What Israel Did After Hamas Threatened To Kill Hostages
Israel continued its aggressive airstrikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza, despite the Palestinian group’s threat to execute some of the approximately 150 hostages taken in a weekend assault if the bombings persist without warning.
On Monday, Israel initiated a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, severing food, water, and electricity supplies, intensifying concerns over an already dire humanitarian situation
Hamas’s unprecedented ground, air, and sea attack has left Israel reeling, drawing comparisons to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
The death toll in Israel rose to over 900, while retaliatory strikes in Gaza raised the death toll to 687. The Israeli army claimed it had “more or less restored control” over the Gaza border following Saturday’s mass breach by Palestinian gunmen.
They recovered the bodies of around 1,500 Hamas militants inside Israel, confirming the scale of the assault. They also stated they had “nearly completed” the evacuation of Israeli communities around the border.
Fireballs and explosions were frequent in Gaza City before dawn on Tuesday, accompanied by blaring sirens. Hamas warned that Israeli airstrikes had killed four of its hostages and threatened to carry out further executions.
In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likened Hamas to the Islamic State group and pledged to deploy “unprecedented force.” He also promised to “strengthen other fronts in the north against Hezbollah,” where militants and Israeli forces engaged in a second day of fire exchange. Hamas launched more rockets towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, prompting missile defense systems to fire and air raid sirens to wail.
Israel mobilized 300,000 army reservists for its “Swords of Iron” campaign. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel would enforce a “complete siege” on the long-blockaded enclave of 2.3 million people, cutting off all essentials. UN Chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep distress at the siege announcement, warning that Gaza’s already dire humanitarian situation would deteriorate exponentially.
Palestinians in the territory prepared for what many feared would be a large-scale Israeli ground assault. Middle East tensions surged as Israel’s arch-enemy Iran praised the Hamas attack, though Tehran denied any direct involvement in the operation.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, stated that Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed three of its members, leading the group to retaliate against two Israeli barracks. This marked the second day of a fire exchange between Israel and Hezbollah, who claimed that their strikes were in solidarity with the Hamas attacks. The US expressed deep concern about Hezbollah’s decision to open a second front in the conflict.
Washington moved its largest aircraft carrier and other warships closer to Israel to demonstrate support but emphasized it had no plans for US boots on the ground, instead working on hostage recovery efforts with its ally.
Hamas’s attack breached the Gaza border fence, which had been considered impregnable and heavily guarded. Over 270 bodies, mostly young people, were strewn across the site of a music festival in a Negev desert kibbutz, with other revellers feared among the captives taken into Gaza. An Israeli soldier reported witnessing Hamas attackers firing RPG missiles into the crowd.
Inside Gaza, airstrikes caused extensive destruction in the Jabalia refugee camp, with charred bodies recovered from the rubble. T
he UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees reported sheltering over 137,000 people in schools across Gaza, describing the situation as unbearable. In the West Bank, protesting Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces, resulting in 15 Palestinian deaths since Saturday.
The escalating conflict had global ramifications, leading to a surge in oil prices due to concerns over tightening supplies.
Chevron suspended operations at a natural gas platform off Israel’s coast at authorities’ request. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, assured Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas that the Gulf kingdom was working to prevent the conflict from spreading across the region.
The European Commission revealed it was reviewing its development aid to the Palestinians, clarifying that no support had been suspended as of yet. Britain announced a similar review. Both the United States and the European Union classify Hamas as a terrorist group.
Analysts suggested that the unprecedented nature of the Hamas assault could render diplomatic efforts fruitless for the time being. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan engaged in urgent telephone diplomacy, cautioning Israel against “indiscriminately” attacking civilians while urging both sides to uphold the “ethics” of war.
