Israeli Forces 'Preparing' For Ground Assault Against Hamas In Gaza, 3.6 Lakh Army Reservists Called

Israel-Hamas War: Israel has summoned some 360,000 army reservists and has warned of a massive retaliation to Hamas’ brutal, widespread raid over the weekend.

New Delhi: The Israeli military says it is gearing up for a potential ground assault on Gaza, but the final call has not been made by the country’s political leaders. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said on Thursday that troops “are preparing for a ground maneuver if decided.” Israel has summoned some 360,000 army reservists and has warned of a massive retaliation to Hamas’ brutal, widespread raid over the weekend. It has been raining down heavy airstrikes on Gaza since the attack on Saturday, while militants have launched thousands of rockets at Israel.

Netanyahu Threatens To Wipe Out Hamas

Palestinians in Gaza endured a night of total darkness, amid the rubble of shattered neighborhoods, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “crush and destroy” Hamas, with the backing of a new war cabinet that includes a former rival. “Every Hamas member is a dead man,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech.

International aid groups cautioned that the death toll in Gaza could rise as the enclave runs out of supplies due to an Israeli blockade. The war, which was sparked by a bloody and extensive Hamas attack on Israel, has already killed at least 2,400 people on both sides.

The Israeli military said it hit Hamas’ elite Nukhba forces overnight, including command posts used by the attackers on Saturday, and the house of a senior Hamas naval commander that it said was used to stash weapons.

“Right now we are focused on taking out their senior leadership,” Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, said. “Not only the military leadership, but also the governmental leadership, all the way up to (top Hamas leader Yehiyeh) Sinwar. They were directly involved.”

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said Israeli strikes flattened two multi-story buildings with residents inside without warning, killing and injuring “a large number” of people, mostly civilians. Hamas has threatened to kill Israeli hostages if Israel strikes Palestinian civilians without warning.

Israel has stopped the entry of food, water, fuel and medicine into the territory. On Tuesday, Gaza’s only power plant ran out of fuel and shut down, leaving only lights powered by scattered private generators. Those will also stop if fuel is not allowed in. A senior official with the the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that lack of electricity could paralyze hospitals, as he urged Hamas to release hostages.

“As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken," said Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC’s regional director. “Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues.”

In Israel, opposition leader Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and political foe of Netanyahu, joined a new wartime cabinet as the Israeli military seems more likely to launch a ground offensive into Gaza. Israel has mobilized 360,000 reservists, gathered more forces near Gaza and evacuated tens of thousands of residents from nearby communities.

The Israeli government is facing intense public pressure to overthrow Hamas after its militants broke through a border fence on Saturday and slaughtered hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival. Netanyahu claimed that the attackers committed atrocities, including tying up boys and girls and shooting them in the head, burning people alive, raping women and beheading soldiers.

The prime minister’s claims could not be verified independently, and authorities did not provide more details right away. Rescue workers and witnesses have reported horrific scenes, including the killing of elderly people and finding bloody rooms packed with massacred civilians.