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'Yahel, full of adventure and mischief. We will forever miss her': Tributes to British girl, 13, kidnapped and murdered by Hamas - as fears grow for her missing sister and fathe

 

 

The heartbroken family of a 13-year-old British girl who was murdered when Hamas terrorists launched their barbaric attack in Israel have paid tribute to the teenager who was 'full of adventure and mischief'.

Yahel Sharabi, 13, disappeared after the terrorists attacked Be'eri Kibbutz and killed her British mother Lianne, who was born in Bristol. 

This morning her relatives confirmed that 'beautiful Yahel' was also slaughtered in the attack. Her older sister Noiya Sharabi, 16, and their Israeli father Eli Sharabi remain missing, while her uncle Yossi, 53, was kidnapped and taken to Gaza.

 The grief-stricken family said in a statement to the BBC: 'Beautiful Yahel. A bundle of unbridled energy and joy, with a cheekiness that you could not help but smile at and a brain which was sharp as a tack.

'Full of adventure and mischief, we will forever miss her, but are grateful for the light she brought into our lives in the too short time she was with us.'

The family are now urging Rishi Sunak to visit the war-torn country, telling MailOnline: 'We demand that the Prime Minister of England come to Israel and demand that Hamas release all the hostages.'

Newly released photos of the cheeky young teen show her beaming as she stood in climbing gear, while another shows her stood at the side of a pool in diving kit. 

As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its second week, dozens of Israelis remain missing, including some who are also British citizens.

Amongst those unaccounted for is 21-year-old Mia Schem, an Israeli-French citizen who was abducted on October 7 by the Palestinian militants, along with other young Israelis from the deadly Nova Festival near the Israeli border. 

Today Mia's distressed mother, Karen Schem, appealed for her child to be returned home, 'begging the world to bring [her] baby back' adding that she 'only went to a party, to a festival to have some fun' but 'now she's in Gaza'.

Meanwhile, dozens are thought to have been killed in Gaza this afternoon after Israel bombed the southern region after telling Palestinians to evacuate just days ago.

Back in Britain, Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley sparked a huge backlash after asking British-Palestinian MP Layla Moran, whose family are trapped in Gaza, whether she knew about the Hamas terrorist attack before it happened. 

Yahel Sharabi, 13, disappeared after the terrorists attacked Be'eri Kibbutz

Yahel's heartbroken family this afternoon paid tribute to the 'beautiful' teenager 

Yahel (left) and her mother Lianne (centre) were killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7. Noiya (right) is still missing

Yahel, 13, (right) was murdered by Hamas terrorists, her family have confirmed, while her older sister Noiya, 16, (left) is still missing

Yahel, 13, (right) was murdered by Hamas terrorists, her family have confirmed, while her older sister Noiya, 16, (left) is still missing 

Yahel, aged 13
Noiya, aged 16

Yahel, 13, disappeared after the terrorists attacked Kibbutz Be'eri and killed her British-born mother Lianne. Her family have confirmed she was murdered while her sister Noiya, 16, (right) is still missing alongside their father  

Houses are destroyed after clashes between Israeli and Palestinian forces in Be'eri, Israel, on October 14

Houses are destroyed after clashes between Israeli and Palestinian forces in Be'eri, Israel, on October 14

Israeli soldiers patrol the area as the traces of clashes between Israeli and Palestinian forces are seen in Be'eri on October 14

Israeli soldiers patrol the area as the traces of clashes between Israeli and Palestinian forces are seen in Be'eri on October 14 

Yahel and her sister hadn't been heard from since black-clad gunmen, wielding assault rifles and hand grenades, went door to door at their small kibbutz looking for Israeli families to slaughter or kidnap in their savage attack on October 7. 

The family were sheltering in the safe room at their home in the Kerem - ‘grape vine’ - neighbourhood of the kibbutz when the terrorists broke in, relatives told MailOnline today. 

The girl's relatives who live in the UK said the family visited at least once a year and spoke of the 'joy on [the girl's] faces when they ripped open gifts'. 

Yahel's death comes as the family was still reeling from her mother's murder. Speaking of Lianne, who first moved to Israel as a kibbutz volunteer when she was 19, the family added: 'She lived a beautiful life and will be sorely missed by the heartbroken family and friends she leaves behind.'

