Sandeep Dikshit
New Delhi, October 10
The Israeli army on Tuesday said it had achieved full control on the border with Gaza Strip that was inexplicably breached on Saturday while its air force continued to pound the area controlled by Hamas and claimed to have killed two of its top leaders.
In the Gaza Strip itself, devoid of water, electricity and food due to the complete blockade enforced by Israel, its 20 lakh residents were taking casualties. The UN said nearly two lakh of them have fled their homes and have nowhere to escape after Egypt announced that it had sealed the sole border crossing. The UN also reported that 13 health facilities in the Gaza Strip have been bombed and medical supplies were running out.
However, rockets from Hamas kept slamming into Israel and for a brief while the international airport in Tel Aviv was also targeted. Israeli forces were also reaching into the kibbutz (community centre) that was targeted by Hamas and uncovering hundreds of bodies, which will push up the toll to over 1,000 deaths. They said bodies of 1,500 Hamas fighters have also been recovered.
Israel also stepped up its media outreach with the Foreign Ministry deciding to release photos of children, elderly and women slaughtered by Hamas fighters in order to build up global backing for its imminent ground assault on Gaza. Hamas also asked residents of Israeli town of Ashkelon to leave the area, but gave no details.
Meanwhile, in an effort to prevent the West from turning the narrative in their favour, Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday. Heavily armed non-state actors are forming an “Axis of Resistance” with Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah and Shi’ite Muslim factions in Iraq. The Houthi Movement of Yemen warned that it would respond to any US intervention with drones, missiles and other military options. In Iraq, the leader of Badr Organisation sounded a similar warning. Meanwhile, World Bank president Ajay Banga said the conflict had come as an unnecessary global economic shock.