Hamas vows to execute hostages as Israel strikes and seals off Gaza Strip

A Hamas spokesman said the group will kill one Israeli civilian captive any time Israel targets civilians in their homes in Gaza ‘without prior warning’

Israel increased air strikes on Gaza and sealed it off from food and fuel as the death toll rose to nearly 1,600 on both sides

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A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on Monday. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:39am, 10 Oct 2023Updated: 8:43am, 10 Oct 2023

Israel increased air strikes on the Gaza Strip and sealed it off from food, fuel, and other supplies 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 on Monday, pledging to kill captured Israelis if attacks targeted civilians without warnings.

In the war’s third day, Israel was still finding bodies from Hamas’ stunning weekend attack into southern Israeli towns. Rescuers found 100 bodies in the tiny farming community of Beeri – around 10 per cent of its population – after a long hostage stand-off with gunmen.

In Gaza, tens of thousands fled their homes as relentless air strikes levelled buildings.

The Israeli military said it had largely gained control in its southern towns 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.

Hamas and other militants in Gaza say they are holding more than 130 soldiers and civilians snatched from inside Israel.

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