Israeli civilians and soldiers crouched, panting as rockets could be heard exploding in the background. They were at a funeral. These are the scenes of the tragedy that has unfolded in the warzone as Israel and Gaza continue to target each other's territories with indiscriminate airstrikes.
"Families and soldiers stood in funerals for their loved ones today, with explosions of falling rockets in the background. This is Israel's reality-sirens cutting through the silence of our grief," the Israel Defence Forces shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This adds to the hundreds of stories of violence that have surfaced since Saturday when Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Israel, prompting Benjamin Netanyahu's government to declare a war.
Palestine's Hamas group sent its hundreds of operatives to Israel, who breached the Gaza border with bulldozers and went on a rampage in Israeli towns. They slaughtered families and dragging dozens of civilians and soldiers to their side, Israel has said.
Israel, which has been striking Hamas targets in Gaza, has vowed to reduce their hideouts to rubble.
Yesterday, the Israeli forces shared the story of Shlomi and Shachar, who were killed by Hamas in their house, leaving their three children orphaned.
"Images like these are extremely difficult to share. But we have no choice. For the victims. For the families. Remember Shlomi and Shachar," they said on X.
Hamas operatives have been firing at civilian vehicles, barging into events and kidnapping civilians, visuals showed. Among these incidents was a dance party in southern Israel where Hamas killed and kidnapped hundreds. Reports suggest 260 bodies were collected from the Nature Party, which was being held near the Gaza border.
Israel is fighting a fierce battle with the Hamas and other Palestinian groups, countering their rapid rocket attacks with Israeli Iron Dome air defence system and airstrikes in the blockaded Gaza strip. Over 1,600 civilians and soldiers, including 900 in Israel and 687 in Gaza, have been killed so far since Saturday.
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
At UN, India Calls For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza, Release Of Hostages US Military Declares End Of Troubled Gaza Aid Pier Mission Drones Strike Iraq Base Housing US-Led Coalition Amid Gaza War Tensions Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Joe Biden Tests Positive For Covid As Age Worries Mount 3 Men Transporting Cattle In Chhattisgarh Were Not Assaulted: Chargesheet Singer Adele Announces 'Big Break' From Music At UN, India Calls For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza, Release Of Hostages Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.