Israeli Mayor Killed In Rocket Attack From Gaza Strip

The mayor of Sha'ar Hanegev, Israel, Ofir Abu, was killed in a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

The attacks were launched by the Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, on Israel.

Southern and central Israel experienced a relentless onslaught of rockets on Saturday, marking one of the most severe escalations in years in the conflict between Israel and the Gaza-based militant group. Alongside the rocket attacks, Hamas militants breached the border fence at various points and entered Israeli communities.

Unverified footage showing Palestinian militants infiltrating Israel and moving in jeeps inundated social media platforms.

In one the biggest escalation in recent times, Israel on Saturday morning declared a "state of readiness for war", amid a massive barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip and infiltration into its southern area, killing at least one person and injuring 16 others.

Islamic faction Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, claimed it had launched 5,000 rockets at Israel in an early morning barrage called, "Operation al-Aqsa Flood".

Israel's Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant, following an operational situation assessment Saturday morning warned that "the Hamas [terrorist organisation] has made a grave mistake this morning and launched a war against the State of Israel".

(with PTI inputs)