70 dead in Israel after Palestinian militants launch deadly attack

At least 70 people have been confirmed dead in Israel after Palestinian militants launched a deadly assault into Israeli territory on Saturday.

Dozens of Israelis are also believed to have been captured by Palestinian militants in an unprecedented assault.

Hundreds of wounded others are being treated in hospitals, according to emergency services.

Nearly 200 people have been killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes in the Gaza strip, BBC reports.

Hamas commander Mohammed Deif said the Palestinian militant group had “decided to say enough is enough.”

The Isaeli Emergency services confirmed 70 dead in the surprise attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Magen David Adom emergency medical service says “we can update the toll to 70 killed, and hundreds wounded seriously, moderately and lightly”.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that “soldiers and civilians” have been abducted by militants.

The BBC quoted the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, as claiming that “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. There are many Palestinians killed and many Israelis dead as well as prisoners, and the battle is still at its peak,” he said.

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”.

But Israel’s military said 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”.