Israel deploys 300,000 soldiers at Gaza border

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said on Wednesday that 1200 Israelis were killed and more than 2,700 wounded and emphasised that the Israeli soldiers are ready to execute mission in Gaza.

"Four days after Hamas breached into Israel, attacked Israeli communities, murdered and massacred Israeli citizens and took dozens of Israeli hostages into Gaza, the dead toll is staggering, a 1200 dead Israelis. The overwhelming majority of them civilians and more than 2700 wounded and sadly, something tells me that these are not final numbers," he said.

The IDF spokesperson said that the about 300,000 soldiers have been deployed at Gaza border and claimed that they would ensure that the Hamas will not have any military capabilities at the end of war

In a live video on X, Lt Col Conricus added, "We have sent our inventory, armoured soldiers, our artillery cores and many other soldiers from the reserves. 300000 in numbers in different brigades and divisions and they are now close to the Gaza strip getting ready to execute the mission that Israeli government and that is to make sure that Hamas at the end of the war won't have any military capabilities by which they can threaten or kill Israeli citizens."

He also went on to mention the reason behind the increasing number of deaths in Israel and claimed they are finding bodies of people who were killed during the Hamas attack.

IDF also clarified on the bombing of a building in Gaza which reports claimed was a residential building.

The IDF spokesperson claimed that the building was used by Hamas terror group and claimed that the terror group uses civilian buildings for their research and planning.

He said, "It isn't a civilian building, it is a legitimate military target because Hamas uses all its locations, all of their officers, headquarters for their research and development and all of their military assets, if it’s above ground, they locate themselves in civilian buildings. Hamas being cowards that they are never put signs on their building saying, Welcome to the Hamas Headquarters for planning terrorist activity in Israel."

Earlier today, continuing its air assault on Hamas in the wake of the multi-pronged terror attacks, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it struck over 200 targets of the terrorist group in the Al Furkan neighbourhood of the besieged Gaza Strip.

As part of the ongoing counter-offensive against Hamas on Wednesday morning, the security forces also bombed the house of the father of Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas's military wing believed to be the key plotter of the terror attacks, The Times of Israel reported.

"The IDF continues extensive waves of attacks in the Gaza Strip; dozens of Air Force fighter jets attacked over 200 targets in the Al Furkan neighbourhood for the third time in the past day This is the third attack in the area during the last day, in which the IDF attacked over 450 targets in the area of the neighbourhood," the IDF posted on X.

Over 770 Palestinians have also been killed in the air raids as part of the ongoing counter-offensive. Israel Defence Forces says dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck over 200 targets in the Al-Furqan neighbourhood -- a terrorist hotspot from which Hamas devises and executes their attacks. This is the 3rd counterstrike in the area during the last 24 hours, in which 450 targets were struck.

The IDF also confirmed that the first plane carrying US armaments has since arrived at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel on Tuesday evening. The IDF said that cooperation between the two militaries, is a key part of ensuring regional security and stability in times of war.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas with ISIS saying both terror organisations were the same and should be treated as such.

"We were attacked on Saturday with such barbarism that has not been seen since the Holocaust. Hundreds of people were slaughtered, entire families were murdered in their beds and homes, women were brutally raped and murdered; More than a hundred were kidnapped, including children" the Israeli prime minister said in a post on X.

"The scale of this evil has only grown. They forced dozens of children, burned them and executed them. They cut off the heads of soldiers, they murdered the young people who were celebrating at a festival in the wild, they surrounded them with jeeps and shot them into a hole in the ground. We have not seen such barbarism in the entire history of the State of Israel. They are even worse than Daesh (ISIS) -- and that's how we should treat them," Netanyahu said. 

Among the dead are 140 children and 120 women, the ministry spokesperson said.