Israel-Palestine War: Hamas Threatens to Kill Hostages; Netanyahu Vows to ‘Change Middle East’ | Key Points – News18

Israel brought rain fire on Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip on the third day of its “war” against the Palestine-based terror group. The casualties rose to over 1200 including 560 on the Gaza side as Israel kept bombing targets in the crowded Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise assault it has likened to the 9/11 attacks.

Plumes of smoke from deafening explosions blackened the skies of Gaza as Hamas kept launching rockets as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where missile defence systems fired and air raid sirens blared.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his response to Hamas will change the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Hamas has called on “resistance fighters” in the occupied West Bank and in Arab and Islamic nations to join its “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”, launched half a century after the 1973 Arab-Israel war.

Here Are Latest Updates on Israel-Palestine Conflict:

• Hamas said, from now on, it will publicly execute a hostage every time civilians in Gaza are hit by Israeli airstrikes. Hamas said it will film the execution of hostages and post the videos online, BNO News reported.
• Israel Air Force launched intensive airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. A video shared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X, formerly Twitter, showed a building turned into rubbles after airstrike. Sharing the video, he wrote, “We started. Israel will win.”
• More than 700 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas launched its attack on Saturday, while on the Gaza side, at least 560 people have been killed.
• PM Netanyahu vowed to “change the Middle East” in Israel’s war and said what Hamas will experience will be difficult and terrible.
• Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a “complete siege” of the Palestinian militant group Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. “I have given an order – Gaza will be under complete siege. There will be no electricity, food or fuel [delivered to Gaza]. We are fighting barbaric [terrorists] and will respond accordingly,” Gallant said.
• An Egyptian intelligence official has disclosed that Israel paid little heed to numerous alerts regarding a substantial impending move by the Gaza-based terrorist organisation.
• Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said there is no dispute in regards to the land of Gaza. “We gave the Palestinian Gaza till the last millimetre. There is no dispute in regard to the land,” he said.
• A spokesperson said the Israeli military regained control of border communities taken by Hamas fighters during the attack. But Palestinian militants continued firing barrages of rockets, setting off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
• Israel formally declared war on Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas for Saturday’s surprise attack.
• Iran rejected as unfounded allegations it had a role in the massive assault on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. “The accusations linked to an Iranian role… are based on political reasons,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told reporters. The Islamic republic, he said, does not intervene “in the decision-making of other countries, including Palestine”.
• Israel said it had called up 300,000 army reservists for its “Swords of Iron” campaign, and truck convoys were moving tanks to the south, where its forces had dislodged the last Hamas fighters from embattled towns.
• The EU halted development aid payments to the Palestinians and placed 691 million euros ($728 million) of support “under review”, angering several of its own member states.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the Hamas attack against Israel but said he was “deeply distressed” by the country’s subsequent imposition of a total siege on the Gaza Strip. “The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities,” Guterres told reporters. “Now it will only deteriorate exponentially.”
• Hezbollah fired rockets Sunday at Israeli positions in disputed territory in southern Lebanon. Senior Hezbollah official Hashim Safieddine later said the volley was intended to “send a message.” In response, Israel shelled the positions where the rockets came from.
• Dozens of foreign nationals including at least nine American citizens and 10 Nepalese students have been killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel.(With inputs from agencies)