Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip as the Israel Defense Forces prepares for a major offensive in response to Hamas’s deadly surprise attack on Oct. 7, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.
“There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel; everything is closed,” Gallant stated following an assessment at the IDF Southern Command in Beersheva.
“We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly,” added the defense minister.
In a separate announcement on Monday, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said that he instructed authorities to cut off water to the Strip.
Hamas has killed at least 800 Israelis and wounded more than 2,300 on Saturday in a massive offensive that included the launch of thousands of rockets at the Jewish state.
Of the 2,382 wounded, 22 remain in critical condition, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. In addition, 345 Israelis sustained severe wounds.
Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster reported that security officials estimate that between 800 and 1,000 terrorists entered Israel during the initial attack through some 80 gaps in the border. They attacked 20 civilian communities and 11 IDF bases, the report added.
In the past 20 hours, the IDF has carried out four waves of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, attacking more than 800 terrorist targets.
Meanwhile, sirens blared across Israel early Monday afternoon as Gaza terrorist groups launched two volleys of rockets at populated areas in the Jewish state, including the Tel Aviv area and cities in the Haifa district.
During the initial barrage, a rocket fell in an open area near Kfar Chabad, located just outside Ben-Gurion International Airport.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical service said a 75-year-old was seriously wounded by a rocket impact in the southern city of Ashkelon. Two others sustained light injuries in the incident.
In nearby Ashdod, a woman in her 50s was seriously wounded.
The IDF continues to evacuate residents of the south and call up reservists in preparation for an expected ground operation in Gaza.
