Israeli Military Pulverizes Gaza Strip With Airstrikes

The Israeli military has launched a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and is preparing for a possible ground invasion. The حملة عسكرية comes in response to the capture of 150 Israeli soldiers by Hamas militants.

The Israeli military has intensified its offensive in the Gaza Strip, pounding the territory with airstrikes and preparing for a possible ground invasion. The military said Thursday that its complete siege of the territory — which has left Palestinians desperate for food, fuel, and medicine — would remain in place until Hamas militants free some 150 hostages taken during a grisly weekend incursion.

Blinken's visit, U.S. weapons shipments

A visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with shipments of U.S. weapons, offered a powerful green light to Israel to drive ahead with its retaliation in Gaza after Hamas's deadly attack on civilians and soldiers. Even as international aid groups warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Israel halts deliveries, tightens siege

Israel has halted deliveries of basic necessities and electricity to Gaza's 2.3 million people and prevented the entry of supplies from Egypt. "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," Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said on social media.

Preparing for ground maneuver

Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters Thursday that forces "are preparing for a ground maneuver" should political leaders order one. A ground offensive in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas militants and where the population is densely packed into a sliver of land only 40 kilometers (25 miles) long, would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.

Hamas assault, Israeli bombardment

Hamas's assault on Saturday killed more than 1,300 people in Israel, including 247 soldiers — a toll unseen in Israel for decades — and the ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 1,530 people in Gaza, according to authorities on both sides. Israel says roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were killed inside Israel, and that hundreds of the dead in Gaza are Hamas members. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.

Airstrikes on Gaza

As Israel pounds Gaza from the air, Hamas militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel. Amid concerns that the fighting could spread in the region, Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes on Thursday put two Syrian international airports out of service.

Relentless barrage, fleeing Palestinians

The relentless barrage on Gaza — 6,000 munitions dropped since the conflict began, the military said — left Palestinians running through streets with what belongings they could carry, looking for safety. A strike Thursday afternoon in the Jabaliya refugee camp collapsed a residential building on families sheltering inside, killing at least 45 people, Gaza's Interior Ministry said. At least 23 of the dead were under the age of 18, including a month-old child, according to a list of the casualties.

Hospitals, aid shortages

Hospitals, overwhelmed by a constant stream of wounded and running out of supplies, have only a few days worth of fuel before their power cuts off, aid officials say. "Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues," said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Newborn incubators, kidney dialysis machines, X-ray equipment, and more, are all dependent on power, he said.

New tactic, targeting Hamas

Israel is employing a new tactic of leveling whole neighborhoods rather than just individual buildings. Hecht, the military spokesman, said targeting decisions were based on intelligence on locations being used by Hamas and that civilians were warned. "Right now, we are focused on taking out their senior leadership," Hecht said.

Netanyahu vows to crush Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "crush" Hamas after the militants stormed into the country's south on Saturday and massacred hundreds of people, including killings of children in their homes and young people at a music festival. Netanyahu said Hamas atrocities included beheading soldiers and raping women, descriptions that could not immediately be independently confirmed.

American backing for Israel

Blinken's visit underscored American backing for Israel's retaliation. "You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourselves, but as long as America exists, you will never have to," Blinken said after meeting with Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. Blinken said he told Netanyahu that it was "so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians."

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a devastating humanitarian crisis, with thousands of