Israel is at war, and Hamas vows to kill detainees
Source Thejakartapost
In an indication that it may be preparing a ground invasion
in retaliation for the horrific attack by Hamas terrorists over the weekend,
the Israeli military announced on Monday that it had summoned an unprecedented
300,000 reservists and was enforcing a complete embargo of the Gaza Strip.
Two days after they massacred hundreds of Israelis and took
numerous captives in a raid that destroyed Israel's image as an unbeatable
force, Palestinian fighters remained entrenched in a number of locations within
Israel.
As Israel carried out severe counterattacks in Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a tighter embargo to keep gasoline and food from reaching the 2.3 million-person population there, drawing condemnation from throughout the world.
According to Human Rights Watch's Israel and Palestine Director Omar Shakir, "denying food and electricity to the people living in an occupied territory is collective punishment, which is a war crime." As night fell, the Israeli airstrikes grew more intense, and according to witnesses, they attacked multiple Hamas security headquarters and ministries. Some residences and roads were destroyed by the strikes. Additionally, Israel bombed the private Palestinian Telecommunication Co.'s headquarters, which may have an impact on mobile, internet, and landline phone services.
The health ministry of the territory reports that numerous people were injured and died in that airstrike. About 137,000 individuals, according to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, were seeking refuge with UNRWA, the organization that offers Palestinians basic assistance.
Israel's chief military spokesman claimed that troops had retaken control of overrun communities inside Israel in the southern region of the country, where Hamas attacked. However, sporadic battles persisted as some militants remained active. The horrific pictures showed hundreds of Israelis' bodies strewn across town streets, shot dead at an open-air dance party, and kidnapped from their homes. These scenes had never been witnessed before in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian war. The news that 300,000 reservists had been called up in just two days fueled rumors that Israel might be planning a ground invasion of Gaza, a territory it gave up almost twenty years ago. "This is the largest reservist draft we have ever done," chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari stated. "We are going on the offensive."
A complete slaughter
Israeli security personnel reportedly called and left audio messages on Palestinian cell phones, advising the population to evacuate the northern and eastern regions of Gaza and informing them that the army would be conducting operations in those areas. The terrorist group Hamas, which demands the destruction of Israel, claims that their strike was warranted due to Gaza's suffering from a 16-year blockade and the worst Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank in years.
With the air still hazy from the explosion, footage from Gaza that Reuters was able to collect showed hundreds of Palestinians scrambling over destroyed buildings in search of survivors. As rescue crews extinguished burning autos, sirens went off. Egyptian security sources claim that Egypt, which has mediated disputes between Israel and Hamas in the past, was in close communication with both parties. Additionally, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared that his nation was prepared to act as a mediator.
According to a source who spoke to Reuters, Qatari mediators have made urgent calls to Hamas officials in an attempt to broker the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons in exchange for the negotiation of freedom for Israeli women and children who were kidnapped by the militant organization and imprisoned in Gaza.
According to an Israeli official, no talks were taking place.
source: the Jakarta Post
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