Isarel's top military commander dies in gunfire as war with Hamas terrorists continues

Col. Jonathan Steinberg, Israel’s Nahal Infantry Brigade’s commanding officer, was killed on Saturday during gunfire exchanges with terrorists from Hamas in the Kerem Shalom neighborhood close to the Gaza Strip’s border.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, Steinberg, 42, of the southern Israeli settlement of Shomria, was slain by a terrorist while on his way to the scene of skirmishes being overseen by his subordinates.

As of Saturday night, he was the most senior official whose death had been officially confirmed during the fighting. He was also one of the most senior officials to have recently lost their lives in battle.

With thousands of missiles fired and hundreds of armed men sent into Israeli cities by land, sea, and air, the Gaza-based terror group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel in the morning, killing at least 250 people and wounded more than 1,500 by midnight.

Following Israel’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the surprise invasion on Yom Kippur, the multi-pronged onslaught utterly took the Israeli military and security services off guard.

According to residents, Israeli forces did not put up much of a fight as Hamas gunmen overran at least one military base and went through Israeli border settlements, killing and kidnapping civilians.

Other videos that have been shared online purport to depict Israeli people being held hostage by the terrorist organization. According to Arabic media, 52 Israelis have been taken prisoner.

Some of those captured appeared to have been killed.

A significant victory for Hamas was the infiltration of fighters into southern Israel, which also marked an escalation in the conflict. As a result, millions of Israelis were compelled to take refuge in safe rooms to avoid rocket explosions and ongoing gunfights with Hamas gunmen. As the military barred highways near Gaza, cities and towns became deserted.

As of Saturday, according to the Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry, 232 Palestinians had died and 1,697 had been injured. Israel’s retaliatory attacks appear to have killed the majority of individuals in the Gaza Strip.

In strikes in the Gaza Strip and inside Israel, the IDF claimed to have killed hundreds of Palestinian militants.