Israel announced on Monday (October 9) that they will impose a total “total blockade” on Gaza, and this blockade will also include a ban on letting food and fuel enter the area. This decision from Israel came on the third day after a war erupted between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The war between the two has till now claimed more than 1,100 lives on both sides, including more than 800 from Israel, among which over 40 were soldiers.
“I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
More than 2 million people live in Gaza, who have been at the receiving end of the harsh blockade since 2007, but now, Israel aims towards a “complete siege” by denying Gaza all supplies in response to the unexpected Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday.
According to a CNN report, on Monday, Israel’s military said they had regained control of all communities around Gaza, more than 48 hours after Hamas launched a surprise attack. After the retaliation from Israel, officials have reported at least 493 deaths in the Gaza area.
“There is no fighting going on between Israel Defense Forces troops and Hamas inside Israel, and the IDF has re-taken control of all communities around the Gaza Strip,” CNN quoted IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari as saying on Monday morning.
In a video statement on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “was at war” and said Hamas would “pay a price” for launching an attack on Israel.
“We are at war, not an operation. Hamas has launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. I ordered, first of all, to cleanse the settlements of the terrorists who had infiltrated and ordered a large-scale mobilisation of reserves. The enemy will pay a price they have never known,” he said.
Meanwhile, several disturbing videos and pictures from the war-hit country keep emerging on the internet, showing how severely it has affected the country and innocent civilians.
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