Israeli forces fought to regain control of the desert areas around the GazaStrip and carry out evacuations in the troubled border region, as the deathtoll from the conflict with Hamas exceeded 1,100 by Monday, marking thethird day of intense clashes.
Over the weekend, Hamas launched a sudden assault from Gaza, launching abarrage of rockets and sending a wave of fighters who targeted civiliansand took over 100 hostages.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that over 700 Israelis have losttheir lives since the start of Hamas’s large-scale attack, with anadditional 1,200 people sustaining injuries, many of them in criticalcondition.
In response, Israeli airstrikes targeted approximately 800 locations withinthe Gaza Strip, a densely populated area with 2.3 million residents.Palestinian officials in Gaza reported at least 413 Palestinian casualties.
IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus estimated that around1,000 Palestinian fighters were involved in Hamas’s Saturday assault, whichhe described as “the worst day in Israeli history.”
Read Top Stories
“This could be compared to a combination of 9/11 and Pearl Harbor,” headded.
Approximately 100,000 reserve troops have been mobilized in the southernregion as the IDF works to remove Hamas fighters from Israeli territory.Israeli officials have expressed their determination to oust Hamas fromgoverning the besieged Gaza enclave.
In response to the conflict, US President Joe Biden ordered “additionalsupport for Israel in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault byHamas.” Several US citizens were killed in the attack, according to USSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with the toll expected to rise. USDefense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged to swiftly provide the IsraelDefense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions.