Israel cabinet on Tuesday approved War Operational Plans against Gaza.
According to Israel security authorities, the Israel Defense Force has pooled over 300,000 reservists and intends to cross into Gaza and eliminate Hamas’ capability to fight.
IDF Chief-of-Staff (Lt.-Gen.) Herzi Halevi said that, “this started poorly” for Israel, but “will end much worse for the other side” – Hamas.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he had ordered a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip.
“We are fighting savages and we are acting accordingly,” he added.
Gallant also said that the war Israel was fighting against the Hamas terror group is “a war for our future.”
“Exacting a heavy price from the enemy is a necessary condition for our existence in the region,” said Gallant.
Gallant’s office said the defense minister has instructed the military to “significantly increase the intensity of attacks in the Gaza Strip” and “eliminate all of the Hamas targets.”
The IDF said it launched massive airstrikes during the day, including many targeting a coastal neighborhood of Gaza City, targeting dozens of sites.
Clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces were reported near Kibbutz Karmia, close to the northern border with the Gaza Strip, the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council said.
Alongside the invasion, carried out by terrorists in convoys of pickup trucks and motorbikes as well as speedboats and motorized gliders, Gazan terrorists fired thousands of rockets at Israel, hitting homes in Tel Aviv and elsewhere.
The 900 dead included at least 73 soldiers, including top officers.
The number of wounded has also continued to tick upward. The Health Ministry said that as of Monday afternoon, 2,616 people had been treated at hospitals, including 25 people in critical condition and hundreds more also fighting for their lives.
The death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 687, including 140 children, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said.
Another 2,900 people were injured since Saturday’s surprise dawn attack.
