Gaza Airstrike damages

Fighting between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel's military is escalating, claiming more than 500 lives on both sides since the group began its surprise attacks on Saturday.

The Israeli military said the attacks have killed more than 200 people and injured more than 1,000 in the country. Hamas, which controls Gaza, said in a statement that it had to make a strategic decision to counter what it called the crimes of Israel against the Palestinian people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country is at war, and ordered retaliatory strikes. The Israeli military said on Sunday that its fighter jets had attacked three command centers of Hamas. Health authorities in Gaza say the Israeli attacks have killed 313 people and injured about 2,000.