Israel launches total siege on Gaza, Hamas threatens to kill hostages

It is a “total siege” on the Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities cut off electricity, food, fuel and water supplies in response to an attack launched on Saturday by Hamas militias that plunged Israel into terror. As Palestinian rockets continue to rain down on several areas of Israel, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, attacks in the Gaza Strip intensify and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it has mobilized around 300,000 reservists in just 48 hours. . Benjamin Netanyahu told Joe Biden on Sunday that Israel has no choice but to launch a ground operation in Gaza. “We must enter”, message from the Israeli prime minister to the US president, according to Israeli and US sources cited by Axios. Biden would not have tried to dissuade the Israeli leader, who, meeting with local authorities in the south of the country, appealed to the people to “remain firm because we are going to change the Middle East”, “Hamas will go through difficult and terrible times, we have just begun” .

The number so far is at least 900 dead and 2,250 injured in Israel, 576 victims and almost 3,000 injured in the Strip, more than 50 deaths in the attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp alone, one of the most populous in Gaza. Among those who lost their lives in Hamas attacks are 9 Americans and 2 French, while Russia and the United Kingdom are searching for their 4 and 10 missing citizens, respectively. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, made it known that Italy is unable to contact two compatriots. “They are two Italians who also have Israeli passports, therefore with dual citizenship, who were in the Be’eri kibbutz and who cannot be traced,” he said, “I hope they were not taken prisoner and that they were not taken in a Gaza Strip”. The fears are actually directed at the dozens of civilian hostages brought to Gaza by the militias. At least four of them, according to Palestinian forces, died in one of the attacks in Tel Aviv and others could be killed in retaliation.

“From this moment on, any attack against our people in the safety of their homes, without prior warning, will result in the execution of one of the civilian hostages we have in custody, which will be broadcast in video and audio,” announced a spokesperson . of Hamas. Israel, in turn, guaranteed that it had information about all the hostages. According to some media, Qatar is negotiating with Palestinian fighters, with the support of Washington, to obtain the release of prisoners, while Arab media claim that Egypt is playing the role of mediator. Negotiations from which both Hamas and Israel distanced themselves in public statements. Calls for a ceasefire between the parties are also multiplying, from the West to Moscow and the Arab League, with the latter calling a meeting for Wednesday.