In pictures: Israel launches retaliatory air strikes on Gaza after Hamas attack
The Israel Defence Forces launched air strikes on Gaza late Saturday in response to an unprecedented multi-pronged assault from the Palestinian militant group Hamas at dawn. More than 600 Israelis are reported to have been killed in the surprise assault, and at least 370 Palestinians have been killed in the air strikes on Gaza.
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The Israeli army launched retaliatory air strikes on Gaza after an unprecedented attack by Hamas fighters during a major holiday in Israel.
At least 370 Palestinians have been killed in the strikes and a further 2,200 have been injured, the health ministry in Gaza said. Several residential towers in Gaza, including the 14-storey Palestine Tower, were reduced to rubble.
The Israel Defence Forces also struck a mosque in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza as well as the high-rise Watan Tower, causing both to collapse.
Many local residents sought refuge in United Nations-run schools in Gaza.
The UN agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, said more than 20,000 people had sought shelter at its schools in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces also launched strikes on Gaza's seaport, reinforcing its more than 15-year-long blockade of the region.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP, AP)
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