Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Tehran: A senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has expressed support for the 'surprise attack' launched by Hamas against Israel calling it a "proud operation", The Times of Israel reported.

"We support the proud operation of Al-Aqsa Flood," The Times of Israel quoted Yahya Rahim Safavi as saying citing ISNA news agency.

"We support this operation, and we are sure that the resistance front also supports this issue," says Safavi, who is a senior general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also expressed backing for the Palestinian terrorists "until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem".

This comes after a barrage of rockets slammed into southern and central Israel after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Saturday morning.

According to the latest updates, at least 100 people have been killed and over 900 people are injured, The Times of Israel reported, according to The Times of Israel.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani have also hailed the Hamas rocket attack stating that the day marks a "new page" in their "resistance against occupiers".

"Today's operation marked a new page in the field of resistance and armed operations against the occupiers," Kanani said.

He added, "The resistance has so far achieved brilliant victories during this operation, and this is a bright spot in the history of the Palestinian people's struggle against the Zionists."

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a strongly worded response, stressed that the country's focus is on restoring security and to exact an "immense price from the enemy".

Addressing the Security Cabinet meeting in Israel, Netanyahu further called on the citizens to unite for "victory" in the war.

"Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked. The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well. The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war," Netanyahu said at the meeting.

He added, "We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal, victory in the war".

Israel has already declared a state of war in the country after infiltration by Hamas fighters and missile attacks from Gaza. The Israel Defence Forces launched operation 'Iron Swords' in response to Hamas's surprise attack on Israel, the Times of Israel reported. IDF is striking Hamas targets in Gaza.