Israel says it is “at war” after dozens of gunmen from the Palestinian militant group Hamas infiltrated from Gaza in an unprecedented attack.
The militants crossed the perimeter fence just after dawn, as barrages of rockets were launched from Gaza.
The report says at least one Israeli has been killed by the gunmen, while rocket fire has killed one person and wounded hundreds.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas will “pay a price it has never known”.
The Israeli military has said that dozens of fighter jets are carrying out air strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza in response and that it has mobilized tens of thousands of reservists.
At least one Palestinian has been killed in the strikes, local health officials say.
The rocket barrages from Gaza which is governed by Hamas began just after dawn on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath and the day of the festival of Simchat Torah.
As sirens sounded across Israel, the IDF announced that “terrorists” had infiltrated Israeli territory “in several different locations”.
It told civilians in southern and central areas to stay next to shelters and inside shelters in the area surrounding Gaza.
Footage posted online appeared to show a group of heavily armed Palestinian militants dressed in black fatigues driving around Sderot in a pick-up truck.
In one video, the same militants seemed to be exchanging fire with Israeli forces on the streets of the town, which is only 1.6km (1 mile) from Gaza.
There are also unconfirmed reports in the Palestinian media that several Israelis have been taken captive by militants and footage circulating of Palestinians in Gaza driving Israeli military vehicles.
BBC
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