Israel responds with force as death toll climbs to 900
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00:00 land, sea and air targeting civilians horrific acts of brutality just now
00:04 coming to light tonight Israel vowing vengeance calling up 300,000 military
00:08 reserves already hammering Hamas targets in Gaza ordering a total siege of Gaza.
00:13 But with this retaliation comes the new threat from Hamas tonight that they will
00:18 kill the 100 hostages in Gaza one by one on video before the world if the attacks
00:24 continue. The death toll mounting on both sides
00:27 tonight at least 900 dead here in Israel, 11 Americans among them and nearly 700
00:33 now dead in Gaza.
00:34 Tonight Israel waging a fierce bombardment of Gaza cutting off power
00:39 water electricity, hundreds of apartments and homes destroyed including at least
00:44 3 mosques.
00:45 Israeli military vehicles now moving into position along the border with Gaza
00:49 and all day today we witnessed a mosque still firing missiles into Israel.
00:54 We heard the rockets here in Tel Aviv and the air raid sirens our teams forced to
00:58 shelter for a time as they report from communities along the border with Gaza.
01:02 Tonight we also learned 100 bodies were found just today in a small farming town
01:08 images circulating online showing Hamas militants arriving on motorbikes and
01:12 dragging hostages through the streets there.
01:14 More than 260 people were killed at a music festival thousands of young people
01:19 running from the gunmen and the haunting images of the hostages being taken by
01:23 Hamas and tonight the real fear how does Israel retaliate without risking the lives
01:29 of those hostages among them a wife and her 2 young daughters were visiting their
01:34 grandmother that way calling her husband right there as the militants moved in the
01:38 call then dropped out that husband and recognizing his wife in video being taken
01:43 hostage by the militants what he told me about that phone call right here tonight.
01:48 We've heard it on the streets here as well and I heard it on the flight from the U.S.
01:52 to Israel people coming up to me saying this is our 9.11 this devastating and
01:57 lethal surprise attack tonight Israel now responding with the death toll here and in
02:02 Gaza only growing. Tonight Israel at war.
02:07 Hundreds of Israeli rockets pounding Gaza for hours.
02:17 Retaliation.
02:21 For the brutal Hamas attack on Israel thick black plumes of smoke billowing
02:27 into the sky.
02:28 These men capturing the destruction unfold from inside a neighboring building
02:34 as the sun sets explosions lighting up the night sky.
02:46 130 targets in just 3 hours, dozens of Israeli fighter jets.
02:51 Tonight, the Israeli Defense Ministry declaring a total siege of the Gaza
02:55 Strip. No power no water no electricity.
02:59 They say they are dealing with quote barbaric terrorists and that quote we
03:03 will act accordingly.
03:04 The ground in Hamas controlled Gaza ambulances rushing to the scene tonight
03:10 Israel's retaliatory strikes leaving more than 600 dead.
03:14 A rise for help as buildings burned children carried to safety.
03:20 This man weeping his head in his hands as he sits on a pile of rubble a home hit
03:25 by an Israeli airstrike 4 of the 7 family members who live there presumed dead.
03:30 Hamas releasing this drone footage. They say it is rarely tank in the
03:35 crosshairs that the strike an explosion.
03:38 It does vote tonight Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu comparing
03:42 Hamas to Isis saying the enemy are animals executing children and parents in
03:48 front of families.
03:49 The retaliation comes 48 hours after a sweeping coordinated and brutal assault
03:56 that left much of Israel under attack the worst attack on Israel in 50 years.
04:01 More than 900 dead here in Israel at least 11 Americans among them.
04:06 Some of the first missiles seen just after 06 AM in the sky above a music
04:12 festival near the Gaza border.
04:13 Young people could be seen running for their lives.
04:17 This haunting drone video posted online showing the aftermath the cars abandoned
04:23 lining the road a staggering 260 people were killed here.
04:28 We learn of a young man at that festival who raced into a shelter only to witness
04:33 many of his own friends shot and killed right in front of him.
04:37 30 year-old saw hope and salon.
04:40 I'm glad you're OK. Thank you very much. Shot in the arm and the leg telling us
04:44 he ran for his life and hid in that shelter with 30 others.
04:48 He estimates 20 of them did not get out alive.
04:51 One of my friend and she got choked by the smoke.
