13:04 GMT — Adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei calls Hamas attack on Israel 'proud' operation.
"We support the proud operation of Al Aqsa Flood," Yahya Rahim Safavi said at a meeting held in support of Palestinian children in Tehran, quoted by ISNA news agency.
Safavi expressed backing for the Palestinian militants "until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem".
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani also hailed the Palestinian assault on Israel.
"The resistance has so far achieved brilliant victories during this operation, and this is a bright spot in the history of the Palestinian people's struggle against the Zionists," Kanani said.
10:57 GMT — Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh described the multi-pronged attack launched by Hamas inside Israeli territories as "heroic", drawing attention to months of perpetual violence imposed by Israeli forces and illegal settlers on Palestinian civilians and storming of Al Aqsa mosque with impunity.
"We are on heroic epic in response to Israel’s aggression against Al-Aqsa," Haniyeh said.
10:06 GMT — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for "restraint" from both Israel and Palestinians and urged the two sides "to act reasonably" to avoid further escalation.
"We invite all parties to act reasonably and to stay away from impulsive steps that raise tensions," Erdogan, who strongly supports the Palestinian cause, said following attacks on Israel by the Palestinian resıstance group Hamas.
Türkiye will continue to oppose any attempt against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Erdogan said at the Justice and Development (AK) Party’s 4th extraordinary congress in the capital Ankara.
Türkiye's ally Russia Russia also urged restraint from all sides.
"We are now in contact with everyone. With the Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian private news agency Interfax, adding: "Of course, we always call for restraint."
07:39 GMT — Operation Iron Swords
The Israeli army has announced launch of the "Iron Swords" military operation against Palestine's blockaded Gaza in response to Hamas' unprecedented military operation against Israel.
Hamas fighters raided Israeli bases in the region under the cover of thousands of rockets, catching the Israeli security apparatus off guard.
Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says more than 2,200 rockets were fired into Israel since 0330 GMT, according to local news media Times of Israel.
Hagari also noted that the Hamas fighters have infiltrated from land, sea and air.
08:34 GMT — Netanyahu: 'We are at war'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that "we are at war," his first remarks since Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.
"Our enemy will pay a price the type of which it has never known," Netanyahu said in a video statement.
“Not an ‘operation,’ not a ‘round,’ but at war,” Netanyahu said.
08:25 GMT — Hezbollah in contact with Hamas
Hezbollah has issued a statement saying they were closely following the situation in Gaza and are in "direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance".
Following events involving Hamas who fired a barrage of rockets into Israel, the statement added that it was a "decisive response to Israel's continued occupation and a message to those seeking normalisation with Israel."
07:20 GMT — Israel 'will win' Hamas started war
Israel's defence minister announced that Hamas has started a war against Israel and pledged that "Israel will win.”
Following a security cabinet meeting at the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hamas “made a grave mistake” in launching barrages of rockets into southern and central Israel in its surprise morning attack.
“The state of Israel will win this war,” Gallant said.
07:50 GMT — Israel targets Gaza
Israel's army carried out at least two air strikes on besieged Gaza after barrages of rockets were fired from the Palestinian territory into Israel.
Hamas claimed that it had fired more than 5,000 rockets had been fired so far from Gaza.
Medics say several people are killed and many wounded from the rockets.
