Israel increased airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel and other supplies on Monday, October 09, in retaliation for a bloody incursion by Hamas militants, as the war’s death toll rose to nearly 1,600 on both sides.
Hamas also escalated the conflict, pledging to kill captured Israelis if attacks targeted civilians without warnings.
In the war’s fourth day, Israel was still finding bodies from Hamas’ stunning weekend attack into southern Israeli towns.
Rescue workers found 100 bodies in the tiny farming community of Be’eri after a long hostage standoff with gunmen. This figure is around 10% of its population.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, tens of thousands fled their homes as relentless airstrikes leveled buildings.
The Israeli military said it had largely gained control in the south after the attack caught its vaunted military and intelligence apparatus completely off guard and led to fierce battles in its streets for the first time in decades.
Israel’s military said about 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants were found in Israeli territory
Hamas and other militants in Gaza also said that they were holding more than 130 soldiers and civilians snatched from inside Israel.
Hundreds of thousands displaced
Spokesperson Richard Hecht said no Hamas fighters have crossed into Israel since Sunday night, although infiltrations could still be possible.
Meanwhile, the United Nations reported that more than 187,500 people have been displaced in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. This is according to a report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, is hosting more than 137,000 people in schools across the territory.
The report further says that airstrikes have razed 790 housing units and severely damaged 5,330 more.
OCHA said damage to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in Gaza has disrupted service for more than 400,000 people.
