WATCH | Israel Conducts Airstrikes in Gaza As Netanyahu Vows to ‘Change Middle East’ – News18

Israel Air Force on Monday launched intensive airstrikes in the Gaza Strip as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “change the Middle East” in war with Palestine-based militant group Hamas.

A video shared by 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.

“What Hamas will experience will be difficult and terrible… we are going to change the Middle East,” Netanyahu told officials visiting Jerusalem from the country’s south, where Hamas militants carried out a surprise attack on Saturday morning.

“This is only the beginning… we are all with you and we will defeat them with force, enormous force.”

Hamas militants stormed towns and communities in southern Israel at dawn on Saturday under the cover of a barrage of rocket fire, in the deadliest attack on the country in decades.

Israel has ordered an “immediate” cut to water supplied to the Gaza Strip, the energy minister said. “I ordered to immediately cut off the water supply from Israel to Gaza. Electricity and fuel were cut off yesterday,” he said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Katz’s order came soon after Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip, which receives about 10 percent of its annual water from Israel. Israel controls the air space over Gaza and its shoreline and monitors who and what goods are allowed in and out through its border crossings.

Earlier today, Gallant said Israel is “putting a complete siege on Gaza.” “No electricity, no food, no water, no gas — it’s all closed,” Gallant said in a video message, referring to the enclave that is overcrowded with 2.3 million people.

On Sunday, Israeli authorities announced that they would cut off the supply of electricity, fuel and goods to Gaza in the wake of the deadliest day of violence in nearly 50 years. This decision was taken by the country’s Security Cabinet, which informed the Israeli forces have begin the offensive phase to restore the security of their citizens.

(With inputs from AFP)