Last night Yahel and Noiya's heartbroken uncles told MailOnline that they weren't eating or sleeping since they reported the girls missing and were determined to do everything they could to bring them back to safety.

The girls' uncles, Raz Matalon and Sharon Sharabi, said they had received a series of panicked messages from Lianne on October 7 who told them she heard gunshots outside their home. 

They told MailOnline: 'She wrote that she heard gunshots outside her home. That people were screaming and calling in Arabic. And people running all over. 

'So they stayed in the safe room until they heard the terrorists had entered the house and tried to open the door.' 

It was at this moment all communication from Lianne and her family ceased, leaving her family waiting in vain for any news of their loved ones. 

The uncles said it wasn't until three days later that Israeli soldiers were able to enter Eli and Lianne's home, where they saw bullets embedded in the walls of the bomb shelter and in the children's room. 

'There were too big blood stains on the floor,' Matalon and Sharabi said. 'They saw the dog lying there dead.'

Noiya, far right, and her father Eli (centre) are still missing while her mother (left) was killed by the terrorists

Noiya, far right, and her father Eli (centre) are still missing while her mother (left) was killed by the terrorists

Israeli soldiers cordon off an area in Be'eri Kibbutz near the border with the Gaza Strip on October 15 following the Hamas attack

Israeli soldiers cordon off an area in Be'eri Kibbutz near the border with the Gaza Strip on October 15 following the Hamas attack 

Houses are destroyed after Hamas terrorists set fire to homes in Be'eri, Israel, last week

Houses are destroyed after Hamas terrorists set fire to homes in Be'eri, Israel, last week  

A man checks the interior of a house damaged in the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 14

A man checks the interior of a house damaged in the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Kibbutz Be'eri on October 14 

A soldier inspects the debris, which includes smashed furniture and bullet-ridden walls

A soldier inspects the debris, which includes smashed furniture and bullet-ridden walls 

Israeli soldiers walk past a house destroyed in the attack by Hamas terrorists

Israeli soldiers walk past a house destroyed in the attack by Hamas terrorists 

The family fear Noiya and her father Eli have been taken into Gaza as hostages where the Hamas terrorists are using people they have captured as 'human shields' to fend off Israeli forces.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed yesterday that six Britons were killed in the attacks last week, while another ten are missing.

Last week, chilling video emerged of the moment Hamas terrorists ran towards homes in the Be'eri kibbutz and unleashed a hail of bullets on the terrified families living there.

What had been a quiet morning, where many of the 1,000 families - including Yahel, Noiya and their parents - would have been sleeping or enjoying breakfast, turned into one of nightmares. 

The gunmen can be heard shouting orders at each other in the video as they run from house to house, the sickening sound of gunshots filling the morning air. 

Four gunmen can be seen approaching one family home before shooting into the windows. One of the terrorists can be seen kicking down the door as a round of five gunshots can be heard in the background in quick succession. 

The video cuts out before the terrorists manage to break down the door, but it was at this kibbutz they ruthlessly shot dead screaming families as they begged for their lives. Israeli soldiers would later find the bodies of 108 Israeli civilians lying riddled with bullet holes in their homes.

Chilling video has emerged of the moment Hamas terrorists ran towards homes in the kibbutz and unleashed a hail of bullets on the terrified families living there

Chilling video has emerged of the moment Hamas terrorists ran towards homes in the kibbutz and unleashed a hail of bullets on the terrified families living there

Israeli soldiers carry the body of a Hamas terrorist in Be'eri Kibbutz on Wednesday

Israeli soldiers carry the body of a Hamas terrorist in Be'eri Kibbutz on Wednesday

A house is completely destroyed after being burned by Hamas terrorists during the attack at Be'eri Kibbutz

A house is completely destroyed after being burned by Hamas terrorists during the attack at Be'eri Kibbutz

Buildings and vehicles are destroyed after Hamas terrorists launched their attack on Be'eri

Buildings and vehicles are destroyed after Hamas terrorists launched their attack on Be'eri 

Israeli Major General Itai Veruv told how the Hamas terrorists had thrown a hand grenade towards 15 girls and teenagers who were desperately trying to hide from them. All were found dead in that single room.

The Hamas gunmen also set fire to several homes here in a sick attempt to force the families out so that they could gun them down as soon as they reached their gardens. 