04:55 She tried to run away and she got tackled with the terrorists who got it.
05:00 We tried to get inside to shoot at us and just interoper on the floor and start to
05:05 shoot killed. We should have to get shelter.
05:07 The horror unleashed on that festival was just the beginning.
05:27 Hamas militants going door to door in small towns and villages.
05:31 Witnesses say they were killing indiscriminately leaving bodies in the
05:36 street. Some shot in their cars.
05:38 And witnesses say in homes where they didn't kill, they took hostages,
05:43 mothers and children, seniors dragged away, taken back to Gaza.
05:48 Yoni, I'm David. Thank you for having us.
05:52 I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're still waiting.
05:54 Thank you for coming.
05:56 This young father, Yoni, a share was on the phone with his wife.
06:00 She had brought their two young daughters, two and four to see their
06:04 grandmother. She called her husband after they rushed into a safe room in the
06:08 house. They knew the militants were outside.
06:11 She was whispering. I didn't heard background.
06:15 Didn't hurt the girls. She was frightening.
06:21 And when they called disconnected, I just couldn't do anything.
06:28 It just went down on the floor like this on my knees.
06:32 Um, couldn't feel my legs and try to hope for the best.
06:37 The call drops.
06:38 He had no idea what happened to his wife and children until this video Yoni says
06:43 this is his wife. He watches as militants start to cover his wife's head.
06:49 He sees a flash of one of his daughters.
06:51 I recognized them immediately. And, uh, I saw the video twice.
06:56 And the second time I couldn't watch anymore because, um,
07:00 I got, um, I got, um, I melt down.
07:05 I didn't know what to do. I, um, I couldn't believe this is happening to me.
07:09 It was, uh, it was a nightmare. It was the worst possible scenario.
07:13 He has not heard from his wife since her cell phone now pings from Gaza.
07:19 He is terrified for her and for his daughters.
07:22 The phone is in Han Yunis, which is inside Gaza.
07:26 And that point I, I really feared that, um,
07:31 she'd been taken to even taken. Yeah. This is your first born.
07:34 He shows me the photos of his family, the smiles, the girls in their dresses,
07:39 a father proud to hold his daughter. These are their drawings,
07:43 their little play kitchen and their shoes right where they left them.
07:47 Tonight, Israel says there are at least 100 hostages being held in Gaza and
07:53 Hamas is now warning tonight that they will start executing Israeli hostages.
07:57 If the bombing continues without warning,
08:00 they say some of the hostages are already dead.
08:03 What's your message to those who took your wife and daughters?
08:08 My message to them is, um,
08:13 don't hurt my wife. Don't hurt my little girls.
08:21 Show some decency, show some respect.
08:24 And tonight as Israeli soldiers now a mass at the border with Gaza,
08:29 a young Israeli commander will not be there.
08:32 He was one of the first to respond when the Hamas attacks began.
08:36 20 year old military commander, Yuval Patieff. Hi, I'm David.
08:41 Good to meet you. He watched as the militants charged toward him.
08:46 He says they put a bomb under the tank.
08:48 One terrorist climbed under the tank.
08:51 He put an explosive bomb right under my seat. So when he blew it,
08:56 I flew like in the air. At the moment, I really,
08:59 I knew that I broke my leg.
09:01 So I told my commander that you should take my tourniquet
09:07 and should put it on that.
09:08 You asked them to put your tourniquet on you.
09:10 I just opened the gate and told him to put it right here.
09:14 And did you think you could lose your leg?
09:16 Yeah, I did. But I, I just did what they trained us.
09:19 His leg shattered and bleeding.
09:21 Yuval says they were under attack trapped in that tank for hours.
09:26 He can still see their faces.
09:28 You look at them and how could you do this to someone like,
09:30 all they saw was hate and trying to murder you.
09:34 So we just fought for our lives.
09:36 Everybody got together, hold everything closed,
09:39 trying to pray that they won't get,
09:42 they won't get to open the tank, won't explode it.
09:46 And that was the task. That's all I can say.
09:49 Well, glad you're OK. That you survived.
09:52 Yeah. And you have your leg.
09:55 Yeah. They say it's going to be OK. Yeah.
09:58 OK. Thank you. Thank you.
10:01 A young soldier who thought he would die in that tank.
10:06 Hi, everyone. George Stephanopoulos here.
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