Israel continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip overnight, hitting residential buildings and reportedly killing at least two Palestinian journalists.
The bombing came as Israel announced a “total blockade” on Gaza, including a ban on admitting food and fuel, amid increasing indications of a possible ground operation. Such a siege by the Israeli army, with the intent to starve a population, is a war crime under United Nations statutes.
The latest death toll stands at 704 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health officials, and more than 900 people in Israel, according to Israeli medical services. Seventeen Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, and four Hezbollah fighters have also been killed in Israeli shelling on southern Lebanon. A deputy commander with the Israeli military also died in a clash on the border with Lebanon.
Hamas’s surprise attack on Saturday came after Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in recent days and a record number of Palestinians were killed by Israel in recent months.
You can find Monday’s earlier live coverage here.