Horrific photos too graphic to publish showed how one woman was lying face down in the bed in a pool of blood with six gaping holes in her mottled, decomposing skin. 

Next to her, a man with dark hair awkwardly slipped in a gap between the bed and a wall. His black clothes, which appeared to be pyjamas, were still slick with his blood, which pooled in a dark red mess on the floor below him.

His body could be seen decomposing - his face has blackened with boils all over his arms. Chunks of his flesh were missing from his right arm and hand

Outside, several cars were left flattened, while the bodies of people in everyday clothing can be seen lying in awkward positions.

One survivor, Haim Jelin, told local media that Hamas fighters 'walked around Be'eri like they owned the place'.

He added: 'They shot indiscriminately, abducted whoever they could, burned down people's homes so they'd have to escape through the window, where the terrorists would wait.'

A woman called Miri Gad Mesika told local media that she and her husband were choking on thick smoke and gas fumes as they tried to hide. 

'We soaked towels with water and covered our faces, while my husband Eli held the shelter door closed as hard as he could as the terrorists tried to break in,' she said.

'Moments before we jumped from the second floor, we assessed the situation of the fire and looked out for the terrorists and decided to jump. 

'We fled to our neighbours across the street, and watched our house go up in flames before it was completely burned down. I have no idea how we survived.'

Israeli Major General Itai Veruv, who arrived at Be'eri on Saturday to join the fighting there, said as he walked past a home in the now blackened kibbutz: 'Children in the same room and someone came and killed them all. Fifteen girls and teenagers, they put (them) in the same room, threw in a hand grenade and it's over.' 

'This is a massacre. It's a pogrom.'

Be'eri, a settlement of a little more than 1,000 people, is one of more than 20 towns and villages ambushed early Saturday by Hamas terrorists. 

Before the attack, Be'eri — started by Zionist settlers two years before the country itself was founded — was known for its industriousness, including a large printing plant that turns out Israeli driver's licenses. 

Now it has become a horrific symbol of the war with Hamas, which authorities say has so far left about 1,300 dead in Israel and about 2,778 people in Gaza. 

Mr Sunak said the people killed and missing in the Hamas attack on Israel came from more than 30 countries, as well as Israel. He called the attack 'an existential strike at the very idea of Israel as a safe homeland for the Jewish people.'

He said Britain supports 'absolutely Israel's right to defend itself, to go after Hamas, take back the hostages, deter further incursions and strengthen its security for the long term - in line with international humanitarian law.'

He added the UK has earmarked £10million to alleviate the 'acute humanitarian crisis' in Gaza, and urged Israel and Egypt to open a border crossing to let in aid.

Meanwhile, further video of the attack on the Be'eri kibbutz where Yahel lived with her family shows the moment the murderous gunmen shot dead an Israeli family's dog before storming their home, raiding their fridge and setting their home alight.

The clip, obtained from the GoPro camera attached to the helmet of one Hamas fighter, showed how the dog came bounding out of the house towards the attackers and was immediately mowed down with several bullets.

Hamas terrorists promptly invaded one house and rifled through the family's belongings, drinking orange juice from their fridge and gorging themselves on its contents.

Then one militant drew a lighter from his pocket and took it to the wall, sparking house plants and hanging ornaments that quickly set ablaze before the heavily armed men made their exit.

Further video of the attack shows the moment the murderous gunmen shot dead an Israeli family's dog before storming their home, raiding their fridge and setting their home alight amid a campaign of civilian slaughter

Further video of the attack shows the moment the murderous gunmen shot dead an Israeli family's dog before storming their home, raiding their fridge and setting their home alight amid a campaign of civilian slaughter 

One militant withdrew a lighter from his pocket and held it to the wall, setting fire to house plants and hanging ornaments

One militant withdrew a lighter from his pocket and held it to the wall, setting fire to house plants and hanging ornaments 

The dog came bounding out of the house towards the attackers and was immediately mowed down with several bullets

The dog came bounding out of the house towards the attackers and was immediately mowed down with several bullets


Another harrowing scene from the same kibbutz showed how a second group of Hamas militants gained access to the gated compound by slaughtering civilians at near point blank range as they sat in a car.

The footage of the brutal attack was captured by cameras mounted at various points overlooking the entrance to the kibbutz, protected by a yellow metal gate.

