At least 160 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air attacks launched after a Hamas offensive against Israel killed at least 40, reports Al Jazeera.
Hamas running the besieged enclave said its surprise, large-scale operation was in response to the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence.
The group says it fired thousands of rockets and captured Israelis after its fighters crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
The operation comes after thousands of settlers in recent days carried out provocative tours of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
It also follows a major uptick of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians over the past year, occurring at a rate of three per day for the first eight months of 2023, according to the United Nations.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
