The death toll from the war against Israel launched by Hamas on Saturday morning rose to more than 900 by 9 pm Monday night, with 2,600 others wounded.
IDF Home Front Command instructed Israelis nationwide to prepare 72 hours’ worth of food, water and other essentials — like medication and important documents — to be stored in their bomb shelters.
The IDF spokesperson subsequently clarified that the advisory did not signify a change in the general Home Front instructions to the country, but rather are general recommendations and a sharpening of public awareness regarding staying and being equipped in protected areas.
The announcement came as tensions in the north continue to rise, with several skirmishes having taken place between Israeli forces and terrorists in southern Lebanon, including on Monday.
Meanwhile, more than 100 Israelis and other nationals remain captives of Hamas in Gaza, having been dragged across the border into Gaza by terrorists on Saturday.
Israeli security officials made another horrific discovery on Monday: the bodies of at least 100 residents of Kibbutz Be’eri, who died at the hands of the Hamas terrorists who invaded their community.
This comes in addition to the bodies of the 270 young people who were executed in cold blood by Hamas terrorists as they celebrated early Saturday at a music festival dedicated to peace. Hundreds more were wounded by terrorist gunfire, and many others were dragged across the border as hostages.
“Twenty young people forced themselves into a huge trash bin at that festival, desperately trying to hide from the terrorists,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told reporters Monday night at a news briefing. “The terrorists hurled a grenade into the bin, and then shot those who survived, one by one, like Nazis or ISIS.”
Cohen echoed the words of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, all of whom pledged that “what was, will never be again.”
The foreign minister declared, “We will do whatever it takes to regain our security and destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. What happened in the past will not happen in the future again. This is a new reality.”
