Israel has ordered a ‘complete siege’ on the Gaza Strip, cutting off food and electricity as it prepares for a massive ground offensive ‘within 48 hours’ after Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack this weekend in what has been described as the Jewish state’s ‘worst day in history’.
More than 700 Israeli soldiers and civilians were shot dead or blown up in rocket attacks launched by the Palestinian gunmen on Saturday, who mowed down some 260 innocent people at a music festival in a brutal, unexpected offensive that drew comparisons with the 9/11 attacks or Pearl Harbour.
In retaliation, Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) and air force pounded the Gaza Strip with air strikes and missile attacks, claiming they hit more than 1,000 Hamas targets in the past two days.
Now, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said authorities will cut electricity to the Gaza Strip and block the entry of food and fuel, declaring his troops are ‘fighting barbaric [terrorists] and will respond accordingly’.
The measures will essentially enact siege-like conditions that will see the millions of Palestinians living in the tiny, fenced-in region begin to starve as they are attacked from the skies.
The announcement came as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally declared war on Sunday and the army called up around 300,000 reservists, suggesting greater fighting lies ahead with a possible ground assault into Gaza.
Netanyahu has vowed to completely destroy ‘the military and governing capabilities’ of Hamas, which is deeply rooted in Gaza and has ruled unchallenged since 2007.
This morning, thick plumes of smoke billowed from the Palestinian enclave as Israeli strikes continued, with harrowing videos circulating on social media showing screaming civilians being pulled from the rubble of densely populated residential buildings.
The death toll from this new war is already well above 1,100, with casualty figures expected to spiral drastically in the coming days as more bodies are found.
A paramedic holds a little girl crying after being pulled from the scene of the bombing Gaza on Monday
Palestinians inspect damages in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, following a Hamas surprise attack, at Beach refugee camp, in Gaza City, October 9, 2023
A paramedic holds a little girl with her face full of blood and dirt from the effects of the bombing of Israeli planes in Gaza on Monday
People stand among the rubble of a destroyed mosque during Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City on October 9, 2023
Covered bodies of dead Palestinians lie on the floor at the Al-Shifa hospital after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 09 October 2023
A plume of smoke rises in the sky of Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on Monday
Thousands have been injured and killed in the three days since Hamas attacked Israel
A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Sunday night
Israeli airstrikes on Islamic National Bank of Gaza destroy buildings and neighborhoods at Rimal district of Gaza City, Gaza on October 08, 2023
Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on buildings in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023
Gaza is set to be sieged within the next 48 hours
Source: Dailymail.co.uk