CCTV camera footage, timestamped 5.55am on Saturday, shows two Hamas militants armed with AK-47s and dressed in camouflaged military clothing, body armour and combat boots approaching the gate that blocks a two-lane road.

At first, the two fighters are seen trying to find a way through the gate, with one testing to see whether he could fit through the small gap underneath.

He soon changes his mind, and instead breaks into a small guardhouse that sits to one side of the kibbutz entrance, using his rifle to smash his way inside.

Seconds after he climbs through a window, the other combatant spots the approaching car. He hides behind a tree, while the first soldier hides inside the guardhouse, setting an ambush for the approaching vehicle.

At 5.57am, barely two minutes after the two militants were first seen inspecting the entryway to the kibbutz, the driver and passenger are seen pulling up to the gate.

Both are seemingly unaware that the two armed men are lying in wait, and the electronically-operated gate starts to open.

As the driver briefly leans out the window, seemingly to address whoever is inside the guard-house, the armed militant is seen running out from behind the tree.

Israeli rescuers shared a shocking image of a blood-soaked nursery in Be'eri

Israeli rescuers shared a shocking image of a blood-soaked nursery in Be'eri

A nursery room is seen charred after Hamas set fire to the building

 A nursery room is seen charred after Hamas set fire to the building

Once he is feet away from the car, he mercilessly opens fire from point blank range through the passenger side window, blasting the two Israelis with several rounds.

From the other side, the Hamas militant in the guard house also opens fire, hitting the driver several times, who is seen being buffeted as he it hit by the bullets.

As the militants run through the now open gate, the footage shows the car continuing to gently roll forward into the kibbutz which has now been breached.

The victims inside the car remain motionless, covered in blood. Both are presumed to have been killed in the attack, likely among the first victims on Saturday which saw more than 1,000 Hamas gunmen stream across the border from Gaza and into Israel, where they indiscriminately shot civilians while taking others hostage.

The Times of Israel reported Hamas had control of the Be'eri kibbutz for 17 hours.

General Veruv, who had retired from the military until he was recalled Saturday to lead forces fighting to regain control of towns that were attacked, said Hamas fighters had taken up entrenched positions in the ruins of Be'eri, hiding in small groups before surprising Israeli soldiers as they went from house to house. 

'Every time that we thought we cleaned the area and everything was silent, suddenly another 12 or another 20 got out,' he said.

The Israeli war machine: IDF is equipped with 300 tanks, 600 warplanes and 173,000 troops backed by 300,000 reservists.


The Israeli war machine: IDF is equipped with 300 tanks, 600 warplanes and 173,000 troops backed by 300,000 reservists - all prepared for massive ground assault of Gaza.

  •  Israeli forces have already used its fleet of 600 planes and 300 rocket launchers to relentlessly pound the Gaza Strip, with strikes obliterating thousands targets

Israel is drawing on its huge military might - including thousands of tanks, warplanes and troops - to obliterate Hamas after the terrorists launched their ruthless attacks this weekend that has killed more than 1,300 Israelis. 

Israeli forces have already used their strike force of 600 planes and 300 rocket launchers to relentlessly pound the Gaza Strip, with airstrikes and artillery destroying thousands of targets belonging to Hamas and killing 1,530 Palestinians after their neighbourhoods were obliterated. 

And the ruthless onslaught won't stop there, with Israel's 173,000 soldiers, backed by 300,000 reservists, vying for the opportunity to kill Hamas terrorists who massacred 1,300 Israelis - either in their homes as they begged for their lives or while they fled a music festival.

This huge force, along with 300 military tanks including self-propelled howitzers, are now preparing to launch a huge co-ordinated ground assault that will likely bring higher casualties on either side in fierce house-to-house fighting. 

This morning, Israel ordered 1.1 million civilians to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours ahead of the highly expected ground offensive aimed at eradicating Hamas. 

The order sent panic through civilians and aid workers already struggling under Israeli airstrikes and a blockade, while the United Nations called such an evacuation 'impossible' that would turn an tragedy into calamity.

Israel's military might is far superior to that of the Hamas terrorists, who currently only possess around 10,000 rockets that had been built up in secret. 

