‘We are at war,’ says Netanyahu after Hamas rockets, militants kill at least 40 Israelis

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country is "at war" following attacks from Palestinian militant group Hamas, who claimed that 5,000 rockets were launched towards Israel.

At least 40 people have been killed so far and 740  were injured in Israel, according to authorities. The surprise attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday and Hamas militants have reportedly entered Israel from Gaza by land, by sea, and by air using paragliders.

Malta has requested a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council, signifying the gravity of the situation, given that such meetings are typically reserved for high-security issues.

There have been reports that Israelis in a number of communities in the south might have been taken hostage.

“We are at war, and we will win. The enemy will pay a price it has never known,” Netanyahu said in a video message.

The ground infiltration by Hamas gunmen into Israeli towns and villages on the periphery is unprecedented in the 16 years since the Islamists took over the strip.

Unconfirmed initial reports and graphic pictures and video appeared to show that gunmen had opened fire in the border town of Sderot, killing several Israeli civilians and soldiers.

One elderly woman was confirmed dead by medics in unclear circumstances, and another four people in Bedouin villages in Israel’s south killed by rocket fire.

Israel said it had begun striking targets in the Gaza Strip in response "to the barrages of rockets" that were part of an unprecedented attack by Palestinian militants.

Health officials have reported that 198 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.