Hamas threatens to execute Israeli hostages over strikes
Hamas it said it will execute one Israeli hostage for every Israeli strike on civilian homes in the Gaza Strip.
The militant group’s spokesman Abu Obeida says the terror group will execute Israeli hostages for every Israeli bombing without warning, and publish footage.
Abu Obeida said they have been acting in accordance with Islamic instructions by keeping the Israeli captives safe and sound, blaming the intended move on Israel’s stepped-up bombing and killing of civilians without warning.
Israel has established a command centre on the hostage issue and says it has information on “every person” believed to held in Gaza.
No food, fuel or generators, says Gazan resident after Israel announces blockade
Thomas Helm reports from Jerusalem:
Gazans are increasingly worried about getting access to food, fuel and electricity, following Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s announcement of a blockade on the enclave.
“There is no plan B,” Gaza resident Waseem said.
He said the nearest shop to him, his last hope for feeding his family, had been destroyed.
“We can’t stockpile extra fuel or food. There are no generators to buy. There are no available shops,” he said.
“There was a big one near me. The occupation strikes destroyed it. There were more than 60 martyrs and 40 severe injuries.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s hard. We’re just trying to stay calm for the children. We have been here before, but not at this level of difficulty. No one knows. There is nothing to do, nothing to say, nothing to plan. Nothing for nothing.
“It’s terrible. I can’t face looking at the videos.”
Gazans are used to shortages, but the abject dejection they express now is a sign that even this resourceful population are powerless when it comes to providing basic human needs.
Waseem said he was terrified. He said he would venture out into the open to scavenge what he could for his family, risking life and limb.
He will face tough competition. Fathers throughout Gaza will do the same. It is not yet possible to comprehend what this blockade will entail.
Twenty-seven years after the siege of Sarajevo, Gaza is on the brink of the same situation.
‘Unlike anything we have seen before’: Gaza resident describes Israeli bombardment
The Hamas attack on Israel took residents of the Gaza Strip by surprise, says Nagham Mohanna, a contributor to The National from the Palestinian enclave.
Her family was on Monday forced to flee their home in the north of Gaza, close to the Israeli border, as Israel continued to launch retaliatory air strikes.
She is currently seeking shelter and described the scene from the moment the latest war between Gaza and Israel began.
“People in Gaza woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of shelling that confused everybody, before we found out what exactly was going on,” she said.
A few hours later, the leader of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammed Deif, who is wanted by Israel, announced the group had launched an assault on Israel.
He said the attack was in response to a 16-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, Israeli raids on Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, violence at Al Aqsa Mosque and attacks on Palestinians by settlers, as well as the expansion of settlements.
“That’s when we figured out what was happening. Many people were surprised it was Hamas that launched this widespread attack and not vice versa,” Mohanna said.
“Some people were thrilled in the beginning, knowing full well that the Israeli response will be brutal and huge.
“People began rushing to stores and bakeries, stocking up on supplies in preparation for what was to come. The queues were huge. People got what they could until the shelves were empty.”
Mohanna lives in a relatively comfortable area in Gaza known as Al Remal.
Her family left their home there to seek refuge elsewhere, after reports on social media that Israel had told residents to evacuate the area before it attacked.
“Now the streets are relatively empty, except for people who are heading outside in search for what little supplies remain” she told The National by phone.
“With the announcement of a total blockade from the Israeli side as well, we’re expecting fuel and electricity to run out completely.
“Now people are relying on simple generators, but we know that it’s a matter of time before even those stop working.”
The phone connection was unstable. Attempts to contact Mohanna through messaging app WhatsApp were unreliable after Israel cut off broadband internet services.
The death toll from the attacks on Gaza increased to 560 on Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. At least 2,900 people have been injured.
“Hospitals are unable to cope with the number of deaths and injuries,” Mohanna said.
“They have refused to speak to the media or even let us in.
“Yes, the people of Gaza are used to bombardment, war and shelling. But now, the sound of explosions is non-stop, whether it is rockets leaving the Strip or entering it.
“It is all very unfamiliar. This is unlike anything we’ve seen before.”
Food shortages
There is “no plan B”, Gaza resident Waseem Al Sisi told The National after he learnt of the plan for a “total siege” of the enclave announced by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
He is sheltering at his grandfather’s house, hoping it might be safer, but he is not optimistic.
On Sunday he was frantic, he said, but on Monday he was coming to terms with the looming food, fuel and electricity shortages.
“We can’t stockpile extra fuel or food. There are no generators to buy, there are no open shops,” he said.
“There was a big one near me. The occupation strikes destroyed it.”
Sixty people were killed and 40 suffered “severe injuries”, he said.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s hard. We’re just trying to stay calm for the children,” Mr Al Sisi said.
“We have been here before, but not at this level of difficulty. There is nothing to do, nothing to say, nothing to plan.”
With its economy crippled by a years-long blockade, Gazans have relied on help from the international community, but that too is drying up after the Hamas offensive, which killed more than 700 people in Israel.
Austria and Germany have announced they are suspending aid to Palestinians in response to the attacks. EU countries comprise the largest donor bloc to Palestinians.
Source: The National
