JERUSALEM, Israel – More than 48 hours after Hamas’s invasion on October 7th, the IDF spokesman says although Israeli forces have regained control of all Gaza border towns, it’s still possible that some Hamas terrorists are still lurking inside the country.
The IDF deployed four divisions to the south to expel Hamas operatives from Israeli soil. Israeli warplanes are carrying out widespread strikes on Hamas targets and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a “complete closure” of the Gaza Strip.
“No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel” will be allowed into the coastal enclave, Gallant said. “We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
Meanwhile, Hamas continues to rain down rockets on communities in south and central Israel.
The numbers reported since the war began are staggering. More than 4,000 rockets fired into Israel, as many as 700 Israelis murdered, almost 3,000 injured, many seriously— and about 100 kidnapped and taken into captivity in Gaza.
The horrifying images include armed terrorists roaming Israeli communities at will and murdering anyone in sight, elderly women and men dead on the street, whole families slaughtered inside their homes, and more than 200 killed at an outdoor dance festival.
The atrocities are reminiscent of ISIS.
- Bodies of the dead being desecrated in the streets of Gaza.
- A captured 85-year-old grandmother with dementia being mocked in a photo.
- A 7-year-old boy calling for his mother while being tormented by young boys with a whip.
- A one-year-old being teased and harassed by a Hamas terrorist.
- A woman named Noa kidnapped at the concert, her fiancé dragged along, and her father in anguish.
Misgav Institute: The Red Cross Must Be Given Immediate Access to the Israeli Hostages Held By Hamas
· Hamas carried out a heinous war crime under international law when it took numerous Israeli children, women and men captive during its October 7, 2023 terrorist assault on… pic.twitter.com/7TwM5YRJz7
— Misgav Institute for National Security & Zionist (@MisgavINSen) October 8, 2023
Israel is now on a war footing with up to 300,000 reservists called up to action. Many anticipate a ground incursion into Gaza soon with the likely goal of the destruction of the Iranian-backed terror group, and they’re evacuating some communities near Gaza.
“Now for us, it’s a time to get organized and get prepared for the attack against the militia of Hamas, and I call on the Minister to take a different approach. We have to eradicate Hamas. Period,” Ambassador Danny Danon tells CBN News.
BREAKING: Israeli city of Ashdod after massive rocket barrage. What a nightmare. pic.twitter.com/mAtBfLgUv9
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) October 9, 2023
The Wall Street Journal is reporting Iran worked directly with Hamas to plot and plan the invasion. Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman thanked Iran for its support.
Major questions do remain— how did this colossal intelligence failure happen and will Hezbollah fully enter the war? Hezbollah already fired rocket barrages over the weekend, but they’ve subsided for now.
Regardless of those answers, Israel now finds itself in a new era.
“This is a paradigm shift for Israel,” says IDF Spokesman Maj. Doron Speilman. “The Prime Minister, the Cabinet, the heads of the military, it’s clear to everybody for an attack to be carried out on the Israeli people, we’re in a new world, a new region, and our response will be unlimited to what we are going to do to carry out our mission. Whatever that means. All options are on the table.”
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