Israel orders military closures; 22 Americans killed, Antony Blinken heads to Israel

As the war between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has entered its sixth day.

The Israeli defence force has stepped up its attack against Hamas and continued bombing in Gaza amid a ‘total siege’. The new round of escalation has so far claimed over 3,000 lives, including many civilians, on both sides.

As the region is bracing for a possible escalation, Israel announced the formation of an emergency unity government and a war cabinet. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be reaching Israel later in the day and will be meeting senior officials.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
In a possible step ahead of the ground offensive into Gaza, Israel has ordered military closure in the region. The Israeli army has also bolstered troops and military equipment along the Gaza border. As per the official count, it has massed 300,000 reservists near the border.

US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken will be arriving in Israel later in the day and will meet with senior Israeli officials. “The Secretary will reiterate his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attacks against Israel and condemn those attacks in the strongest terms,” the US Embassy in Israel said in a statement. He will also discuss “measures to bolster Israel’s security” and underscore the United States’ “unwavering support” for Israel.

Israel has formed an emergency unity government as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a top opposition leader, Benny Gantz, reached a deal on Wednesday. The wartime government will oversee operations against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas amid escalating violence.

In a television address on Wednesday night detailing the atrocities that took place during the Hamas attack, Netanyahu said the Palestinian terrorist groups beheaded soldiers in Israel. “We saw boys and girls bound, who were shot in the head. Men and women burned alive. Young women who were raped and slaughtered. Soldiers who were beheaded,” he said.

Though there were reports of US President Joe Biden “confirming” the beheading, the White House later issued a clarification that Biden and other US officials had not seen or independently confirmed that Hamas terrorists beheaded Israeli children.

In a joint statement, Israel’s new war cabinet vowed to wipe Hamas off the earth.Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, “We will wipe this thing called Hamas, ISIS-Gaza, off the face of the earth. It will cease to exist.”

Meanwhile, In their first-ever phone conversation following the resumption of ties between Tehran and Riyadh, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have discussed the situation in Palestine.

The US state department has confirmed that at least 22 American citizens have been killed in the cross-border attack by Hamas. The National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, however, said he couldn’t confirm details on where or how the Americans were killed, as the “individual circumstances are not exactly clear.” The State Department also warns US citizens to reconsider travel to Israel and West Bank.

The Gaza health ministry stated that at least fifty-one Palestinians have been killed, and 281 have been injured in the overnight airstrikes by Israel in Gaza. The total death toll in Gaza, since Israel’s retaliatory raids, has crossed 1,200.

The residents in Gaza are facing ever-growing uncertainty after the territory’s only power plant ran out of fuel and shut down Wednesday. Israel has announced a total blockage of power, fuel and food to the region.

Rejecting the reports of a suspected “aerial infiltration” from Lebanon, the Israeli army said it was a false alarm and confirmed that there was no military action from Lebanon. “There are no launches at this point from Lebanon. There are no alerts,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

India has launched Operation Ajay to bring back Indians stranded in war-hit Israel. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that “special charter flights and other arrangements are being put in place” for the operation. According to the official count, more than 20,000 Indians live in Israel.