(HorizonPost.com) – Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza as Israel strikes back against Hamas after the Iranian-backed terrorists launched a surprise attack in Israel over the weekend in which at least 900 were killed and dozens more taken hostage, The Hill reported.
In a video message posted on X, Gallant said nothing would be allowed in or out of Gaza, including fuel, electricity, and food supplies. He said Israel is fighting “animals in human form” and said the country would “proceed accordingly.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called up around 300,000 reservists on Sunday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally declared war.
Already, Israel has struck between 500 and 1,000 targets in Gaza.
According to a CBS News report, by Monday, the death toll in Israel stood at 900 civilians but is expected to rise higher. Over 250 of the dead were attending a music festival near the border with Gaza when the surprise attack took place.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed on Monday that at least nine American citizens are among the dead while an undetermined number of US citizens remain missing.
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip had killed over 680 people by Monday morning while another approximately 3,700 were injured. The Gaza Ministry of Health claimed that around 140 children were among the dead.
From Sunday night into Monday morning, IDF helicopters, fighter jets, and artillery hit Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza.
The IDF claimed that it destroyed terrorist tunnels and at least seven command centers belonging to Hamas in Gaza. Another command center used by Islamic Jihad, a second Iranian-back terror group in Gaza, was also hit.
Israel is expected to launch a ground operation into the Gaza Strip in the coming days.
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