Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a "total siege" of Gaza after Hamas terrorists resumed missile attacks and new terrorist ground raids into Israel. "I ordered a total siege of the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, and no fuel, everything will be closed. We are fighting against human animals and will act accordingly.” said Gallant.
הוריתי להטיל מצור מוחלט על עזה.
אנחנו נלחמים בחיות אדם, ונוהגים בהתאם. pic.twitter.com/FhDizBKOSX
— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) October 9, 2023
Israel announces the liberation of all border cities
As the air strike sirens sounded again in Israel, the spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces, Daniel Hagari, announced that the border towns occupied by Hamas terrorists are once again under Israeli control, although he warned that there could still be some isolated terrorists. The rear admiral says that the terrorist group "was more barbaric and more brutal than ISIS" in its attack last Saturday, in which it strategically massacred defenseless civilians. Hagari also reported on the progress of military operations by land, sea and air to "return security to the people of Israel," something he guaranteed they would achieve, "although at a high price."
Hamas started a war against Israel with the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel’s history.
We paid a heavy price; but we will restore security to the people of Israel.
Full statement from @IDFspokesperson: pic.twitter.com/ZzIZuaqvsP
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 8, 2023
Terrorist incursions from Lebanon
Early Monday afternoon, Israel announced that its troops, aided by helicopters, had killed several armed infiltrators who entered the country from Lebanon. Israeli forces further responded with bombings in southern Lebanon following this attempted attack.
The IDF Homefront Command instructed Israeli civilians in towns near the Lebanese border to remain in their homes. According to OSINT sources, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Lebanese border.
The IDF neutralized a number of terrorist infiltrators who crossed from Lebanon into Israel. We are defending our country and stand ready on all borders.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 9, 2023
'The worst massacre of innocent civilians in the history of Israel'
The military spokesman insisted that Israeli troops are respecting "international law while exercising our right and our responsibility to protect our civilians." This is something that he claims the terrorists who carried out the attack last Saturday are far from doing, using unarmed and unsuspecting civilians as victims to spread their message of terror, causing "the worst massacre of innocent civilians in the history of Israel."
This weekend, Hamas started a war against Israel with the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel’s history. Hamas was more barbaric and more brutal than ISIS. Hamas behaves like ISIS — I repeat — Hamas behaves like ISIS. It’s the same strategy: to maximize civilian casualties in Gaza and Israel and make you all forget the massacre of hundreds of Israelis that started this war in the first place. We will not forget. Hamas terrorists target Israeli civilians; Israel will target Hamas terrorists wherever they will be in Gaza. We will do whatever it takes to protect our people and restore security to Israel.
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant had similar words in message on X (formerly Twitter), saying that "Hamas has become ISIS in Gaza. In this war we fight against a murderous terrorist organization that harms the elderly, women and babies. We will fight it like we fight criminal terrorists and we will win."
החמאס הפך לדעא״ש עזה.
במלחמה הזאת אנחנו נלחמים נגד ארגון טרור רצחני הפוגע בקשישים, נשים ותינוקות. נהלום בו כפי שנלחמים בטרוריסטים נפשעים, וננצח. pic.twitter.com/c2n6rL2Mhg
— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) October 8, 2023
Hamas terrorists are hiding 'in schools, hospitals and mosques'
חטיבת הצנחנים בלחימה עיקשת במהלכה מפקדי ולוחמי החטיבה מבצעים סריקות ביישובים ומסכלים מחבלים. מח"ט צנחנים, אל״מ עמי ביטון, יחד עם מפקד בא"ח צנחנים, סגן-אלוף דור מנשאוף, וסגן מפקד חטיבת הצנחנים, סגן-אלוף גידי אליאסתם, מנהלים יחד עם הלוחמים סריקות בעיר שדרות ומטהרים אותה מחמושים pic.twitter.com/tAI1glsVmZ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 9, 2023
Furthermore, Hagari warned of Hamas terrorists' cowardly strategy in Gaza, using their own fellow citizens as human shields while hiding in critical places such as schools, hospitals and mosques, according to Israeli intelligence services. As detailed by the military spokesman, thousands of Israeli soldiers are going house to house on the ground both in the border regions of Israel and in Palestinian territory to eradicate any remains of the terrorist troops that crossed the border.
