US reporter forced to hide in a ditch to avoid rocket strike during live broadcast

A US reporter was forced to hide in a ditch to avoid an incoming rocket strike while reporting live on air in Israel.

Shockwaves were sent across the Middle East and the entire globe over the weekend after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.

As a result of the attack, it is believed more than 700 people have been killed in Israel - 260 of which were at a music festival - while many others are said to have been injured and kidnapped.

Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, levelling whole streets and killing at least 419 people, according to the Palestinian Authority.

As is the case with any huge world event, media organizations have sent some of their most qualified journalists to the front line to cover events as they are having in the Middle East.

As we have seen with other wars like Russia's invasion of Ukraine, these reporters are certainly putting their lives at risk to cover the news.

CNN'S Clarissa Ward is one of those on the frontline in Israel right now, providing the latest updates after hundreds of casualties were reported over the weekend.

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images

Ward has delivered reports from war-torn countries in the past, though what happened during a segment on Monday (9 October) took her by huge surprise.

As she started her report on live TV, Ward was left breathless and lying on her side as she was in an area that was being bombarded by rockets.

"So forgive me. I have a slightly inelegant position, but we have just had a massive barrage of rockets coming in here not too far from us," she began by saying in her link.

"So we have had to take shelter here by the roadside."

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Still lying on her side for cover, Ward continued: "We’re just about five minutes away. Gaza is in that direction. We can hear now a lot of jets in the sky.

"We can also hear the Iron Dome intercepting a number of those rockets as they were whizzing overhead and making impact in that direction, not too far from here.

"We came to this location because this was Ground Zero for this entire operation of carnage. Hamas militants came on a pickup truck.

"This was the first place where they breached that border wall and they basically drove down this strip, just spraying lead wherever they went.

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"We saw — in fact, I was just grabbing it before that happened and we had to hit the deck — but, heavy weaponry being used."

Ward was then given all clear to continue the report from her feet, as the camera panned to show the mass destruction in war-torn Israel.

In a statement at the start of the attacks, president Joe Biden condemned Hamas and offered support to Israel.

The president said: "The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel."