The death toll from a surprise attack that officials are describing as one of the worst days in Israeli history is expected to rise, with many of the injured suffering critical wounds as Palestinian militants surged over the border from Gaza early Saturday and went house to house in search of civilians. Fighting continued in southern Israel overnight Monday local time as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hit Gaza with airstrikes. So far, at least 700 people have been killed in Israel and about 2,100 wounded. At least 260 bodies were recovered at the site of a music festival near the border with Gaza. Palestinian authorities said at least 413 were killed and about 2,300 injured in the Israeli counterattack. Israel has declared war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and U.S. officials expect the Israeli government to launch a ground incursion into the densely populated Gaza Strip in the next 24 to 48 hours.
