Israeli leaders call for ‘complete siege’ of Gaza, includes cutting off water, fuel and electricity

Following a security cabinet meeting on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza.

“There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel; everything is closed,” Gallant said following a situational assessment at the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command in Beersheva earlier in the day.

Gallant also warned that Israel is in an existential fight, which requires full commitment.

“There will be steps here the likes of which have never been seen before. We will eradicate this threat, whatever the cost,” Gallant said. “It will take many weeks, if not more, but will end with a victory for the State of Israel.”

“We are fighting human animals,” Gallant stated, “and we will act accordingly.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Israel was preparing for a long conflict.

“We are embarking on a long and difficult war. The war was forced upon us by a murderous attack by Hamas,” Netanyahu said at the cabinet meeting.

“The first phase ends in these hours with the destruction of the majority of the enemy forces that penetrated our territory. At the same time, we started the offensive formation, and it will continue without reservation and without respite until the objectives are achieved,” the premier stated.

Gallant’s calls to cut off Gaza were echoed by other government figures.

Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Israel Katz, said today, “I have ordered the immediate cut off of the water supply from Israel to Gaza. Electricity and fuel will be cut off on Tuesday. What was, will not be.”

Katz affirmed he would not order the restoration of water and electricity until the war is over.

Earlier on Monday, IDF Spokesman Brig-Gen. Daniel Hagari described the situation in Gaza.

“The crossings are closed in the Gaza Strip, there is no electricity in the Strip, there is no entry, and no one is coming into the Strip. Gaza is under siege,” Hagari stated.

He acknowledged that the Israeli Air Force had attacked hundreds of sites in Gaza but said the IDF only attacks targets with a known terror presence.

“We have arrived at and will reach thousands of targets that are being hit,” Hagari explained. “In every such target there are terrorists. We do not attack areas where there are no terrorists. Any detection of terrorists will be struck. Every intelligence detection, every headquarters, every control room will be struck.”

“The IDF is on the offensive,” Hagari noted. “We switched to powerful attack waves in a wide air formation that dropped hundreds of tons of explosive material. We will reach thousands of targets of attacks.”

IDF aircraft attacked a weapons depot and the entrance shaft to an underground terror tunnel in the Gaza Strip used by senior Hamas figures.

Additionally, an Islamic Jihad operational headquarters located in a mosque in the Zeitoun neighborhood of the Gaza Strip and another Hamas headquarters in Khan Yunis were hit.