Hamas militants have entered the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot - they are patrolling the central city squares with machine guns

The Palestinians are reported to have captured the city of Sderot. It is not so far Gaza - three kilometers from the Erez checkpoint captured by Hamas militants. It was near here that Palestinians captured several Israeli soldiers and seized an IDF army transport.

As for Ashkelon, which was hit by a rocket strike at eight o'clock in the morning, it is located a little further - seven kilometers from Gaza. According to eyewitnesses, armed Palestinians organize patrols in the central squares of cities - they take civilians and military personnel prisoner.

Adding:

A message to Arab countries normalising ties with Israel from Hamas:

Ghazi Hamad, Hamas spokesperson and former deputy foreign minister for the government in Gaza, has told Al Jazeera that the Palestinian operation is also a message to Arab countries who have been normalising relations with Israel.

“I think it is [shameful] for them. I ask all Arab countries to disconnect and cut relationships with Israel, because it is not a state which believes in peace, or coexistence, or believes in being a good neighbour,” Hamad said.

“It is an enemy state and we have to stop them.”