Monday briefing: Death toll rises to more than 1,100 after weekend of conflict in Israel and Gaza

In today's newsletter: Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been wounded and killed since Saturday morning, with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning of a long and difficult war' after Hamas attack

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Good morning.

At about 6:30am local time on Saturday, Hamas, the Palestinian para-military group, launched an unprecedented, surprise attack by land, air and sea, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza and launching an incursion into southern Israel taking over several Israeli towns. The offensive, which Hamas have called Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", took place a day after the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur war and caught the Israeli government and military completely off guard. It has been described as an intelligence failure for the ages".

Germany | Germany's opposition conservatives have held ground in the key states of Hesse and Bavaria in elections that highlighted discontent with Olaf Scholz's centre-left government amid worries about economic slowdown and migration.

Labour | Rachel Reeves will announce today that a Labour government would create a powerful Covid corruption commissioner to help recoup billions of pounds of taxpayers' money that has been lost to waste, fraud and flawed contracts during the pandemic.

Health | Mental healthcare in England has become a national emergency", with overwhelmed" services unable to cope with a big post-Covid surge in people needing help, NHS bosses say.

Conservatives | Working-class people who were a key part of the coalition of voters that delivered the Conservatives' 2019 general election win have been deserting the party in droves under Rishi Sunak's leadership, polling by YouGov has found. Only 44% of working-class voters who voted for the Tories in 2019 say they will back the party next time.

Spain | Tens of thousands of people have joined conservative and far-right Spanish political leaders in Barcelona to protest against the Socialist party's decision to consider an amnesty for those involved in the failed, unlawful and unilateral push for Catalan independence six years ago.