Gaza bombed, October 9 -- Image via Twitter
By Global News Service
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “complete blockade” of Gaza on October 9, stating that “[t]here will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed.” In his announcement, Gallant stated, “We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly.” Gaza is one of the world’s most densely populated areas, with a population of 2.3 million. The defense minister’s declarations came just one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally declared war on Hamas.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes have continued to carry out indiscriminate bombings across the Gaza Strip, targeting schools, mosques, and civilian buildings. On October 9, at least 1,000 tons of explosives were dropped on Gaza, targeting 500 locations, mostly civilian residential areas.
A total of 560 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza as of October 9, including at least 91 children. Over 2,900 Palestinians, including 244 children, have also been injured. Israeli bombings in Khan Younis and Rafah in the early morning of October 9 have led to the deaths of entire families.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) claimed that Israel targeted a school run by them in the Gaza Strip which was used as a shelter for people displaced due to the Israeli airstrikes.
According to the UN, over 123,000 Gazans have been displaced following the recent Israeli attacks. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that around 74,000 Palestinians have taken shelter in school buildings inside Gaza.
from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service