Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Monday that he has ordered Israeli forces to entirely seal off Gaza. The move prevents the transfer of any essential goods to residents of the enclave.
Gallant made the remarks ahead of an operational situation assessment in the IDF’s Southern Command together with the Head of the Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, in response to the ongoing war against Israel by Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization, backed by Iran.
“Gaza will be under complete closure. We are fighting barbaric [terrorists] and will respond accordingly,” Gallant said. “There will be no electricity, food or fuel [delivered to Gaza]. We are fighting barbaric [terrorists] and will respond accordingly.”
In addition, Israel’s Infrastructure Minister Israel Katz ordered that water to the enclave from Israel be cut off as well.
At least 73 soldiers and 34 police officers are among the 800 Israelis who have died so far in the war, named “Operation Iron Swords” by Israel’s government. The bodies of 260 young people were discovered by security officials after Hamas terrorists attacked a music festival dedicated to peace near Kibbutz Re’em along the Gaza border, in addition to those who were wounded by the terrorists and those who were kidnapped.
Some 2,500 Israelis were wounded as of 2 pm Monday.
At least 130 Israelis and foreign nationals were abducted by the terrorists and dragged across the border into Gaza, where they are being held captive by Hamas and its ally, the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.
Thus far, the IDF has called up 300,000 reservists in what has become the fastest mobilization since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, during which 400,000 reservists were mobilized.
In addition, many other reservists are currently on their way back to Israel to join their fellow soldiers from countries around the globe.