The days ahead will be long and difficult… We have paid a heavy price, but we will restore security to the people of Israel. Let me repeat: We will restore security to the people of Israel. Israeli intelligence indicates that Hamas is hiding among Gazan civilians inside Gazan homes and schools, hospitals, and mosques.
Hagari noted that the Israeli army is also monitoring the situation on the northern border, where Hezbollah continues launching missiles against Israel. The spokesperson wanted to emphasize that "we are fully prepared and coordinated with CENTCOM. General Halevi has just finished a conversation with General Kurilla and they will continue speaking again in the next few hours." To close his appearance, Hagari warned that "those who attack us from across the Middle East will face a decisive attack."
Aerial forces destroyed 1,200 terrorist targets
Regarding the progress of the war, the Israeli army highlighted in an 8:30 a.m. report that military operations continue by air, land and sea, managing to capture a high command of the Hamas naval force on the beach when he tried to infiltrate the front of a flotilla of terrorists. So far, Israeli aircraft have carried out four waves of attacks, destroying up to 1,200 targets. Regarding the ground war, Hagari reported that soldiers have killed more than 400 terrorist operatives in Gaza and hundreds more in Israeli territory, in addition to detaining dozens alive. In addition, they reported that 300,000 reserves have been mobilized.
תמונת מצב מלחמה - עדכון לציבור | יום ב', 9 באוקטובר 2023, 08:30:
- ב-20 השעות האחרונות, צה"ל הוציא לפועל 4 גלי תקיפה אוויריים ברצועת עזה, במהלכן נתקפו למעלה מ-800 מטרות. בכל גל תקיפה השתתפו בין 50-60 מטוסי קרב >>
— דובר צה״ל דניאל הגרי - Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) October 9, 2023
במהלך הלילה ועד שעות הבוקר כוחות רבים של צה"ל ומג״ב פעלו, בהכוונה מודיעינית של שב״כ במוקדים רבים ברחבי אוגדת יהודה ושומרון וחטיבת הבקעה לסיכול טרור ועצרו סה״כ 41 מבוקשים.
בהם, 29 מבוקשים של ארגון הטרור חמאס שנעצרו ב-17 כפרים שונים ברחבי פיקוד המרכז >> pic.twitter.com/nI6T8noxof— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 9, 2023
Missiles hit Israel again near Ben Gurion airport
As reported by the Times of Israel, missile attacks from Gaza have resumed. According to the military, at least 4,400 rockets have been fired at Israel since the attacks began. In the last few hours, several cities in the center and south have been hit. The impact of several missiles in the vicinity of the Ben Gurion airport was also reported, although no material damage was caused to the facilities, nor were any casualties reported.
Live update: Rocket impacts near Ben Gurion Airport; no reports of injuries or damage https://t.co/t3wZM7j0wM
— TOI ALERTS (@TOIAlerts) October 9, 2023
Warnings from Egypt
In recent hours, it was reported that Israel possibly received warnings before the attacks that "something big" was going to happen in its territory. As reported by The Times of Israel, an Egyptian intelligence official says that Israel ignored these warnings because it was focused on the situation in the West Bank.
The Egyptian official noted that his country, which often serves as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, had repeatedly warned the Israelis about "something big," though he did not elaborate. "We have warned them an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big. But they underestimated such warnings," the official told the Associated Press in remarks picked up by The Times of Israel.
This Monday, the Prime Minister's Office issued a brief statement denying that Benjamin Netanyahu had held any recent conversations with Egyptian authorities and intelligence officials regarding this matter.
The Prime Minister's Office:
The report to the effect that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a message in advance from Egypt is absolutely false.— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 9, 2023
Appeals to the international community
Like other Israeli leaders throughout the day, President Isaac Herzog equated Hamas with ISIS, asserting that the Palestinian group "has imported, adopted and replicated the savagery." He called on nations that have not yet done so to designate Hamas as a terrorist body.
In addition, he asked them to publicly condemn the attacks of recent days and to support Israel "in words and in deeds." He called on the international community to also demand the release of the hostages and make it clear that Hamas is responsible for their welfare.
Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed on one day.
As President of the State of Israel, I speak to you now from our capital city Jerusalem, under the dark shadow of war, as my nation continues to endure a savage attack from a cruel and inhumane enemy >> pic.twitter.com/1EU8fZYhIS
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) October 9, 2023
