The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has declared a blockade of Gaza after Hamas militants launched a massive attack on Israel, killing and injuring hundreds of people.
The minister stated that there will be no electricity, food, fuel, or anything else in the Gaza Strip. He referred to Hamas militants as “human animals” and stated that they are fighting accordingly.
Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, announced that Israel had regained control of all towns on the Gaza border and that there is little to no fighting in the communities that were overrun by Hamas militants during the weekend’s attack.
Hagari admitted that there may still be terrorists in the area and that clashes between the IDF and Hamas fighters have been isolated. IDF tanks and drones are currently controlling the openings in the border fence to prevent more infiltrations by Palestinian fighters, and 15 of the 24 border communities have already been evacuated.
The IDF has announced that it is conducting widespread airstrikes on various Hamas positions throughout Gaza.
The conflict between Hamas and Israel escalated on Saturday when the Palestinian resistance group launched a surprise attack on multiple locations along the Gaza border.
The militants overran several military installations and infiltrated deep into Israeli territory, attacking settlements and launching thousands of rockets.
Israeli officials estimate that over 700 people have been killed and more than 2,200 have been injured in the Hamas assault. In response, Israel has launched massive airstrikes on Gaza and is reportedly preparing for a ground operation.
Troops have been redeployed to the south of the country and military reservists have been called up. On Sunday, Israel declared a state of war by invoking Article 40 of its Basic Law.