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Israel has mobilized over 300,000 reservists as they brace themselves for potential large-scale attacks from Gaza. In recent developments, Israel has uncovered new evidence of mass killings carried out by the Palestinian militant group, Hamas.
The number of casualties in Israel has risen to 1,200, with an additional 2,700 injured, according to Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces. The statement was posted on X, previously known as Twitter, on Wednesday.
Conricus has warned that this number is expected to increase as the authorities continue to discover more civilian victims of Saturday’s unprecedented incursion, during which Hamas militants took control of towns in southern Israel.
On Tuesday, a large quantity of bodies was discovered in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz located on the border with the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has described the scene as a “massacre”. The exact number of bodies has not yet been determined.
Palestinian health authorities report that 900 individuals have been killed by Israeli bombardment, with over 4,500 wounded in the past four days alone. Israel claims to have targeted over 2,300 “Hamas targets” within the blockaded territory, which has a population of 2.3 million, while Gaza has fired more than 4,500 rockets.
An initial delivery of “advanced armaments” from the US arrived at Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on Tuesday night, according to the Israeli army. These armaments are designed to support significant military operations and will replenish the Iron Dome air defense system, which Israel relies on to counter rocket attacks.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has informed US President Joe Biden that the atrocities committed by Hamas surpass those of ISIS. Netanyahu has expressed that Israel is at the beginning of a “powerful and prolonged campaign”. According to the Prime Minister’s office, Netanyahu stated, “The extent of this evil, it’s only gotten worse.”
Biden addressed the attacks in a speech from the White House on Tuesday, affirming that Israel has both the “right” and the “duty” to respond. He disclosed that Americans were among the hostages held by Hamas, and confirmed that at least 14 Americans have been killed.
Characterizing the attacks by Hamas as “sheer evil” and evoking memories of “genocide and antisemitism”, Biden pledged that the US would stand firmly with Israel.
Israel-Palestinian conflict
Tens of thousands of Israeli troops, alongside a significant amount of military equipment, are amassed at the Gaza border. Despite withdrawing from Gaza in 2005, Israel now faces control by Hamas since 2007.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 300,000 Palestinians have been internally displaced within Gaza, with many seeking refuge in UN-operated schools and refugee camps in order to escape the Israeli bombardment.
Netanyahu has suggested that civilians “leave” the 40-kilometer strip, causing concerns in neighboring Egypt. On Tuesday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced that the US is discussing plans for safe passage of civilians with their regional allies, although no specifics were provided.
Conricus, the IDF spokesperson, stated, “We have deployed infantry, armored soldiers, artillery corps, and other reservists. Their mission is to ensure that Hamas will no longer possess any military capabilities to threaten or harm Israeli civilians once this war concludes.”
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