Israel and Gaza conflict in photos

Israel descended into chaos on Saturday after Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent scores of fighters into towns lining the Gaza Strip — an unprecedented assault that drew fierce condemnation from political leaders around the world.

Photos captured scenes of pandemonium, confusion and bloodshed. The photos show the dizzying aftermath of explosions, thick plumes of smoke rising from ravaged buildings, everyday people evidently struggling to make sense of the violence.

In one image, a boy appears to run away from a car engulfed in flames. In another image, a girl cries in a residential area that has been reduced to nothing but rubble and debris.

Full coverage: Israel-Hamas conflict

Dozens of people in Israel have been killed, according to a spokesperson for the country’s emergency services, and nearly 200 people were killed in Gaza after retaliatory Israeli airstrikes there, according to that enclave’s health ministry.

Editor’s Note: This gallery contains graphic images.