The town of ashkelon has seen major explosions. Details of the palestinian incursions are unclear, but gunmen have been reported in towns near the gaza border and israelis have been warned to stay inside. There are palestinian reports of Israeli Soldiers being captured. Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif announced the start of the operation in a broadcast on hamas media, calling on palestinians everywhere to fight. Israels military is striking targets in gaza in response. We dont have Casualty Figures yet from the israeli strikes. Lets here more from Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu. He addressed the nation in a video Statement Released on social media. Citizens of israel, we are at war. Not an operation, not an escalation, a war. This morning, hamas launched a war. This morning, hamas launched a murderous Surprise Attack against the state of israel and its citizens. We have been hit since early morning. I commend the act of the security stir. I instructed them to cleanse the settlements of the terrorists and this operated operation is being carried out during these hours. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price stop in the meantime, i call on all citizens of visceral to strictly the instructions of the army and the home command. Of israel. Weve also been hearing from the palestinian president , remember he doesnt speak for hamas which controls gaza. Mahmoud abbas said the Palestinian People have the right to defend themselves against what he calls the terror of settlers and occupation troops. Just to bring you an update from gaza, we are hearing from the islamicjihad group, said in it ina statement islamicjihad group, said in it in a statement it is holding several Israeli Soldiers captive. That is a statement from islamicjihad, a group based in gaza. This is unverified reports on our part. But this is what the Islamichhad Group is saying. This follows on from earlier reports that militants in palestine were holding several israelis captive, civilians and soldiers. These are unconfirmed reports. This comes as palestinian Militant Groups carried out an incursion into Southern Israel. We will bring you more on that as soon as we get it but this is the latest information we are getting from the Islamichhad Group. Earlier, i spoke to the bbc� S International editorjeremy bowen, earlier, i spoke to our middle east correspondent yolande knell injerusalem. This is something really sort of unprecedented, even in terms of the Casualty Numbers when you compare it to recent conflicts that we have had between israel and Palestinian Militants in gaza, there has rarely been such large numbers of israeli casualties. This kind of takes you back to some of the scenes we are seeing to perhaps 20 years ago, the time of the second palestinian uprising. What is kind of shocking as well in terms of how unprecedented it is, to have this large scale integration, it seems dozens of Palestinian Militants from hamas have entered into Southern Israel and there are no pictures that are emerging on hamas social Media Channels which appear to show, we have not managed to verify these, live israelis, people who have been captured, and they have been taken back into the gaza strip. It is clear that hamas will seek to use these people as Bargaining Chips with israel, as israel plans its retaliation in gaza, what is happening, this will really complicate events. There are also videos coming out that appeared to show the Palestinian Militants actually rounding up Israeli Soldiers in Military Bases close to gaza and we do know from the Israeli Military that there has been fighting that has gone on in some of these locations. Really very fast moving developments at the moment and it is a very terrifying time for israelis who are living close to the gaza strip. If you watch israeli tv at the moment, there are people calling in life saying that they are trapped calling in live saying that they are trapped in their homes, that Palestinian Militants had taken over for example some of the kibbutzh close to the gaza strip. One woman saying that her father was taken away by mass militants. And there are these reports that perhaps 60 militants entered and they came in through land and air. There are some unverified videos we have seen that suggest Palestinian Militants were in pick up trucks, another image i have seen where there are people on motorbikes crossing through apparent hole in the Perimeter Fence between gaza and israel and even one picture that seems to show somebody using a paraglider. And as you are speaking, some life pictures we have on the tv screens, live from israel, smoke billowing in and as you are speaking, some live pictures we have on the tv screens, live from israel, smoke billowing in the sky, explosions. We have seen images from gaza where israel is carrying out air strikes against hamas. Tell us a bit more about the operation happening on the ground now as israel really tries to defend itself against the hamas attack. Certainly, we know that the Iron Dome Missile Defences to has been in action, as it has in previous conflicts. Here injerusalem, we did see some of the rockets that came here in quick succession earlier in the morning being intercepted by the iron dome. But it will be a big