No Hamas militants entered Israel’s borders last night. But infiltration is still possible, Israeli military spokesman Richard Hecht said.
Israeli warplanes entered Gaza City, the center of the Hamas government, on Tuesday morning and continued to bombard it. The attack came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his enemies would face consequences that would be remembered for generations.
Threats to kill hostages
The 4-day war has already claimed the lives of more than 1600 people. For the first time in decades, there have been gunfights on the streets of Israel’s cities. Israel is launching a retaliatory offensive aimed at crushing neighboring Gaza. Hamas has threatened to kill Israelis in its custody if it attacks civilians without warning.
Israel says Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza are holding more than 150 soldiers and civilians hostage after storming and abducting its base.
We are not the ones who started, but we are the ones who finish! Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warns Hamas
Thousands of Israeli citizens living in towns near Gaza have been displaced. War tankers and drones have been deployed to man the border fences in the Gaza Strip to prevent infiltration. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in Gaza as airstrikes have destroyed buildings.
Israel formally declared war on Sunday, threatening massive destruction of the densely populated Gaza Strip.
A vow of extermination
“We have only begun the offensive against Hamas. What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will be remembered by many generations,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech to the nation on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Hamas bases in Gaza’s Rimal city, home to Hamas extremist ministries and administrative offices, were destroyed overnight, Israel’s military said.
More than 900 Hamas militants have been killed inside Israel. 704 people were killed in Gaza and the West Bank. The Israeli military said hundreds of them were Hamas militants.
