Netanyahu's brutal words after the attack. "We are at war."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country is "in a state of war" after an unexpected attack by Hamas, which occurred on Saturday morning. "Citizens of Israel, we are in a state of war - not an operation, not an exercise - a war," the Prime Minister announced in a video message.

The words of the Israeli Prime Minister are a response to the events taking place in this country since early morning. After the Hamas attack, there are reports of numerous deaths and injuries.

Residents of the region near the Gaza Strip, from where Israel was attacked, are asking for help and reporting that terrorists are opening fire in the southern cities of the country -  Times of Israel reports. There are reports of Hamas taking hostages in Israeli cities.

"They are shooting at our house, trying to break down the shelter door," reported a resident of kibbutz Sufa. The woman said that her husband, along with other armed men, are fighting in the streets and do not have support from the army. "Please, send help," the woman pleads.

Residents of regions near the Gaza Strip report unprecedented fighting.

Palestinian fighters have taken Israeli hostages in the city of Ofakim in the south of the country - reports Israeli television 13 TV. Some homes near the border are burning.

A resident of Kibbutz Be'eri told the media that her father was kidnapped by Hamas militants and transported to the Gaza Strip, Times of Israel reports. "He wrote to me that they came into the house. He said they are taking him. I saw his pictures in Gaza," she narrated.

Source: CNN/PAP