concern for people that a lot of rockets do appear to have hit inside residential areas, there is quite extensive damage and large fires started by some of these rockets. Was it the intensity of the rocket fire over such a short time that led to the iron dome being overwhelmed . These will all be questions that israelis want answered. In the past, many people have got used to the iron dome intercepting the majority of rockets that could cause any damages to israeli homes and israeli property. In this case, there are people who are being killed by the rocket fire. On top of that, you have the fact this very large scale incursion has taken place by militants. This has always been a kind of Nightmare Scenario for israelis. We have had only smaller scale occasions that i can remember in previous campaigns. Since hamas took over the gaza strip 2007. We know from the Israeli Military, it was trying to make it much more difficult for the militants to tunnel out of the gaza strip. In this case, it is a large number of militants that appear to have got through the Perimeter Fence through different means, entered into israeli territory, and it is very clear this is something that hamas will have planned for extensively for some time. Just a week ago when i was doing another report about the gaza strip, as tensions were increasing related to hundreds of people turning up for protests close to the Perimeter Fence, when i was hearing from its early military analysts, their assessment of the situation was very much that neither hamas nor israel wanted to have a conflict in gaza right now. And so that was something that they were really holding up as indirect talks were going on between hamas with egypt, qatar and the un, brokering those, to try to calm the situation. All eyes have been on the west bank, where tensions have been much higher over the past year and a half, something that has not been seen here for many years. With near nightly Israeli Military raids, and increase in violence and listing in shooting attacks on israeli civilians and Israeli Soldiers. Something else that will be worrying any development we have got going on at the moment is that you have had hamas calling for palestinians in other areas in the west bank to take action against israel right now. And also we know that the Lebanese Militant Group his brother has said militant Group Hezbollah has said it is looking closely at what is happening. Previously we have seen rockets being fired by palestinian merit in groups in places like lebanon, into israel as well. Israel will be worried this could turn into a conflict that is actually on multiple fronts at once. And you talk about a widespread attack, rocket fire into israel. People say this is unprecedented for stops and people comparing it to the yom kippur Surprise Attack by egypt and israel. What do you expect the israeli governments response to be . This is the usual. This is not the usual strikes in the tax that we see from hamas on israel. This is what hamas and israel have called a war. That is right. There has been a lot of memorials of the yom kippur attack going on in recent days. People reflecting on the lessons of yom kippur and still, this has happened right at the end of the jewish holiday, israelis were on holiday themselves, many of them, enjoying the end of the religious holidays. Yes, where was the intelligence here . What has been missing . Thatll be a big question. And the retaliation, as i say, it has started already, but whereas in the past, it has always been carefully calibrated, you feel, with the rocket fire and the air strikes at happen in response, usually targeting militant sites initially, where will this go this time . If you do have israelis who are being held hostage inside the gaza strip, that will be an extra big concern. A factor when it comes to striking targets inside gaza. I think ultimately, there will be a big offensive. This will not be allowed to go unpunished. But at the same time, how does it act . At the moment, you feel that a lot of Emergency Meetings are going on, a lot of talk is going on behind the scenes. We are not really seeing what shape the Military Action by israel will take. Thank you very much. Just to remind you the bbc has a live stage with the latest reports and analysis on this breaking story. There has been a lot of international reaction. Here is a selection of it. The french president strongly condemned the attacks, saying, i express my full solidarity with the victims, their families and loved ones. The German Foreign minister saying violence and rockets against innocent civilians must stop now. European Commission PresidentUrsula Von Der Leyen described the attack as terrorism in its most despicable form. The United States has condemned the violence and urged both sides to refrain from retaliating. Russias Deputy Foreign minister said it goes without saying that we always call for restraint. Now, from iran, injust the last few minutes, an adviser to the countrys Supreme Leader said, the country is proud of hamas� attack on israel. Meanwhile, saudi arabia, which had beenin meanwhile, saudi arabia, which had been in negotiations to formalise ties with israel, its Foreign Minister has called for an immediate cessation of violence between israel and the