At least 700 Israelis, 400 Palestinians killed in fighting

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): At least 700 Israelis and 400 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion.

More than 2,100 Israelis have also been injured as its army continues to face off against Palestinian fighters, the Times of Israel news website reported, citing a health official.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas that governs the Gaza Strip, launched on Saturday Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying the surprise attack on Israel was in response to the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence. It said it fired rockets and captured many Israelis.

In retaliation, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

As of late Sunday, retaliatory Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 159 housing units across Gaza and severely damaged 1,210 others, the UN said. The number of displaced Gazans has jumped by tens of thousands, to more than 123,000.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said a school sheltering more than 225 people took a direct hit. It did not say where the fire came from.

Several Israeli media outlets, citing rescue service officials, said at least 700 people have been killed in Israel, including 44 soldiers.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 413 people, including 78 children and 41 women, were killed in the territory.

Some 2,000 people have been wounded on each side. An Israeli official said security forces had killed 400 militants and captured dozens more.

sa/mud

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