Two Ukrainian women killed in Israel

This was reported by the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine.

"The Embassy of Ukraine has received confirmation from the Israeli police about the death of two Ukrainian citizens. Measures are being taken to organize the repatriation of the bodies of the victims," the statement said.

At the same time, there is no information of Ukrainian citizens being among the wounded or missing.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleh Nikolenko, told RBC-Ukraine that the victims in Israel were two women who had lived in the country for a long time.

"We have confirmed information about the death of two Ukrainian women in Israel. Both citizens had lived in the country for a long time. Consuls are providing the necessary consular assistance and keeping in touch with their relatives," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Events in Israel: latest updates

On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Palestinian armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a massive air and land attack on the state of Israel in several places. The head of the Hamas military wing, Mohammed Deif, said that his militants had launched the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. According to him, these actions are intended to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The Palestinians launched 2,000 to 3,000 missiles at Israel and simultaneously seized 7 communities in the south.

In response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the mobilization of reservists and the launch of the Iron Swords counterterrorism operation. For the first time in 50 years, the government introduced martial law in the country. 

The IDF actively used aviation to strike Palestinian command posts. It has also begun clearing Hamas-occupied communities.

In addition, there is a great threat that the Shiite Hezbollah could attack Israel from the north, as its main partner and supplier, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), has called on jihadists to "liberate Jerusalem."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the successful completion of the first stage of the war with Palestine and explained what the army's further actions would be.

On the morning of October 8, the Saudi television channel Al Arabiya published the losses of both Palestinians and Israelis during the first day of the renewed military conflict. According to the channel, Israel lost 300 people killed and at least 1,600 wounded. The number of casualties from the Palestinian-populated Gaza Strip is 232 killed and 1,627 wounded. 

On October 8, Israeli troops claimed that Lebanon had attacked their territory, so the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked in response. In particular, Israeli aviation struck a complex belonging to the head of Hamas' intelligence.

Militants of the Lebanese military-political organization Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions on the border with the disputed Golan Heights and supported Hamas in its operation against Israel.