The Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) announced that they had launched Operation Iron Sword, declaring a state of war alert. The IDF will use “heavy ground assets” against militants, they said.

“Our goals are to kill all terrorists, to rid all communities of terrorists,” the IDF statement said.

He also warned those living in Israel near the Gaza Strip to remain inside shelters until further notice.

The statement goes on to say that the IDF is carrying out airstrikes in Gaza and will later follow up with “heavy ground means”. They reported today that they have killed hundreds of Palestinian terrorists in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip in recent hours.

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari stressed that fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces continues and that fighting is currently taking place in 22 locations. “There is no community in southern Israel where we don’t have forces,” Hagari said.

“There are communities where the terrorists have been driven out, but we want to complete additional sweeps of the area before announcing,” he added. He spoke of “hostage situations” in the settlements of Ofakim and Beri. “There are special forces there with senior commanders and gun battles are taking place ».

“We are at war,” he said. Roadblocks have been set up in all areas.

The army spokesman warned that there was a lot of false information being circulated about the fighting. “It was said that Nimrod Aloni (a top general) was kidnapped, that is not true. It was said that Avi Rosenfeld (Commander of the Gaza Division) was kidnapped, that is not true.”

At least 200 Israelis dead and 1,000 injured

The death toll of Israelis after the invasion of Hamas fighters keeps growing. According to the latest announcements, at least 200 Israelis have lost their lives, while over 1,000 have been injured and taken to hospitals.

Israel cuts off electricity in the Gaza Strip

Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz has ordered a blackout in the Gaza Strip from tonight.

“It’s not going to be like it was in the past,” the minister warned in a statement.

The Gaza Strip relies heavily on Israel and fuel imports to power the blockaded Palestinian enclave.