Israel is drawing on its huge military might - including thousands of tanks, warplanes and troops - to obliterate Hamas after the terrorists launched their ruthless attacks this weekend that has killed more than 1,300 Israelis

Israel is drawing on its huge military might - including thousands of tanks, warplanes and troops - to obliterate Hamas after the terrorists launched their ruthless attacks this weekend that has killed more than 1,300 Israelis

Israeli heavy armed vehicles move near Gaza border as Israeli army deploys military vehicles around the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground offensive on Thursday

Israeli heavy armed vehicles move near Gaza border as Israeli army deploys military vehicles around the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground offensive on Thursday

Israeli tanks move near Gaza border as Israeli army deploys military vehicles around the Gaza Strip on Thursday

Israeli tanks move near Gaza border as Israeli army deploys military vehicles around the Gaza Strip on Thursday

Israeli soldiers patrol on Thursday near Kibbutz Beeri, the place where 270 revellers were killed by Hamas militants during the Supernova music festival

Israeli soldiers patrol on Thursday near Kibbutz Beeri, the place where 270 revellers were killed by Hamas militants during the Supernova music festival

A Palestinian man runs amid the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli air strike on Friday

A Palestinian man runs amid the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli air strike on Friday

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

On top of the 173,000 active Israeli soldiers, Israel has today drafted in a record 300,000 reservists in its response to a multi-front Hamas attack from Gaza and is 'going on the offensive,' the chief military spokesperson said.

Israel is also drawing on its special forces from the elite Sayeret Matkal unit to fight against Hamas. It is believed that they will be aiming to take out those high-ranking fighters within the terrorist organisation and also rescue the hundreds of Israelis who have been taken hostage. 

Israel's Defence Forces have said they want to completely strip Hamas of its power to govern in Palestine after what has been described as the country's 'worst day in history' with the number of Israeli's killed in the conflict set to rise further. 

In response to the barbaric attacks, which has seen 1,300 Israelis massacred including pregnant women and children, Israel has launched a relentless barrage of airstrikes that have obliterated entire neighbourhoods in Gaza and killed 1,530 Palestinians. 

The Israeli airstrikes have so far flattened much of the town of Beit Hanoun in the Palestinian enclave's north-east corner, which Hamas terrorists had been using as a staging ground for their attacks. 

And in a sign that Israel has no notion of stopping its airstrikes, the IDF today issued an evacuation order directly on Friday morning, telling the 1.1 million people living north of an area called Wadi Gaza to move south. This would mean the entire population of Gaza City and its surroundings fleeing their homes.

The UN says it is impossible to move that many people without devastating humanitarian consequences, and has urged Israel to rescind the order.

The Gaza Strip, home to 2.3million civilians, has so far been bombarded by approximately 6,000 bombs containing a total of 4,000 tonnes of explosives since Saturday when it began striking Hamas targets, the Israeli army said yesterday. 

But Palestinians are preparing for a ground offensive of unprecedented scale on the tiny, crowded enclave, exceeding previous bouts of destructive warfare. 

Israel has ordered more than one million people to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours ahead of a feared Israeli ground offensive aimed at eradicating Hamas

Israel has ordered more than one million people to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours ahead of a feared Israeli ground offensive aimed at eradicating Hamas

The order sent panic through civilians and aid workers already struggling under Israeli airstrikes and a blockade, while the United Nations called such an evacuation 'impossible' that would turn an tragedy into calamity. Pictured: Children are seen in a Gaza City hospital

The order sent panic through civilians and aid workers already struggling under Israeli airstrikes and a blockade, while the United Nations called such an evacuation 'impossible' that would turn an tragedy into calamity. Pictured: Children are seen in a Gaza City hospital

Palestinians with their belongings flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes on Friday

Palestinians with their belongings flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes on Friday

Palestinians carrying their belongings flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes on Friday

Palestinians carrying their belongings flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes on Friday 

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday 

Aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

Aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday 

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday 

Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

 Palestinians search for casualties under the rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday

The Israeli military had said it would operate with 'significant force' in Gaza in the coming days amid fears of a huge ground offensive. Spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Israeli forces 'will make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians'.

He added: 'Out of an understanding that there are civilians here who are not our enemy and we do not want to target them, we are asking them to evacuate.'

But the UN has said it is impossible to move that many people without devastating humanitarian consequences, and has urged Israel to rescind the order.

