The Israel Defense Forces launched significant and overwhelming airstrikes across Gaza in response to the unprecedented terrorist attacks over the weekend that left more than 900 Israelis dead and thousands wounded.
Israeli forces say they're targeting Hamas leaders and militants involved in the attacks, though civilians will inevitably be affected by the sheer destruction caused by the IDF.
ISRAEL WAR: HAMAS TERRORIST ATTACK PUT DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT FOR ALLY TO THE TEST
IDF says it carried out more than 100 strikes against Hamas sites in the Gaza City neighborhood of al-Furqan pic.twitter.com/VNf5aj4oDE
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"Dozens of fighter jets recently attacked over 100 targets throughout the Al Furkan neighborhood. In the last day, the IDF attacked over 250 targets in the area of the neighborhood," the IDF said, adding in a subsequent post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the "Al Furkan neighborhood serves as a terror nest for Hamas and from where many activities against Israel are carried out. The IDF will continue to act powerfully against the infrastructures of the terrorist organization Hamas that aim terror against the State of Israel."
The death toll in Gaza is now up to 830 people killed, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said Tuesday, while another 4,250 have been injured.
Israeli leaders warned Palestinians in Gaza to leave certain areas, but their movements are heavily restricted. All crossings out of Gaza are closed except the tightly controlled Rafah crossing with Egypt. Gaza, which is only 140 square miles, is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, making unintended civilian casualties inevitable in past military flair-ups.
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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “total siege” of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food, fuel, and water to Gaza on Monday.
Hamas also kidnapped between 100 and 150 people from a concert and kibbutzim and brought them to the tiny enclave of Gaza, according to Ambassador Gilad Erdan. Hamas threatened to execute the hostages and broadcast it due to Israel's retaliatory campaign, though a spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that they were not engaged in any negotiations at the time.