Medical sources in Gaza have said at least 198 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air attacks launched after a Hamas offensive against Israel that killed at least 40. Palestinian policemen loyal to the Hamas movement stand in Gaza City on October 25, 2022. Photo credit: Mahmud HAMS/AFP Source: UGC More than 1,600 people have also been wounded, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday, October 7. Israel-Gaza latest: 198 killed in Gaza Per The BBC World News, Israel said earlier 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. READ ALSO Haitians Take to Streets to Protest Ruto’s Plan to Send Police There: “US Puppet Shame on You” The conflict started when the controversial Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, launched an operation against Israel in response to what it said was its non-stop attacks against the al-Aqsa Mosque, ABC News reported. In addition to firing several thousand rockets at Israel, armed Palestinians entered the country by land, sea, and air in the surprise attack, according to army sources. Heavy fighting broke out with Israeli soldiers. There are unconfirmed reports of hostage-taking and kidnappings in the Gaza Strip. Warning sirens were blaring in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other cities in Israel, according to the army. The issue has attracted global attention. Hamas vs Israel: Things to know Recall that according to Israeli media, at daybreak, on Saturday, October 7, gunmen had opened fire on passers-by in the town of Sderot, and footage circulating on social media appeared to show clashes in city streets as well as gunmen in jeeps roaming the countryside. Several reports indicate that 22 people were killed. The Gaza–Israel conflict is a part of the localised Israeli–Palestinian conflict but is also a scene of a power struggle between regional powers. BY TUKO NEWS