Suffering in Gaza has been rising dramatically with Palestinians desperate for food, fuel and medicine and the territory's only power plant shut down for lack of fuel. The morgue at Gaza's biggest hospital overflowed as bodies came in faster than relatives could claim them.

Meanwhile, a Hamas official called the evacuation order 'fake propaganda', urged Palestinians to stay in their homes and not to 'fall for it'. 

The Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs called on residents of the north of the territory to 'remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation'.

The flurry of directives was taken as signalling an already expected Israeli ground offensive, though the Israeli military has not yet confirmed such a decision.

On Thursday it said that while it was preparing, no official decision has been made.

Any ground offensive would be the strongest response yet to Hamas' shock assault, and would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal guerrilla warfare as Israeli soldiers go house-to-house and hunt down Hamas terrorists.

'This evacuation is for your own safety,' the Israeli military said, in a warning it said was sent to all Gaza City civilians.

As Israel pounds Gaza from the air, Hamas militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel, with attacks also coming from Hezbollah, in Lebanon to the north.

Amid concerns that the fighting could spread in the region, Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes on Thursday put two Syrian airports out of service.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to 'crush' Hamas after the militants stormed into the country's south on Saturday and massacred hundreds of people, including killings of children in their homes and young people at a music festival.

Israeli tanks head towards the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Thursday

Israeli tanks head towards the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Thursday

The body of a Palestinian killed during Israeli air strikes is carried in a sheet on Thursday

The body of a Palestinian killed during Israeli air strikes is carried in a sheet on Thursday

'Every Hamas member is a dead man,' the Israeli Prime Minister said menacingly in a televised address late last night, perhaps revealing the scale of the ground assault operation for which his Defence Forces are preparing as they encircle Gaza.

Amid grief and demands for vengeance among the Israeli public, the government is under intense pressure to topple Hamas rather than continuing to try to bottle it up in Gaza. However, the civilian toll is mounting.

Inas Hamdan, an officer at the UN Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza City, said the order had sparked more chaos in the Gaza Strip.

And the Red Cross yesterday warned hospitals in Gaza will 'turn into morgues' as the power begins to run out in the enclave where millions of Palestinians are stranded amid Israel's total siege of the small strip of land.

With the power cut and fuel for generators blocked by Israeli forces, aid workers warned that hospitals in Gaza are 'on the verge of collapse' due to the lack of energy that is set to run out completely in the next few hours.

'As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can't be taken,' Fabrizio Carboni of the International Committee of the Red Cross said. 

'Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues,' Carboni said before adding: 'The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent, and I implore the sides to reduce the suffering of civilians.'

His stark prediction came after Israel warned it wouldn't let any food, medicine or electricity reach the 2.3million residents trapped in the Gaza Strip until Hamas terrorists release the scores of Israeli hostages they captured.

'Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,' Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz vowed in a sinister threat. 

'Humanitarian for humanitarian. And no one will preach us morals,' Katz added. 

 Whilst Israel's political leaders have not yet decided on whether to launch the ground assault on the terrorists, the army said they are preparing for such an offensive that will be aimed at 'taking out ' the group's senior leadership including top government officials.

Meanwhile, the airstrikes, which have killed more than 1,500 civilians in Gaza, and the total siege of the enclave has prompted the US to warn Israel to 'uphold the laws of war'. 

US President Joe Biden said Israel had a right to respond to the attacks by Hamas terrorists, which has seen 1,300 Israelis massacred - shot dead in their homes as they begged for their lives or while they fled a music festival. But he warned that its retaliatory action must be 'according to the rule of law'.

Yet Katz's comments showed that there is no sign the total siege of Gaza, which has seen Israel cut off water, food and electricity to force its residents into starvation as they are pounded by constant airstrikes, will end any time soon given that Hamas has said it wouldn't release its 97 hostages until the bombardment ends.

Netanyahu's vow to Hamas 'savages': Israeli PM says 'what we do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations' as air strikes pound Gaza....

 

Netanyahu's vow to Hamas 'savages': Israeli PM says 'what we do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations' as air strikes pound Gaza ahead of ground invasion despite threats to execute hostages

  • The brutal strikes targeted Hamas buildings but also obliterated civilian housing 
  • Hamas warned they would begin executing Israeli hostages if strikes continue.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared intentions to obliterate Hamas as he metes out revenge for the deadly surprise attacks by the Palestinian militant group this weekend that saw hundreds of Israelis killed. 

