Death toll in Hamas’ attack reaches over 700
Today over 300 parliamentarians, including 250 Conservatives and a dozen Cabinet Ministers sent an unprecedented message of support to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, stating “solidarity with Israel and its right to self-defence at this time of great need”. Signatories included Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, and Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden.
This evening, 10 Downing Street projected the Israeli flag onto Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s residence in support of Israel and her citizens.
In a televised statement, Prime Minister Sunak said: “The scenes that we’ve seen in Israel over the past 36 hours are truly horrifying. I want to express my absolute solidarity for the people of Israel”. “Hamas and the people who support Hamas are fully responsible for this appalling act of terror, for the murder of civilians, and for the kidnapping of innocent people, including children”, he added. In a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the British Prime Minister gave the UK’s “steadfast support as Israel defends itself against these appalling attacks”. “We will do everything that we can to help”.
British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen today. In an online statement, Cleverly posted: “Eli – as I said on our call earlier today, the UK’s position is unequivocal. The UK is resolute in our support of Israel in the face of terrorism. The UK stands with Israel”.
More than 700 Israeli citizens have been confirmed killed and over 2,500 injured by terror group Hamas since Saturday morning.
Loved ones have started to be identified through social media posts by Hamas, as well as Israeli operations to rescue people attacked in the South.
British-Israeli citizen, Nethanel Young, 20, who served in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) was killed in a Hamas attack. Two other British citizens; Jake Marlow – who was working as a security guard outside a music festival near Kibbutz Re’im – and David Darlington, have been declared missing.
Zaka, the Israeli ‘Disaster Victim Identification’ announced that more than 250 bodies of young people who attended the music festival near Kibbutz Re’im have been recovered.
The number of hostages taken into Gaza is still unknown. The IDF has dedicated a situation room to find them.
The IDF today has been evacuating Israeli citizens from the South, plus carrying out airstrikes in Gaza. The IDF confirmed that it hit three terror command centres connected with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). It also struck a Hamas tunnel built underneath a high-rise tower in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 370 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF remained in a gun battle with Hamas terrorists inside Israel’s borders today. Over 4000 rockets have also been fired towards Israel since the start of what Hamas deem “Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge”. Barzilai Medical Centre, Israel’s main hospital in the South, was hit by a Hamas rocket attack early this morning. Hours before the attack, medical staff moved patients to safety.
In some good news amongst the heartache, dozens of Israeli civilians who went into hiding without phone signal, were found alive close to the Israeli border. They were escorted to safety by the IDF today.
It has also been reported that the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit has captured Muhammad Abu Ghali, Deputy Commander of the southern division of the Hamas naval force.
Hamas’s attack has been co-ordinated with Iran. The Iranian-backed terror group receives approximately $100 million per year from Iran as well as training and weaponry. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, known for inciting violence against Israel, has hosted numerous meetings with Hamas and other Iranian-backed terror proxies including Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad over the past few months.
Iranian terror-proxy Hezbollah, situated in Lebanon, launched mortar shells towards a military site in Israel’s North this morning. In response, the IDF launched a drone strike towards a Hezbollah tent erected within the Israeli side of the Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon. The IDF has also stationed extra troops on its northern border out of concern of further Hezbollah provocation and a multi-pronged war.
Khamenei, in an online statement, said: “God willing, the cancer of the usurper Zionist regime will be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people and the Resistance forces throughout the region”.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said that “we support the commendable operation (…) until the liberation of Palestine and Al-Quds.”
Iranian lawmakers chanted “Down with Israel”, “Down with America”, and “Welcome Palestine”, in a Parliamentary sitting yesterday according to a video published by Tasnim news agency.
Abu Obaidah, spokesperson of the military wing of Hamas, Izzuddin Al-Qassam Brigades, praised Iran “thank[ing] the Islamic Republic of Iran who provided us with weapons, money and other equipment. They gave us missiles to destroy Zionist fortresses, and helped us with standard anti-tank missiles”.
Today also saw the murder of two Israeli tourists who were shot dead alongside their Egyptian tour guide in Alexandria.
