Israel’s air force has carried out over 500 airstrikes overnight, targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. The strikes hit seven Hamas centres command, an Islamic Jihad base, and several multi-story buildings, including the residence of a Hamas official. Israel estimates that at least 400 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants have been killed in the airstrikes. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of reservists have been deployed across Israel in preparation for a mass ground attack.
The Israeli air force provided details of its air offensives, which consisted of four waves of attacks targeting various locations in Gaza. Each wave involved 50 to 60 fighter planes. The air force stated that it has destroyed approximately 1,200 targets in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces are engaged in fighting Hamas gunmen at several points outside Gaza. However, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht acknowledged that it is taking longer than expected to restore a defensive and security posture. Volunteers involved in the search for bodies at the Supernova music festival site, where at least 260 people were killed, have been forced to suspend their search due to attacks from militants.
The Thai foreign ministry reported that 12 Thai nationals have been killed, 11 have been kidnapped, and eight have been injured since the start of the conflict. Approximately 30,000 Thai nationals reside in Israel, with 5,000 in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli military spokespersons have compared the attacks to the 9/11 attacks in the US, describing it as the country’s “9/11” and the worst day in Israeli history.
