Observation O’ The Day
Prime Minister Netanyahu got it right when he said, immediately after the invasion was launched, that Israel was at war. The difference is important. If the invasion was just another in a long series of terrorist outrages, then selective reprisals, as in the past, are the presumptive response. In other words, doing again what hasn’t worked before–destroying a few military installations and taking out a handful of political or military leaders. War is different. A war ends only when one side internalizes the fact that it is beaten and loses the will to continue. – Ed Driscoll
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says his security cabinet has declared the country at war following a deadly Hamas assault in southern Israel.
The decision, announced on Sunday, formally authorises “the taking of significant military steps,” it said in a statement.
“The war that was forced on the State of Israel in a murderous terrorist assault from the Gaza Strip began at 06:00 yesterday,” it said.
Mr Netanyahu had previous declared the country at war and the military has promised a harsh response in Gaza.
Israeli media say at least 600 people have been killed in the surprise cross-border incursion by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip.
The Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12, as well as the Haaretz and Times of Israel newspapers, all reported the toll.
There has been no official confirmation of the number of deaths on the Israeli side since the fighting erupted early on Saturday.
Palestinian officials say more than 300 people have been killed in Gaza, without differentiating between fighters and civilians.
A brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict.