Israel has started implementing complete siege of Gaza Strip as deadly rocket attacks by Palestinian militants continued for the third day.<\/p>\n
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told media that he has ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip, and that no electricity, food, or fuel will be delivered to the enclave.<\/p>\n
Israel controls the passage of goods through its border crossings to Gaza.<\/p>\n
The death toll in the most violent war in the Middle East in recent years crossed thousand Monday.<\/p>\n
Israel claimed to have regained control of its communities near Gaza while admitting that militants remain active in the region.<\/p>\n
Cross-border attacks that Palestinian militant outfit Hamas launched on Saturday has so far claimed the lives of more than 700 people in Israel, reports say.<\/p>\n
Israeli rescuers say they recovered bodies of more than 260 people from the Supernova festival site in a desert in southern Israel where militants opened fire in a massive surprise attack.<\/p>\n
Hamas kidnapped more than 100 Israelis and the hostages that they are holding include Israeli army officers. Nearly 500 Palestinians were killed in retaliatory air strikes by Israeli air force. <\/p>\n
Hamas claims it fired 120 rockets toward the southern Israeli cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon on Monday in addition to targeting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n
Many of them were reportedly intercepted by Israel’s air defense system called Iron Dome.<\/p>\n
Israeli opposition leader and former caretaker Prime Minster Yair Lapid said a ground attack into Gaza is “not off the table.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, after discussing with President Joe Biden, U.S Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed to deploy an aircraft carrier, war ships and fighter jets close to Israel in the eastern Mediterranean in support of its strongest ally in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
“I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean. This includes the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80),” Austin said in a statement. <\/p>\n
“We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required”.<\/p>\n
In addition, the U.S. government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will be arriving in the coming days, according to Austin.<\/p>\n
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he is convening an emergency meeting of EU Foreign Ministers Tuesday to address the situation in Israel and in the region. <\/p>\n