Hamas and Israel feud: Death toll continues to climb, 1,100 as Israel impose “full siege” on Gaza; UN Security Council discusses conflict

Attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and the Israeli military’s retaliatory strikes have killed more than 1,100 people on both sides.

Hamas which effectively controls the Gaza Strip says it continued to attack Israel on Sunday, one day after carrying out massive attacks, including rocket launches and militants crossing into Israel.

Fears of a ground invasion of Gaza are growing after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to turn the besieged Palestinian enclave into a “deserted island”. And doubling down, Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said that Israel is imposing a “full siege” on Gaza. The Israeli military says it has gathered 100,000 reserve troops near the border.

The Israeli military says it is continuing airstrikes in Gaza attacking Hamas terrorist targets. UN says Israeli airstrikes against Gaza have displaced 123,000 Palestinians.

“There is no electricity, there is no food, there is no water, there is no food no gas, everything is closed” he told an Israeli newspaper.

“I ordered a complete siege on Gaza. We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly” he said.

According to an Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson Israel’s military has taken back control of communities near the Gaza Strip that had been infiltrated by Hamas.

“We have total control of the communities” in southern Israel said General Daniel Hagari during a televised press briefing, after three days of vicious fighting.

However, “there could still be terrorists in the area,” he added.

In a statement published on Saturday, the EU said it “condemns in the strongest possible terms the multiple and indiscriminate attacks across Israel by Hamas and deeply deplores the loss of lives.”

It called for “an immediate cessation of these senseless attacks and violence, which will only further increase tensions on the ground and seriously undermine Palestinian people’s aspirations for peace.”

“The EU stands in solidarity with Israel, which has the right to defend itself in line with international law, in the face of such violent and indiscriminate attacks,” it added.

The UN Security Council has held an emergency meeting to discuss the attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but made little progress.

The closed-door meeting took place on Sunday. Diplomatic sources said most participants expressed criticism and concern over Hamas’ attacks against citizens and urged de-escalation of the situation.

But council members reportedly failed to agree on specific measures and decided to continue discussions.

The United Arab Emirates’ UN Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh told reporters that the meeting achieved little progress.

She said what council members need to lead to now is a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations, but “we’re not at that state yet.”

Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood made clear the Biden administration’s position of supporting Israel’s operations. He said what needs to be focused now is the “condemnation of these brutal terrorist attacks.”

Before the council meeting, China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun touched on the need for a ceasefire by both parties. Zhang said, “What’s really important is to prevent the further escalation of the situation and further casualties of civilians.”

The violence is the biggest escalation between the two sides for decades, with some analysts claiming Israel was caught off guard

Hamas’s operation came after widespread Israeli settler attacks, increased tensions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and a record number of Palestinians killed