Israel defence minister orders ‘complete siege’ on Gaza strip

Updated at 1:41pm with Israel defence minister’s announcement  

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said he has ordered a "complete siege" on the Gaza Strip.

Some of the festival goers are among the 100 hostages Hamas took following its attack on Israel

Battles to drive Palestinian militants out of southern towns near the border stretched into a third day after a stunning incursion that has killed hundreds and provoked furious Israeli retaliatory strikes on Gaza.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel” would be allowed into Gaza, in effect cutting off a territory already under a 16-year blockade, as Israeli airstrikes continued to pound the tiny coastal strip.

Lt. Col. Richard Hecht of the Israel Defense Forces told a briefing on Monday morning that troops were in some places still fighting militants who began their assault on Israel on Saturday. “We thought by this morning we’d be in a better place,” he said.

Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, later declared that the army had regained control of the border communities but acknowledged that “there may still be terrorists in the area,” as exchanges of fire between soldiers and military were heard in Kfar Azza, an Israeli village near the border.

More than 700 people have been killed in Israel. And Israel has struck hundreds of targets in Gaza, leveling whole buildings that officials say are linked to Hamas, the militant group that controls the territory. United Nations and Gazan officials said a mosque, a marketplace, homes and multistory buildings have been hit, adding to a soaring number of civilian casualties.

The remains of a mosque in Gaza targeted by Israeli forces as part of a relentless bombing campaign

At least 493 Palestinians have been killed, according to authorities in Gaza, and at least 2,751 others have been injured.

US moves warships closer to Israel after Hamas attack

The US says it is moving an aircraft carrier, ships and jets to the eastern Mediterranean and will also give Israel additional equipment and ammunition.

The US says it is moving an aircraft carrier, ships and jets to the eastern Mediterranean and will also give Israel additional equipment and ammunition.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, a missile cruiser and four missile destroyers were heading to the region. He said fighter jets would also be sent.

Further military aid to Israel would be sent in the coming days, the White House said, adding that the US was working to ensure Israel's enemies did not try to seek advantage from the situation.

The large deployment reflects American concerns that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could draw in other parts of the region.

In particular, the US is eager to prevent Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement from joining the conflict. It is backed by Iran, which also funds and arms Hamas.

Festival goers attacked

About 3,000 people attended the Supernova music festival, an all-night rave, which was targeted by Hamas as part of a huge early morning surprise attack on Israel. The festival was held in the Negev desert, near Kibbutz Re'im - not far from the Gaza Strip.

Several festival goers are also believed to be among the 100 hostages taken by Hamas during the surprise attack targeting several Israeli settler communities around Gaza. Some of those killed and kidnapped are foreign nationals.

About 1,100 people have been confirmed dead in Israel and Gaza. The death toll is expected to rise as many more are being treated for critical injuries.

Several festival goers are also believed to be among the 100 hostages taken by Hamas during the surprise attack targeting several Israeli settler communities around Gaza. Some of those killed and kidnapped are foreign nationals. 

READ ALSO: Maltese nationals in Israel request government assistance for return

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force said on Monday morning that Israeli forces are still fighting Hamas gunmen at seven to eight sites in southern Israel.

These include Be’eri, an agrarian community, which was infiltrated by Hamas fighters overnight. Many of the militants have been killed, but others are still hiding in homes in the kibbutz, the IDF said.

The Israeli military added that it has attacked more than 1,000 targets in Gaza as the enclave is pounded relentlessly by warplanes and drones.

Israel has also amassed 100,000 reservist troops outside Gaza in anticipation of a massive ground offensive on the Palestinian enclave.

In Gaza, air strikes have displaced 123,000 Palestinians with close to 74,000 seeking shelter in schools, the UN said on Monday. Israel has continued to bomb the enclave relentlessly.

An emergency UN Security Council meeting on Sunday held behind closed doors failed to agree on a statement as fears grow the Israel-Hamas conflict will escalate in a region already fraught with tension.

Iran, which Israel believes helped Hamas plan the attacks, has denied involvement in the Hamas operation but said it supports the group’s actions.

Meanwhile, the US is moving its Mediterranean-based aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, closer to Israel as President Joe Biden pledged Washington's 'rock solid' support to Tel Aviv.

READ ALSO: Maltese in Israel expected to return home in the coming hours, Foreign Ministry says

Oil prices jumped on Monday as investors gauged the possibility of a prolonged conflict in the oil-producing region.

On Saturday, Hamas launched a highly-coordinated attack on several Israeli towns bordering Gaza. The incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip was preceded by a barrage of rocket fire that caught Israel by surprise. More than 700 Israelis were killed in the attack.

Rockets were still being fired into Israel on Monday morning with sirens going off in cities as far off as Tel Aviv.

Israel’s response has been to bomb Gaza, where more than 400 people reported killed in the overcrowded territory controlled by Hamas.