Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “I ordered a full siege on the Gaza Strip. No power, no food, no gas, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.”
More than 700 Israelis have been killed in what Hamas is calling Operation Al Aqsa Flood, with at least 490 Palestinians killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip. The total number of deaths has surpassed 1,100, including foreign nationals.
An unknown number of Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been taken captive by Hamas in its hostilities, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that his country is at war. Israel says it is working to rescue the hostages but warned that Hamas operatives could still be entering the country. The Israel Defense Forces said it struck more than 500 enemy targets in an overnight attack on Gaza.