Armenia Embassy in Israel says cannot evacuate people within 80 km radius of Gaza

The civil defense command of Israel calls on residents of settlements within an 80-kilometer radius of the Gaza Strip not to leave their homes and stay in the immediate vicinity of bomb shelters, the Armenian Embassy in Israel reports.

"We would like to inform you that the embassy is unable to carry out an evacuation from those areas due to the blocking of roads and other circumstances caused by the military situation," the embassy said in a statement on Monday.

Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as hundreds of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land and sea.

Israeli officials confirmed early on Monday that more than 700 Israeli civilians and members of the military had been killed. Another 2,150 were wounded.