This is a special edition of the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Nick Martin at 13 hours GMT on Saturday the 7th of October.

We're bringing you the latest on the situation unfolding in Israel,

offering unprecedented assault by air sea and ground by Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Dozens of gunmen cross the border infiltrating southern Israel.

There are reports of civilians and soldiers being taken hostage.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unequivocal in his response.

This morning Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel

and its citizens. We are at war and we will win it. Meanwhile the Palestinian

President Mahmoud Abbas says his people have the right to defend themselves against what he

calls the terror of settlers and occupation troops. We have a view from the West Bank.

For months, unprecedented levels of Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians,

record numbers of settler attacks, of settler raids on Al-Aqsa mosque.

There's been international condemnation. Egypt calls for maximum restraint from both sides.

And we ask our security correspondent why was Israel caught off guard?

In the early hours, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel,

beginning with several thousand rockets fired into the south.

The rocket attacks have struck Tel Aviv and areas around Gaza.

The town of Ashkelon saw several major explosions.

Israelis have been warned to stay inside.

Or dozens of militants appear to have entered southern Israel.

There have been reports of military vehicles being attacked,

...