Israeli-Palestinian war intensifies: Thousands dead and injured in Gaza

Israeli military executes over 500 raids on targets across the Gaza Strip in just one night

Muslim Network TV Desk with inputs from Anadolu Agency

GAZA, Palestine – Amid an escalating cycle of violence, Israel has declared a complete blockade on Gaza, preventing the entry of essential supplies including food and fuel.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed on Monday that there would be a halt in electricity and food supply and described the move as a part of the war against “beastly people.”

The Israeli military announced the execution of over 500 raids on targets across the Gaza Strip in just one night.

Several mosques have been destroyed in Israel’s attacks.

The Israeli army has committed 15 massacres against Palestinian families in Gaza over the last two days, a Palestinian official in Gaza’s administration said on Monday.

“Contrary to (Israeli) occupation claims of targeting resistance capabilities, the (Israeli) occupation army committed 15 massacres by bombing their homes directly without any warning,” Salama Marouf, chairman of the media office in Gaza, said in a statement.

Marouf added that the Israeli army is entirely to blame for these massacres of civilians.

“This difficult reality (…) necessitates an urgent action by the international community’s relevant organizations to curb the (Israeli) occupation which is following the scorched-earth policy within densely residential areas,” he added.

Nasser Abu Quta, a Gaza resident, described the horrifying event when an airstrike targeted his home without warning, killing 19 of his family members. Such attacks have raised international concerns over the potential violation of war crimes.

The escalation between Israel and Palestinian groups has resulted in the displacement of 123,538 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the latest data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.

The Israeli death toll from a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas is estimated to top 1,000, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Monday.

The Israel newspaper said that over 150 Israelis are also believed to be held captive by Hamas.

There has been no official confirmation so far by Israeli authorities of the new toll.

According to the Israeli Health Ministry, at least 700 Israelis have been killed and 2,315 others wounded in the attack since Saturday.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad said they have taken more than 130 Israelis captive.

Hamas sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip on Saturday amid heavy rocket fire. The group says the attack was in response to Israeli violations in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence.

Israel retaliated, with the Israeli army initiating Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas with a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 430 Palestinians and wounding at least 2,300 others.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to use all of Israel’s strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities and “take revenge for this black day.”

Palestinian officials have reported the death of 32 Palestinians on Monday in fresh Israeli airstrikes, including 19 Palestinians of the same family in the city of Rafah south of Gaza City, bringing the total death toll close to 500.

According to the Israeli army, between 800 and 1,000 armed Palestinians breached the borders with Israel on Saturday, attacking numerous settlements and military bases.

This infiltration followed Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which was a barrage of rockets in response to an attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

Retaliating, the Israeli army’s Operation Swords of Iron targeted Hamas in Gaza, leading to over 413 Palestinian deaths and injuring at least 2,300. The ongoing violence has left 493 Palestinians dead and 2,751 injured, according to Gaza’s health ministry.