The Gaza Strip, a small Palestinian enclave, has become the center of a deadly conflict between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas militants. As the violence intensifies, with hundreds of lives lost and a new wave of attacks launched, the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered a “full siege” of the strip. “We are imposing a full siege on Gaza. N electricity, no food, no water, no gas, everything closed,” Gallant said.
This decision comes on the third day of intense fighting, which began with a Hamas offensive on Saturday. The IDF reports over 700 Israeli casualties and the Palestinian authorities have declared 436 deaths. In addition, the IDF has regained control of localities in the south of Israel that were attacked by Hamas infiltrators, though they acknowledge that there may still be militants in the area.
The Hamas offensive has been described as comparable to the attacks on the United States on 9/11, as the group managed to infiltrate hundreds of militants into Israel, causing destruction and chaos. Their targets have included military sites, civilian areas, and even a music festival, where they killed up to 250 people, according to the Zaka NGO.
But the conflict has taken on a new dimension as Hamas has taken over 100 Israeli citizens as hostages, the first time in Israel’s history. This has prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that “what happened is unprecedented” and that the country is facing a long and difficult war.
As a result, the situation in the Gaza Strip has become dire. Over 123,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The IDF is conducting a rescue mission to retrieve the hostages and is urging citizens living near the Gaza Strip to evacuate immediately.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation as citizens from other countries, including Thailand, Nepal, and the United States, have been killed in the crossfire, with others still missing and wounded. With the Israeli army’s full siege of the Gaza Strip and ongoing rescue efforts, the conflict has reached a critical turning point.
Amidst the uncertainty and rising death toll, the hope for a peaceful resolution seems distant. As the world holds its breath, waiting for an end to the violence, it is clear that the conflict between Israel and Hamas has reached a dangerous and unprecedented level.
With information from El Colombiano