Israelis dead; an 10:10 p.m. update raised the number of dead to 250.

Israel’s Health Ministry reported that 1,104 injured Israelis have been evacuated to hospitals. Of these, 17 are in critical condition, 200 are in serious condition, 226 are in moderate condition, 451 suffered only light injuries, 11 suffered shock, and 142 are being evaluated.

A government meeting was interrupted by the rocket fire on Tel Aviv but resumed following the barrage. It has since concluded.

It was later reported that the IAF continued its attacks on targets belonging both to Hamas and to Islamic Jihad.

Upon the conclusion of the Sabbath and the Simchat Torah holiday, it was reported that a shootout was taking place in a home in Ofakim, where hostages were being held, and a terrorist was threatening to set off a grenade that would kill the residents of the home.

Approximately 50 residents of Kibbutz Be’eri were taken hostage and held by terrorists in the town’s cafeteria. At the same time, shootouts took place in Kfar Aza and Sderot. Some of the terrorists were eliminated, and some of the terrorists were arrested and brought to the Netivot police station.

Among the dead is Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council Chairman Ofir Liebstein, as well as the Sderot fire station chief and a firefighter.

Israel Railways is operating, in coordination with the IDF and Transportation Ministry, special trains for IDF soldiers, traveling north to south, from 5:00p.m. and according to demand. The railway also said that, “Operations at the Ofakim, Netivot, and Sderot stations will not be resumed until further notice.”