Ireland’s Embassy in Tel Aviv is providing support to Irish people in Israel.
Israel this morning formally declared war on Hamas after a weekend of violence that has seen at least 1,100 people killed so far.
At least 700 Israelis have been killed since Hamas launched its attack on Saturday morning.
The Palestinian Health Authority has said 493 people have been killed in retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip.
The number of wounded Palestinians has risen to 2,751.
The Israeli rescue service Zaka says at least 260 bodies have been removed from a music festival which was attacked by Hamas militants.
The militants have also taken dozens of hostages.
Kim Damti. Image: Facebook22-year-old Irish-Israeli woman Kim Damti remains unaccounted for following the attack.
In an interview with ABC World News her mother Jennifer (60) from Portlaoise said she called the family in a panic as the rockets began to fall on the festival.
“Kim didn’t realise that there was seven or eight Toyota vans full of terrorists,” she said.
“They just shot everywhere. They just shot them, slaughtered them like ducks.”
'I just want her back'
The last time her family heard from her, Kim was with a friend running towards a car in a bid to flee the falling rockets.
She has not been heard from since and her father and brother have been attending local hospitals trying to find out whether she is among the dead.
Jennifer said she has been unable to sleep since her daughter went missing.
“All I can think about is where she is, if she is suffering, if she is still alive,” she said. “I just want her back.”
Palestinians inspect the ruins of a destroyed mosque in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, following an Israeli airstrike, 08-10-2023. Image: Abed Rahim Khatib/dpaThe Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is in direct contact with Kim’s family and is providing consular assistance.
It said it is closely monitoring the situation for Irish citizens in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian territory.
It said Ireland’s Embassy in Tel Aviv and Representative Office in Ramallah are providing support to Irish people on the ground.
Israel has said it is fighting Hamas in up to eight places in the south of the country.
Authorities in the country have described the attacks as ‘our 9/11’, with President Benyamin Netanyahu pledging to reduce Hamas’ hideouts to rubble in response.
Hamas commander Mohammed Deif has urged Palestinians to help "sweep away the [Israeli] occupation".
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has condemned Hamas’ actions and said he is “very concerned now about civilians both in Israel and in Gaza”.
The Irish Government has urged de-escalation to protect the lives of civilians.
