Israel PM's strong remarks Our response to Hamas will change the Middle East

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   Israel PM's strong remarks Our response to Hamas will change Middle East

 Israel's response to the unprecedented surprise attack by Hamas from the Gaza Strip will "change the Middle East," the country's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while speaking to mayors of southern border towns hit by the assault that began on Saturday. Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Gaza civilians to get away from all Hamas sites which he vowed to turn to rubble

 Middle East tensions spiked as Iran and Hezbollah praised the Hamas attack, although Tehran rejected any role in the military operation. The United States has pledged "rock solid" support for Israel and said it would send aid to Israel and divert an aircraft carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean

 This comes as more than 700 people have been killed in Israel, officials said while Tel Aviv has retaliated with repeated strikes on Gaza, where at least 560 have been killed according to health officials.

 A day after formally declaring war, Israel's military worked to crush Hamas militants in southern towns and intensified its bombardment of Gaza. The declaration of war gave the green light for Israel to take “significant military steps” against Hamas after which the army called up around 300,000 reservists

 Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said that he has ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza which means that authorities would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel to the territory. The announcement came after the Israeli military said it had regained “control” of border communities taken by Hamas. The chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said there were some isolated incidents but no fighting going on as he cautioned that there could still be militants in the area and that forces were conducting searches.

 Israel said that it had called up 300,000 army reservists, and truck convoys were seen moving tanks to the south, news agency AFP reported

 As many as 2,300 Israelis have sustained injuries and more than 700 have died so far in the surprise Hamas attack on Saturday morning.

PM Netanyahu lashed out Hamas saying that they will pay the price and will remember the same for a long time.

"Hamas will understand that by attacking us, they have made a mistake of historic proportions. We will exact a price that will be remembered by them and Israel's other enemies for decades to come," said Netanyahu

 He also highlighted the plight of those taken hostage, saying, "The savage attacks that Hamas perpetrated against innocent Israelis are mindboggling: slaughtering families in their homes, massacring hundreds of young people at an outdoor festival, and kidnapping scores of women, children and elderly, even Holocaust survivors. Hamas terrorists bound, burned and executed children. They are savages."

Branding Hamas as ISIS, he called on the "forces of civilisation" to unite against the Hamas and defeat it.

Hamas is ISIS. And just as the forces of civilization united to defeat ISIS, the forces of civilization must support Israel in defeating Hamas," Netanyahu said.

 He also went on to thank US President Joe Biden and other world leaders for their support.

"I am in continuous contact with President Biden, and I would like to thank him again, on behalf of all the citizens of Israel, for the commitment of the US in words and deeds for the security of Israel," the Israeli Prime Minister said. "Also, I want to thank many world leaders for your unprecedented support for Israel," he added

"In fighting Hamas, Israel is not only fighting for its own people. It is fighting for every country that stands against barbarism. Israel will win this war, and when Israel wins, the entire civilized world will win," Netanyahu said towards the conclusion of his speech.

The Israeli military is going on the offence against Hamas with a force "like never before," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday.

Hamas said civilian hostages would be executed without warning and the killings broadcast if Israel targets people in Gaza. The group claims to be holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers, according to CNN