ISRAEL SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS TAKEN HOSTAGE BY PALESTINIAN MILITANTS

At least 150 people are reported killed and 1,100 wounded in Israel after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its biggest attack in years.

Dozens of gunmen from Gaza infiltrated southern Israeli communities after dawn under the cover of heavy rocket fire.

They have taken both Israeli soldiers and civilians hostage, and some have been brought back to Gaza.

Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on Gaza that have killed at least 232 people and wounded 1,600, the Palestinian health ministry said.