Israel-Gaza war will ‘change the Middle East’, PM Netanyahu declares, calls up 300,000 extra soldiers
- Israeli forces are in control of communities attacked by Hamas militants, army spokesman says
- Defence minister orders ‘complete siege’ of Gaza; power to be cut and food and fuel blocked
04:30
Israel declares war after Hamas launches surprise attack, killing hundreds of people
Israel planned to call up 300,000 reserve soldiers as battles with Hamas raged for a third day on Monday, and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s response to the Hamas onslaught from Gaza would ‘change the Middle East’.
Israel’s military continued to scour the country’s south for Hamas fighters and guarded breaches in its border fence with tanks, as it pounded the Gaza Strip from the air and mustered for a campaign Netanyahu said would destroy “the military and governing capabilities” of the militant group.
More than two days after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion from Gaza, the military said the fighting had largely died down for now.
The attack caught Israel’s vaunted military and intelligence apparatus completely off guard, bringing heavy battles to its streets for the first time in decades.
Israel formally declared war on Sunday, portending greater fighting ahead, and a possible ground assault into Gaza – a move that in the past has brought intensified casualties.
Civilians are already paying a high price. Around 700 people have been killed in Israel – a staggering toll by the scale of its recent conflicts.