Graeme Baker
Live reporter

The deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, has claimed "senior officers" from Israel's army have been captured

He told Al Jazeera's Arabic channel that "what is in our hands will free all the prisoners" in Israel - an apparent reference to Palestinians being held in Israeli jails.

"We captured senior officers from the occupation army," he said.

"There are many Palestinians killed and many Israelis dead as well as prisoners, and the battle is still at its peak."

Arouri said Hamas was ready to meet an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza, which he described as "the best scenario for us to resolve the conflict against the enemy".

None of these claims can be independently verified by the BBC at this time, and the Israeli authorities have not commented on any of the multiple reports of hostage-taking.

The unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza involved a massive barrage of rockets as well as gunmen infiltrating Israeli territory - and also sea operations.

Israel's military now says its naval forces have killed dozens of Palestinian militants who were travelling over water to get into the country, according to Reuters.

Israeli officials previously said there had been "infiltrations from paragliders, sea and ground".

We're hearing from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now, who says US President Joe Biden told him the US fully supports Israel's right to defend itself.

We're expecting to hear from Biden at some point soon and we'll bring you more as we get it.

Rushdi Abualouf, a BBC reporter in the Gaza Strip, says he can see "huge blasts" as Israel responds to the attacks by Hamas.

He adds that people in Gaza are expecting a "significant escalation" from Israeli authorities.

Image source, Reuters

Israelis living close to the Gaza Strip have been sharing accounts of the surprise attack.

Some phoning into news stations saying they're trapped in their homes - others can hear gunfire, or are unable to find loved ones.

"The terrorists are trying to break into my house," Ayelet Hachim told Channel 12, from her home in the town of Kibbutz Be'eri, close to the Gaza Strip.

"I hear their voices and they are banging on the door. I am with my two little children."

In Kibbutz Nir Oz, in southern Israel close to the border with Gaza, a resident called Yoni wrote on Facebook: "They kidnapped my mother-in-law and left [with her] - I urgently need to get in contact with the army and media."

• Read more here

We are seeing local media outlets reporting that Palestinian militants shot at Israeli civilians attending an outdoor party near Kibbutz Urim, a suburb of the city of Ofakim in southern Israel.

A video is circulating on social media showing crowds of Israelis running away from gunfire at an outdoor event.

We are yet to see official confirmation of any casualties but we will bring updates as they come.

The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 198, health officials say.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called on all parties involved in the conflict to “respect their legal obligations under international humanitarian law” and to ensure that civilians and healthcare workers are protected.

The committee's Fabrizio Carboni described the early reports and images as “utterly horrific”, saying that “if the situation continues to escalate, then civilians on both sides will suffer immensely”.

“I want to make it clear that carrying out, or threatening to carry out, an act of hostage-taking is prohibited under international humanitarian law. Anyone detained, including combatants, must be treated humanely and with dignity,” he said.

He added that in its role as a “neutral intermediary”, the ICRC stands ready to visit anyone detained to check on their well-being.

Oliver Slow
Live journalist

As one of the largest towns located close to Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip, the residents of Sderot have long lived under the shadow of the decades-long conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians.

But on Saturday morning - the Jewish day of rest, the Sabbath - they awoke to Palestinian militants on the town's streets as part of their attack on Israel.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show a heavy presence of Palestinian gunmen in Sderot, which lies just 1km (0.6 miles) from Gaza, on its north-east border.

In the video below, armed militants are seen driving around the town in a pick-up truck.

Image source, .

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US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has released a statement on the attacks on Israel by Palestinian militants.

"I am closely monitoring developments in Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself remains unwavering, and I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this abhorrent attack on civilians," he says.

"Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism."

Image source, EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock

This video shows the moment Israel began striking targets on Gaza today, in response to the rocket attacks by Palestinian militants earlier on Saturday.

The Israeli air strikes have killed 161 people and injured nearly 1,000, according to Palestinian officials.

The US has condemned the rocket barrage launched by Palestinian militants against Israel.

"The United States unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians," said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

"There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand firmly with the Government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks.

She added national security Advisor Jake Sullivan has spoken to Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and that the US remains "in close contact with our Israeli partners."

Image source, Reuters

Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 161 and injured closed to 1,000 people, according to local Palestinian officials.

Israel said earlier it had begun striking targets in the Gaza Strip in response "to the barrages of rockets" that were part of an unprecedented attack by Palestinian militants.

We'll bring you more details as we get them.

Israel's emergency services has now confirmed local media reports that 40 people have been killed in the country after rocket attacks from Gaza.

They say that they are continuing to provide medical care and taking people to hospital.

Israeli officials earlier put the number of dead in the country at 22, with hundreds of people injured after the unprecedented attack from Gaza.

Local media is now reporting that number has climbed to at least 40 dead and more than 700 injured.

That number has not been confirmed by officials yet. We'll bring you more as we hear it.

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has said it is closely following the situation in Gaza and is in “direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance”.

It called the Hamas attacks a “decisive response to Israel’s continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel”.

The group is a major opponent of Israel and went to war with the country in 2006.

Hezbollah relies on military and financial support from Iran.

Hard to describe how unprecedented this ispublished at 13:03 British Summer Time 7 October 2023

13:03 BST 7 October 2023

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

It is hard to describe just how unprecedented today’s developments are.

Not only is this likely to be the worst intelligence failure since the 1973 Yom Kippur war (and the timing is no accident – it’s 50 years almost to the day), but rarely, if ever, has Israel lost control of its own towns.

The scenes from Sderot and other communities around the Gaza Strip, with Palestinian gunmen apparently roaming the streets at will, kidnapping and killing civilians, will send the deepest shockwaves throughout Israel.

That, of course, is the point. Hamas has tried numerous tactics in the past, from suicide bombs to tunnels into Israel and even “incendiary kites”.

But the Gaza-based militants have never tried anything remotely this audacious before. By their standards, this was an astonishingly sophisticated - and, yes, brutal - act of hybrid warfare, using hundreds of rockets as the prelude to a mass breakout at multiple points along the normally impregnable fence.

The civilians of Gaza must now brace themselves for Israel’s inevitable response. Air strikes are just the prelude.

Gazans know what’s coming, because they’ve seen it many times before. But with some in Israel saying it’s now time to eradicate Hamas altogether, everyone knows the coming days or weeks will be very tough.

Graeme Baker
Live reporter

Islamic Jihad, which operates in Gaza, claims its fighters have also captured "many" Israeli soldiers. In a post on Telegram, a spokesman calling himself Abu Hamza states:

"We confirm in the al-Quds Brigades that now, thanks to God, we possess many Zionist soldiers who are prisoners in our hands”

Islamic Jihad is one of several militant groups that operate in Gaza. The Quds Brigade is its armed wing. The group co-operates with Hamas but also maintains independence.

It is also active in the West Bank and has staged several attacks there on Israelis.

Israel last year said a series of strikes on its leadership had "taken them back decades".

Meanwhile, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has denounced reports of civilians being taken hostage. He called the act a violation of international law and demanded their release.

Borrell posted on social media: "The news of civilians being held hostage at home or in Gaza is appalling. It goes against international law. The hostages must be released immediately.

"We follow with anguish the news coming from Israel. We unequivocally condemn the attacks by Hamas.

"This horrific violence must stop immediately. Terrorism and violence solve nothing."

His comments came as Hamas posted several videos and images on social media that appear to show captives.