palestinians. The State News Agency is reporting that. Further reaction from the middle east, oman calls on israelis and palestinians to practice maximum self restraint. That is according to the State News Agency. And on our life page, we also have analysis from our senior correspondence and editors, analysis from frank gardner, our security correspondence, he is talking about the security lapses, intelligence lapses, that allowed for this attack to happen on the israeli side. An israeli official telling him that an investigation is under way. An investigation is under way. An investigation that could last years, to try to get to the bottom of how this attack happened and how israel was unprepared for it. Earlier i spoke to the bbc� S International editorjeremy bowen, whos currently in kyiv he has covered the Israel Palestine Conflict for many years. I began by asking him to explain the significance of todays attacks. This is extremely significant. In all of the years that hamas has been in control of gaza, they have never launched a Surprise Attack on different locations, Israeli Security officials saying an hour or so ago there were 21 separate incidents going on. Theres a lot of video circulating, not yet verified, by the bbc showing bodies of Israeli Soldiers, some of whom were clearly surprised, in their bunks, even, by the attackers. No one was expecting hamas to do anything like this. Tension has been rising very strongly between palestinians and israelis, theres been a lot of violence in the west bank which is the territory that goes from jerusalem towards the jordan river. Which has been occupied by israel since 1967. That has been the focus now for months and months and theres been a lot of killing and violence there. But nothing in comparison out of gaza so i think now the israelis are using very strong language, they say they are in a state of war, they have been attacked, they have called up the service and are having an Emergency Meeting of the Security Cabinet and i think it is highly likely that once the israelis make their plans, that they will probably mount an incursion into gaza, this thing is likely to escalate. The big question for the us will be a fight now . Because this seems to be a coordinated attack that would have taken a lead of planning. Why do you think hamas is doing this today . They have called it Something Like operationjerusalem flood, theres been Tension Injerusalem during the recentjewish holiday, nothing on the scale that we have seen before where they were palestinians being pushed out by force out of the mosque there, the al aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in the world for muslims and it is also forjews, the site of the ancient Jewish Temple and therefore venerated by them. It is the single most contested piece of ground in the entire middle east and there have been some incidents there, jews have been praying on the temple mount which is something which, doesnt sound much, considered to be highly inflammatory and i think it comes as a culmination of the scoring months of tension between palestinians and israelis injerusalem, in the west bank, and now hamas have decided to move. Theres also a symbolic anniversary and in the middle east, anniversaries are quite a big deal. If the 50th Anniversary at the moment of a Surprise Attack in 1973 syria and he chipped which resulted in a middle east war lasting almost a month for well, it was a close run thing, it is really so i have spoken to today or calling this Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu � s yom kippur surprise, when israel was taken by surprise 50 years ago and could well be that the hamas planners thought lets try and do Something Like that again. That was jeremy bowen joining that Wasjeremy Bowen joining us with his thoughts. Hello and welcome. Im Lucy Hockings a Surprise Palestinian Attack has seen rockets hitting israel from gaza. Let me take you through the live pictures we are receiving from the middle east at the moment. Many of the israeli cities are under lockdown at the moment. People are staying inside. They have been told to do that. This isjerusalem we are seeing now. The streets are empty. But in cities like tel aviv, people who were out on the streets have been told to go home. Restaurants, cafe is, everything is lockdown, a huge sense of shock unsurprising many israeli cities at the audacity of this attack. Palestinian attacks seeing hundreds of rockets hitting israel from gaza and look at these pictures we are receiving now. This is the retaliation from israel happening as we speak. Rockets hitting the gaza strip, smoke rising in the air. Thousands of rockets launched from gaza into israel and now we are seeing the retaliation from the Israeli Security forces. We will stay with these pictures. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying his country is at war and he said we will win. They are carrying out as you can see these live pictures, retaliatory air strikes in the gaza strip. They say their operation was a response to israeli violence against palestinian in the west bank. They have sent thousands of rockets. Also they have been infiltrating israel, using motorbikes, paragliders and boats. Israeli radio says 35 Israeli Soldiers have been kidnapped. We do know at lea