In the early morning hours of Saturday, under a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza, dozens in the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out of the blockaded Gaza Strip, breached the security barriers, and stormed into nearby Israeli towns, killing hundreds and holding others hostage in an unprecedented surprise attack.

It was a massive operation, hailed by Hamas as “Al-Aqsa Storm.” Saleh al-Arouri, an exiled Hamas leader, said the operation was a response “to the crimes of the occupation.” Hamas urged all Palestinians to join the battle, declaring: “Today the people are regaining their revolution.”

Israel immediately declared a state of war, launching air attacks on Gaza in retaliation, killing over four hundred Palestinians, most of them civilians. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to “take mighty vengeance” against Palestinians, calling Gaza a “city of evil” and vowing to turn it into “cities of ruins.” Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant has already approved a sweeping call-up of reservists.