Israeli officials warned the United Nations that the agency should evacuate its personnel from northern Gaza as a land offensive is set to commence.
Also, roughly one million civilians north of Wadi Gaza were directed to head south as troops prepared to enter the region. These were clear signals that a massive military operation was set to begin.
This established a clear difference between the Hamas terror attack and the Israeli response. Citizens of Israel received no warning that they were in immediate danger before militants massacred whole families indiscriminately.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) gave clear warnings and even dumped fliers over the Gaza Strip to let civilians know of the pending danger.
Hamas is believed to be holding about 150 hostages, and the group threatened to execute them if Israel launches a retaliatory offensive. Estimates are that more than 1,300 Israelis were killed in the surprise attack.
Israel reported that its defense forces killed over 1,500 Hamas terrorists within its territory, and roughly the same number are dead in the Gaza Strip.
BREAKING: Fox News says "full on ground invasion" of Gaza is "imminent."#Israel #Hamas #IronDome #Gaza #TelAviv #Palestine #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/528CpCJJDU
— Insider Corner (@insiderscorner) October 11, 2023
It should be noted that the citizens of Gaza voted Hamas into power in 2007 and chose them as leaders.
Meanwhile, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called the Israeli order to evacuate northern Gaza “impossible” without bringing about “devastating humanitarian consequences.”
Israel already carried out airstrikes in the region and said its total siege of northern Gaza will remain in effect until every hostage is released.
Many international observers took the visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the days after the attack as Washington’s stamp of approval for a strong military response. There have also been shipments of weapons arriving from the U.S.
Israel shut down the supply of food and electricity to Gaza, including through the region’s border with Egypt.
Energy Minister Israel Katz posted on social media that the siege is not a short-term situation. “Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home.”
Hamas continues to launch missiles into Israel, and Syrian state media reported that two of its airports are shut down due to Israeli airstrikes.
