The Israeli military announced yesterday that it had called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists and was establishing a comprehensive blockade of the Gaza Strip, hinting at a ground operation to destroy Hamas after it launched a humiliating strike.
According to Israel’s Kan TV, the death toll from the Hamas strike has risen to 800. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, assured mayors of southern towns struck by Saturday’s unexpected attack that Israel’s response would reshape the Middle East.
In another indicator of Israel’s swift transition to war mode, a cabinet member from Netanyahu’s Likud Party stated that a national unity government led by opposition leaders might be formed within hours.
In retaliation to Israel’s assault on civilian homes in Gaza, Hamas’ armed wing says it fired missiles at Jerusalem. According to the emergency service, four persons were injured in a location on the outskirts of the city.
Meanwhile, Qatar and Egypt have been in regular touch with Israel and Hamas in an effort to prevent further escalation of fighting and assure the safety of Israelis held captive by Palestinian militants. Yesterday, two Egyptian security officials confirmed that conversations were already underway.
Egypt has asked Israel to display prudence and Hamas to keep its hostages in excellent condition in order to keep the chance of de-escalation alive, although recent Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip have made mediation harder, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Qatari mediators, for their part, have made urgent calls to try to arrange the release of 36 Palestinian women and children detained by the militant group and held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 36 Israeli women and children, a person briefed on the talks told Reuters.
Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed to Reuters that it is involved in mediation negotiations with Hamas and Israeli authorities, including discussions over a possible prisoner swap. The continuing talks, which Qatar has been conducting in collaboration with the US since Saturday night, are progressing well, according to a source who has been briefed on them.
“At the moment, we are in constant contact with all parties. Our priorities are to stop the bloodshed, release the prisoners, and ensure that the conflict is contained with no regional spillover,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari told Reuters, without elaborating as of press time, although there are no signs of progress as both sides dig in.
When asked to comment on the Reuters article, an Israeli official simply stated, “There are no negotiations underway.”
In other news, the US reported yesterday that nine Americans were killed in Israel and that additional US citizens were missing as a result of Saturday’s epic Hamas strike that killed 700 Israelis.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security also verified the deaths of nine American individuals. “At this time, we can confirm the deaths of nine US citizens,” stated State Department official Matthew Miller. “We can confirm that there are unaccounted-for US citizens, and we are working with our Israeli partners to determine their whereabouts.”
Meanwhile, the European Commission said yesterday it was putting all of its development aid for Palestinians, worth 691 million euros ($729 million), under review and immediately suspending all payments following Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Germany and Austria earlier yesterday said they were suspending bilateral development aid to Palestinians, while others such as Italy had said suspending aid was not up for discussion.
Europe is one of the main sources of aid to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, where the United Nations estimates that about 2.1 million people need humanitarian assistance, among them one million children. It is unclear whether the suspension of development aid will also apply to such assistance.
The commission did not immediately respond to a request to clarify this. “The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point,” Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, said in a post on social media. “There can be no business as usual,” he added.
As of press time, Palestinian fighters were still holed up in several locations inside Israel two days after they killed hundreds of Israelis and seized dozens of hostages in a raid that shattered Israel’s reputation of invincibility.
Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, announced Israel’s tightened blockade which would keep even food and fuel from reaching the strip, home to 2.3 million people. He warned that the price Gaza would pay “will change reality for generations” and Israel was imposing a total blockade with a ban on food and fuel imports as part of a battle against “animals.”
Palestinians are preparing for an offensive of unprecedented scale on the tiny, crowded enclave, exceeding previous bouts of destructive warfare that they fear will leave survivors destitute, without homes, water, electricity, hospitals or food.
Meanwhile, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has expressed deep concern and condemnation over the brutal killings of innocent civilians in Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza in Palestine.
Its National President, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, in a statement issued by the body’s National Bureau of Publicity, expressed shock over what he described as an unprecedented evil against humanity. He described the act as an unspeakable terror that has crossed the boundaries of humanity and inflicted immeasurable pain and suffering on innocent people.
The PFN, he said, has vowed to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel, who have borne the brunt of the horrific terror act, and called upon all people of goodwill to condemn this monstrous attack by Hamas.
According to him, the PFN believes that the act is an affront to the essential principles of peace, love, respect for human dignity, and peaceful co-existence that are the essence of shared humanity.
The PFN also prayed to Almighty God to grant succour to those who are grieving and wisdom to leaders in this time of unprecedented terror, adding that the organisation is praying that peace would reign in Israel and all over the world.
The statement read in part: “Our hearts are gripped by a profound sense of sorrow and outrage as the PFN strongly condemns the horrific and brutal killings that unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning in Israel.
“We condemn this act of unprecedented evil against humanity. Innocent civilians, Israeli citizens and other citizens of the world found themselves under siege in their homes, offices, cars, and places of business, and celebrations. This is unspeakable terror; the boundaries of humanity have been crossed.
“The PFN stands in solidarity with the people of Israel, against whom this horrific terror has been unleashed. We commiserate with you. Our prayers are with you in this hour of darkness. The PFN calls upon all people of goodwill everywhere, to unequivocally condemn this atrocious act by Hamas because it is an affront to the principles of peace, love, respect for human dignity and peaceful coexistence that are the very essence of our shared humanity.
“We stand with the people of Israel in this difficult time. We stand for justice, and we stand against the forces of darkness that seek to destroy the fabric of our human family. We pray that the Almighty God will grant succour to those who are grieving and wisdom to the leaders in this time of unprecedented terror. May peace reign in Israel and all over the world.”
Source: The Sun
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