Netanyahu, who first came to power in Israel in 1996 and has served three separate terms, compared Hamas to the Islamic State group and said Israel planned to deploy 'unprecedented force' that would 'reverberate for generations'.

'We have only started striking Hamas,' Netanyahu, 73, said in a nationally televised address late last night.

'What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.

'Hamas terrorists bound, burned and executed children. They are savages. Hamas is ISIS,' Netanyahu concluded.

Thousands of Hamas targets have been wiped out in brutal aerial bombing campaigns, Israeli defence officials claimed, but harrowing clips circulating social media showed how the rockets and bombs also obliterated Palestinian residential blocks, killing hundreds of civilians. 

Military spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters on Tuesday that the bodies of some 1,500 Hamas militants had been found around the Gaza border following strikes, adding that security forces had 'more or less restored control over the border' with Gaza.

Israel also ordered a 'complete siege' of Gaza, cutting off electricity, fuel and food for the 2.3 million Palestinians who for the most part were already living in abject poverty.

The four-day-old war has already claimed at least 1,600 lives, as Israel saw gun battles in the streets of its own towns for the first time in decades and neighbourhoods in Gaza were reduced to rubble. 

In a response to the savage aerial bombardment of Gaza, Hamas warned late last night it would begin executing Israeli civilian captives.

'Every targeting of our people without warning will be met with the execution of one of the civilian hostages,' Hamas' armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement

Hamas militants abducted up to 150 people, including women and children, from Israeli territory and dragged them back in Gaza amid their ruthless slaughter. 

'We have decided to put an end to this and as of now, we declare that any targeting of our people in their homes without prior warning will be regrettably faced with the execution of one the hostages of civilians we are holding,' Abu Obaida, spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, later added in a recording released to Al Jazeera.

On Tuesday morning, air raid sirens were blaring in cities across Israel, suggesting Hamas was launching another salvo of rockets. 

A fireball erupts from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

A fireball erupts from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

The death toll from the unprecedented assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas on its territory rose to 900 in Israel, which has retaliated with a withering barrage of strikes on Gaza (pictured)

The death toll from the unprecedented assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas on its territory rose to 900 in Israel, which has retaliated with a withering barrage of strikes on Gaza (pictured)

Rockets stream from the Gaza Strip towards Israel

Rockets stream from the Gaza Strip towards Israel

A Palestinian walks through the rubble while smoke rises from a damaged residential building nearby, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, October 10, 2023

A Palestinian walks through the rubble while smoke rises from a damaged residential building nearby, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, October 10, 2023

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

This aerial photo shows heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023

This aerial photo shows heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023

Lightning strikes as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

Lightning strikes as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

Mourners react as they pray during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023

Mourners react as they pray during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023

Palestinian men cry as they mourn the dead following Israeli air strikes in Gaza

Palestinian men cry as they mourn the dead following Israeli air strikes in Gaza

Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Kfar Azza into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Kfar Azza into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Kfar Azza into the Gaza Strip

Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian from Kibbutz Kfar Azza into the Gaza Strip

Sitting on the back of a terrorist's motorcycle, her outstretched arms pointing towards her helpless boyfriend, student Noa Argamani pleads for her life as Hamas militants abduct her and drive her into Gaza

Sitting on the back of a terrorist's motorcycle, her outstretched arms pointing towards her helpless boyfriend, student Noa Argamani pleads for her life as Hamas militants abduct her and drive her into Gaza

Hamas militants abducted up to 150 people, including women and children, from Israeli territory and dragged them back in Gaza amid their ruthless slaughter

Hamas militants abducted up to 150 people, including women and children, from Israeli territory and dragged them back in Gaza amid their ruthless slaughter

Benjamin Netanyahu
Yoav Gallant

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (R) have vowed to crush Hamas

Covered bodies of dead Palestinians lie on the floor at the Al-Shifa hospital after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 09 October 2023

Covered bodies of dead Palestinians lie on the floor at the Al-Shifa hospital after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, 09 October 2023

Mourners react as they pray during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023

Mourners react as they pray during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023

Mourners carry the body of a Palestinian killed in the Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023

Mourners carry the body of a Palestinian killed in the Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2023

Israeli soldiers take a position near the southern city of Sderot close to the Gaza Strip

