All Israeli border communities under control, IDF declares as Air Force pounds Gaza

On Day 3 of the war between Israel and the Hamas terror organization in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces has gained full control over all Israeli communities near the Gaza border, IDF spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a detailed statement on Monday morning.

All fighting operations have ended, Hagari stated, but added that the IDF was scanning the area to make sure no additional terrorists were in hiding.

According to the latest tally, over 700 Israelis were murdered and around 2,400 were being treated in hospitals throughout the country as a result of the surprise terror attack by Hamas on Saturday morning.

The attack was launched with a massive barrage of rocket fire that continued into Monday, with at least 4,400 rockets being fired into Israeli territory.

Some 1,000 Hamas terrorists then breached the border fence in over 20 locations by land, air and sea and rampaged throughout the Israeli communities surrounding the Gaza Strip and began to massacre the residents.

In addition to the many victims who were brutally murdered, Hamas also claims to have abducted 130 Israeli citizens into Gaza. The Israeli Government Press Office confirmed the number to be over 100 hostages.

Israeli security forces on Monday had eliminated most of the invading terrorists, however, in the morning, they were still fighting the last holdouts of terrorists, as well as dozens who infiltrated overnight, in six locations.

The IDF is investigating a number of areas where it suspects the terrorists infiltrated overnight through underground tunnels.

In some of the communities, the population still cannot be evacuated because of the continuous fighting in the area, as well as the ongoing scans by the IDF to make sure no additional terrorists are hiding out there.

The IDF gained complete control of the breaches in the border fence with the use of tanks, helicopters and drones, Hagari said.

“No one is entering or leaving. Gaza is under siege,” he added.

The IDF spokesman also stated that the Israeli Air Force has so far struck 1,200 targets belonging to Hamas, 500 of them last night.

The Air Force is conducting hourly “waves of powerful attacks,” with 50-60 fighter planes dropping dozens of tons of munitions upon Gaza.

Hundreds of dead terrorists were still buried under the rubble and hundreds more were lying dead at the border fence, Hagari said.

Among the destroyed targets were eight Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad war rooms; several high-rise towers housing Hamas assets; a command center used by Hamas’ naval forces; and three tunnels in the Beit Hanoun neighborhood in northern Gaza.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip claims 493 Palestinians have been killed and 2,300 have been wounded as a result of Israeli attacks.

The IDF so far mobilized 300,000 military reservists in a call-up that is unprecedented in its timeframe and scale in Israeli history.

Hagari also emphasized that the northern border remains quiet so far but warned that the IDF was in a state of high readiness for “every scenario” in the north.