Deaths mount as Israel launches large-scale retaliation against Hamas in Gaza

John Yang:

Good evening, I'm John Yang. Tonight, Israel is a nation at war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy the ability of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to govern and carry out military attacks and ever he warns will be long and difficult. The death toll continues to climb.

At this hour there are more than 700 Israelis dead. On the Palestinian side. More than 400 are reported dead, and each side reports more than 2,000 wounded.

Late today, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of force in support of Israel.

The skyline of Gaza shrouded in smoke as Israeli strikes pummeled residential building. Mosques of the Israeli military said how's Hamas command centers and tunnels long suspected to be smuggling routes for weapons. Israeli officials say they also hit the National Bank of Gaza. NewsHour producer Shames Ouda.

Shames Ouda:

If you look behind me, this is the Islamic investment bank as the Israeli playing that this bank belong to Hamas, the Israeli Air Force Attack this bank just 10 minutes ago. We are in the main street of Gaza. Omar Mukhtar Street. Omar Mukhtar Street, the famous street in Gaza is full of shops, full of tanks, a lot of offices belong to journalist banks. And this if you see it's empty, no problem state everything is closed.

John Yang:

Just across the Gaza border in southern Israel, battles continued between Israeli forces and Hamas gunmen. Israel is called reservists back to duty some volunteering to join the fight. The military says it's masking tens of thousands of troops in southern Israel.

Aviel Haim, Reservist (through translator):

What happened yesterday hasn't happened for a long time. We need to know how to deal with it and what to do and act correctly. We are on our way to the south. We'll see what will happen. I don't know yet what we'll do there.

Ori Gat, Reservist:

We're doing what's needed, we will win slowly, slowly, it will be okay.

John Yang:

On Israel's northern border and exchange of rockets and artillery between the Iranian backed Hezbollah militia and Israeli forces stoked fears of a larger regional conflict. And there was word today that American citizens may have been killed or captured in the attack. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on CBS Face the Nation.

Antony Blinken:

We've got reports that several Americans are among the dead. We're working very actively to verify those reports. At the same time that reports of Americans being taken hostage there too. We're working to get the facts and to find out if those reports are accurate.

John Yang:

Around the World gestures of support for both sides. In Tehran, in Istanbul, and elsewhere shows of support for Palestinians. But far greater were gestures of sympathy and solidarity for Israel.

In Berlin supporters gathered at the Brandenburg Gate, in New York City, the Empire State Building bathed in Israeli blue and white.