Israel-Palestine at war: live updates as almost 1,000 confirmed dead overall, US says it will send aircraft carrier

Israel has declared a ‘state of war’ after Islamist militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack and fired thousands of rockets into the country early on Saturday (7 October).

Gunmen were confirmed to have “infiltrated” the country from several locations on the Gaza Strip - a territory claimed by Palestine located at the southern border of Israel.

Hamas military commander Mohammad Deif claimed responsibility for the attack - claiming '5,000' rockets had been fired into Israel. In a rare public statement, he declared “enough is enough” and urged Palestinians everywhere to fight.

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his citizens "we are at war" as he promised "the enemy will pay a price he has never known."

So far the death toll across both sides stands at about 1,100.

Follow below for the latest updates.