ISRAEL is gearing up for a full-scale ground invasion of bomb-blitzed Gaza after Hamas terrorists unleashed a bloodbath dubbed "Israel’s 9/11".
As 600 warplanes relentlessly pummel the Gaza Strip, 300,000 Israeli reserve troops, tanks and jets are gathering to unleash revenge within the "next 48 hours".
More than 1,200 people in Israel and Gaza have been killed since the Palestinian terrorist group stormed the border on Saturday and massacred hundreds at a music festival.
Now, Israel is planning to launch a coordinated offensive within the "next 48 hours", US officials reported.
However, the armed wing of Hamas has announced it will begin executing one Israeli captives for every new civilian house bombed without warning.
The spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades blamed their move to murdering hostages on Israel's stepping-up of air strikes on Gaza City.
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IIsrael Defence Forces (IDF) officials have said that at least 100 Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas militants during their multi-pronged attack on Saturday.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today vowed to reduce Gaza to “rubble” as he declared war on Hamas and began pounding of their strongholds in a ferocious retaliation.
Netanyahu said Israel does not have any choice but to unleash their full military might on Gaza.
"We have to go in. We can't negotiate now," he told US President Joe Biden today.
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It comes as three Brits have been confirmed dead in Israel and seven more are missing.
Scot Bernard Cowan, 57, was murdered by the terrorist group during the horror attacks on Sunday.
Corporal Nathanel Young, 20, who was serving in the Israeli Defence Forces, was confirmed dead on Saturday.
And Daniel Darlington, a UK photographer, was also killed after going missing after the festival massacre.
IDF are amassing their 173,000 troops including 8,000 elite commandos, along with 300 tanks and plenty of heavy weaponry on the border with Gaza in the town of Sderot.
A further 300,000 reserve troops have been mobilised in an unprecedented move and sent south ahead of the possible invasion.
This morning, Israel imposed a "complete siege" on the area – including a sweeping ban on food and fuel moving into Gaza and an immediate cut-off of the water supply.
"There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said.
"We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly."
The US is also moving several warships – including USS Gerald Ford – and aircraft to the Mediterranean after Joe Biden pledged Washington's "rock solid" support to Tel Aviv.
It comes after Hamas terrorists launched an all-out attack on Israel from land, air and sea with 5,000 rockets fired during the early hours of Saturday morning.
It was the deadliest assault in the country's 75-year history.
So far, at least 800 people have been killed in Israel while more than 500 are confirmed dead in Gaza – with the death toll set to soar on both sides.
Over 260 bodies have been recovered from the Supernova music festival in Sukkot in southern Israel after the revellers were slaughtered by gunmen on paragliders and a barrage of rockets.
Shocking footage showed terrified ravers fleeing the site, which was the first target of the invading terrorists – with some 750 people still reported missing.
Rishi Sunak called an urgent COBRA meeting today following the brutal attacks.
It comes as…
- More than 1,200 have been confirmed dead in Israel and Gaza and thousands more injured
- Hamas terrorists launched an all-out attack on Israel from land, air and sea with 5,000 rockets fired
- Two British citizens have been confirmed dead, while eight other Britons are missing
- Rishi Sunak called an urgent COBRA meeting to discuss the attacks
- The Palestinian Ministry of Health said hundreds had died in the violence that followed the surprise Hamas attack on Israel
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Gaza will be "reduced to rubble"
- Reports emerged of kidnapped Israeli soldiers being paraded on military vehicles
- One-eyed Hamas terror boss Mohammed Deif masterminded the deadly assault on Israel
- Netanyahu mobilised the country’s army reserves following his declaration of war
- Airlines have halted flights to Tel Aviv as the violence rages on
- The attack has been dubbed "Israel's 9/11" after an "embarrassing intelligence failure"
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “This is a fast moving situation, and therefore I'm uncomfortable speculating about the nature or the numbers of people involved.
"But this is unprecedented. We recognise this as an incredibly difficult time for the people of Israel.
"Our thoughts are with them and we will continue to work with the government of Israel to bring about peace and security to their country and the people there."
Daniel Darlington, who was visiting from his home in Berlin was confirmed dead on Monday night by his sister, who said he was "murdered by terrorists" in Nir Oz on Saturday.
He had been pictured laughing with his German girlfriend Carolin Bohl – who is also missing, before vanishing during the festival massacre.
His family said he had been "full of life and the life of the party”.
Jake Marlowe, 26, who was working as a security guard at the festival, is still missing.
Nine Americans have also been killed in Israel, the US government confirmed.
One-eyed Hamas terror boss Mohammed Deif masterminded the carefully planned and deadly assault.
The wheelchair-bound 58-year-old has survived five assassination attempts that killed his wife and two children.
Deif ordered the militants to use explosives and bulldozers to break through the fences surrounding Gaza.
And Hamas insiders claimed that Iran helped them plot the brutal attack.
They said top officers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked on the plot since August – and reportedly gave the go-ahead at a meeting in Beirut, Lebanon.
Militants from Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia that runs much of Lebanon and has often clashed with Israel, also said Iran helped plot the slaughter.
Revolutionary Guard leader Ismail Qaani reportedly led the meetings – which were attended by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas's Saleh al-Arouri.
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The Hamas and Hezbollah insiders said the attacks were aimed at disrupting US-brokered talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia to establish normal diplomatic relations.
Israel also came under attack on Sunday when Lebanon's Hezbollah launched missiles "in solidarity" with Hamas.
The IDF responded by firing artillery back and said it killed a "number of armed suspects" who entered Israel from Lebanon.
Iran has for many years tried to build influence in countries around Israel by funnelling cash and weapons to the likes of Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria's Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Kyiv claimed Nato weapons gathered as war-spoils from fallen Ukrainian troops were shipped to Hamas militants to use in the Israeli onslaught.
IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said some 1,000 Palestinian militants took part in Hamas's attack on Saturday – which he called "by far the worst day in Israeli history".
"Never before have so many Israelis been killed by one single thing, let alone enemy activity in one day," he said.
He likened it to "a 9/11 and a Pearl Harbour wrapped into one".
Dr Nimrod Goren, senior fellow for Israeli affairs at the Middle East Institute, told The Sun: "This is not in a short thing, and it will not be over very quickly.
"It's evident that the first goal of Israel is to push Hamas out of its territory. And whenever there are still Hamas people inside Israeli towns then the effort is to clean [them] out.
"The Israeli government [will] want to cast a large price and toll from Hamas.
"Whether or not a ground offensive will happen – it's a big question."
Israel was stunned when Hamas launched its multi-pronged surprise offensive on Saturday.
Under the cover of a barrage of 3,000 of rockets, the Hamas militants swarmed a music festival and nearby Israeli towns and kibbutzim, gunning down civilians.
Hamas took at least 100 hostages – including several from the festival – and abducted them back into Gaza, where some were paraded before cheering crowds.
Panicked Israelis hiding in their homes said militants were going door to door and shooting civilians or dragging them away.
At least 100 citizens were captured by Hamas and abducted into Gaza – with images circulating on social media of bloodied hostages.
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Israeli attacks have decimated several residential tower blocks in Gaza and destroyed a number of mosques.
Israel's response to the unexpected attack by Palestinian gunmen from the Gaza Strip will "change the Middle East," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today.
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