Israel mobilized 300,000 reserve troops ready to counterattack Hamas

Israel called up 300,000 military reserves, an unprecedented high, when the Defense Minister ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip to deal with Hamas.

"This number of reserve soldiers was called into the army on October 7," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli army (IDF), said on October 9. "We have never mobilized so many reserves."

The record high number of reserve soldiers being called up is a sign that the IDF is likely to launch a large-scale ground operation to enter the Gaza Strip in response to the attack by Hamas forces. "We will carry out a counterattack campaign," Mr. Hagari said.

Israeli tanks and military vehicles gathered in the border area with the Gaza Strip on October 9. Photo: Reuters

After being surprised by Hamas's major offensive campaign, Israel declared war on this force, concentrated its forces to take back towns and settlements from the enemy's hands, and conducted many air strikes. targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"We have regained control of most of the settlement, conducting searches to wipe out the gunmen," Hagari said. However, sporadic clashes still occur, as some Hamas gunmen still cling to Israeli territory.

Israeli military officials say their current priority is to "clean up" Hamas remnants on the territory, before conducting any large-scale offensive operations.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said today that the units under his command have completely surrounded Gaza, cutting off the supply of electricity, food, clean water and fuel. The Gaza Strip is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, who depend on outside supplies through Israeli territory.

According to Mr. Gallant, this blockade is part of the fight against "violent people". "We are fighting such people and must act accordingly," he added. After Hamas controlled Gaza since 2007, Israel built a fence blocking this land.

Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, another IDF spokesman, said about 100,000 soldiers were concentrated around the Gaza Strip to conduct a search and blockade operation.

Hagari confirmed that 700 people have been murdered in Israel in the past two days, including 73 members of the security forces. He announced that the Israeli army had destroyed hundreds of Hamas militants.

Palestinian officials said at least 500 people were killed in Israeli retaliatory attacks, bringing the total death toll in the two days of conflict to 1,200.

Izzat Reshiq, a Hamas official, accused the Israeli army of "targeting houses containing women, children, mosques and schools in Gaza", calling it a "war crime and terrorism". dad".

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned Israel's "barbaric campaign of killing and destruction". "As the occupier, Israel has no right or justification to target defenseless civilians in Gaza or anywhere else in Palestine," the ministry's statement said.

Overview of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Graphics: CNN