Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday his country was cutting off all supplies to the Gaza Strip as part of a “siege” on the Palestinian territory, two days after the militant group Hamas launched the deadliest attack against Israel in decades.
“There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed,” he was reported as telling commanders at the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command.
“We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly,” he added, per the paper’s translation of his remarks.
Gallant’s remarks were followed by an order from Israel’s Energy Minister Israel Katz to cut off water to Gaza, per the Times of Israel. Electricity and fuel were halted two days ago, he is reported to have added.
The announcement comes a day after the Israeli government formally declared war on Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that launched a devastating wave of surprise attacks on Saturday.
The announcement came with the stated goal of wresting full control of Gaza from Hamas and eliminating the group.
More than 700 people have been killed in Israel, as well as more than 400 in Gaza, since the escalation of hostilities began. Civilian deaths have been reported on both sides.
Israel began bombarding the territory in retaliation on Saturday.
Israel already exerted considerable control over Gaza through a 16-year blockade it maintained, along with Egypt, to restrict the flow of goods and the movement of people ever since Hamas took control over the sliver of territory.
In July, the UN’s special rapporteur said Israel’s level of control over occupied Palestinian territory constituted an “open-air prison.”
