According to AP, this is Mr. Netanyahu's first statement since the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip fired thousands of rockets and launched a large, multi-front attack against Israel in the early morning of October 7.

After ordering the army to evacuate towns that Hamas had infiltrated, Mr Netanyahu called up reserves and vowed the Palestinian militant group would pay the price.

Israel said 100 people were killed and 800 injured in this attack by Hamas. Meanwhile, the figures given by Palestine are twice as high as Israel's, with at least 198 dead and 1,600 injured, according to AP.

It is unclear what prompted Hamas to launch the attack, which comes after weeks of simmering tensions along the Gaza Strip. Speaking on television, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Hamas had made a "grave mistake" and promised that "the state of Israel will win this war".

In Gaza, people rushed to buy necessities in anticipation of the coming days of conflict, according to The Jerusalem Post . Some people evacuated their homes and headed to shelters. Sweden and Lithuania condemned the attack on Israel. According to Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, there is no excuse for Hamas' violent attacks and the group must stop immediately.