Gaza Under "Complete Siege" by Israel Amid Unprecedented Attack

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, announced the “complete siege” of Gaza on Monday, following an unprecedented attack by Hamas over the weekend. The military stated that it has reclaimed control of Israeli communities near Gaza that were invaded by Hamas gunmen. Israel will cease the supply of electricity, food, water, and fuel to Gaza as part of the siege.

Israel Retakes Control

Israel has reclaimed control of all communities around Gaza, with the Israeli military confirming an end to the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants inside Israel. The announcement came after continuous assaults by both sides. Hamas’ surprise assault, involving thousands of rockets and armed fighters, was launched over 48 hours prior.

Declaration of War

Israel officially declared war on the Islamist militant group Hamas on Sunday after a unique attack that has resulted in over 700 deaths in Israel and at least 2,506 injuries, according to the Israeli Health Ministry. The war, now in its third day, has seen Israeli jets continue to bombard Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that Israeli strikes have killed at least 493 people in Gaza, including many children, and left 2,651 injured.

Hostages and Attacks

Hamas launched a fresh barrage of rocket attacks on Monday as Israeli forces worked to expel the remaining assailants. Hamas claims to have fired 120 rockets toward the coastal cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon in response to Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli air defense system intercepted these rockets, with dust filling the sky above Ashdod.

Hamas militants have also claimed to be holding more than 100 hostages in Gaza, including high-ranking Israeli army officers and civilians of various nationalities, which is further complicating Israel’s response to the Hamas attack.

Israeli Retaliation

Israel’s primary form of retaliation within Gaza has been airstrikes, with Israeli jets repeatedly striking the densely populated coastal strip. The IDF states it has hit Hamas approximately 800 times, killing “hundreds” of fighters, wounding thousands, and capturing many others.

Israel’s response has led to tens of thousands of people being displaced in Gaza, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Access to medical care is complicated by Israel’s power cut to the territory, endangering the “lives of hundreds” of those injured, as stated by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Ongoing Conflict

The conflict between the two sides has surged in the past two years due to frequent Israeli military raids in Palestinian towns and cities, which Israel claims are a necessary response to an increasing number of attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis.

Concerns are rising that the conflict could spill out into the region, especially after the Lebanese group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting three Israeli sites in an area known as Shebaa Farms. The IDF struck the area in Lebanon where the firing originated in response.