Israeli soldiers take a position near the southern city of Sderot close to the Gaza Strip

An Israeli soldier runs next to a self-propelled howitzer near the southern city of Ashkelon

An Israeli soldier runs next to a self-propelled howitzer near the southern city of Ashkelon

Hamas published footage showing for the first time the homemade Mubar 1 short-range air defence system on Monday Oct 9, 2023

Hamas published footage showing for the first time the homemade Mubar 1 short-range air defence system on Monday Oct 9, 2023

The use of rockets by Hamas has been a significant source of tension and conflict in the region, as they have targeted Israeli civilians and cities, resulting in casualties and property damage

The use of rockets by Hamas has been a significant source of tension and conflict in the region, as they have targeted Israeli civilians and cities, resulting in casualties and property damage

Israel and Hamas have had repeated conflicts in past years, often sparked by tensions around a Jerusalem holy site. 

But this time, the context has become more explosive. 

The surprise weekend attack by Hamas left a death toll unseen since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria, fomenting calls for Israel to crush Hamas no matter the cost, rather than continuing to try to bottle it up in Gaza. 

Israel is run by its most hard-right government ever, dominated by ministers who adamantly reject Palestinian statehood.

Hamas, in turn, says it is ready for a long battle to end an Israeli occupation it says is no longer tolerable. Desperation has grown among Palestinians, many of whom see nothing to lose under unending Israeli control and increasing settler depredations in the West Bank, the blockade in Gaza and what they see as the world's apathy.

On Monday, thousands of Israelis were evacuated from more than a dozen towns near Gaza, and tanks and drones were deployed to guard breaches in the Gaza border fence against new incursions. 

In the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands fled their homes as airstrikes levelled buildings.

The moves, along with Israel's formal declaration of war on Sunday, pointed to Israel increasingly shifting to the offensive against Hamas, threatening greater destruction in the densely populated, impoverished region where 2.3 million people live on top of each other in squalid conditions.

Israel said it had called up 300,000 army reservists for its 'Swords of Iron' campaign, while the IDF said it struck hundreds of Hamas targets in Gaza's City Rimal neighbourhood, which is home to Hamas' ministries and governing buildings, overnight.

IDF spokesman Richard Hecht said Gazans were being told to evacuate 'over social media' before strikes, but did not give details.

Also on Monday, Israel found more bodies from Hamas' stunning weekend attack into southern Israeli towns. 

Rescue workers found 108 bodies in the tiny farming community of Be'eri - around 10 per cent of its population - after a long hostage standoff with gunmen.

More than 270 bodies, mostly young people, were strewn across the site of a music festival in a Negev desert kibbutz after Hamas attackers used paragliders to cross the border and fire indiscriminately into the crowd. 

The Israeli military said more than 900 people already have been killed in Israel. 

In Gaza and the West Bank, 704 people have been killed, according to authorities there; Israel says hundreds of Hamas fighters are among them. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.

Israel pounded Hamas targets in Gaza on October 10 and said the bodies of 1,500 Islamist militants were found in southern towns recaptured by the army in gruelling battles near the Palestinian enclave

Israel pounded Hamas targets in Gaza on October 10 and said the bodies of 1,500 Islamist militants were found in southern towns recaptured by the army in gruelling battles near the Palestinian enclave

A Palestinian man stands in front of the ruins of a building destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City

A Palestinian man stands in front of the ruins of a building destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City

A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on October 9, 2023. Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip on October 9 and cut off the water supply as it bombed targets

A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on October 9, 2023. Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip on October 9 and cut off the water supply as it bombed targets

People standing on a rooftop watch as a ball of fire and smoke rises above a building in Gaza City on October 7, 2023 during an Israeli air strike

People standing on a rooftop watch as a ball of fire and smoke rises above a building in Gaza City on October 7, 2023 during an Israeli air strike

Israeli soldiers gather at an area along the border with Gaza, southern Israel, 09 October 2023

Israeli soldiers gather at an area along the border with Gaza, southern Israel, 09 October 2023

A paramedic holds a little girl with her face full of blood and dirt from the effects of the bombing of Israeli planes in Gaza on Monday

A paramedic holds a little girl with her face full of blood and dirt from the effects of the bombing of Israeli planes in Gaza on Monday 

A paramedic holds a little girl crying after being pulled from the scene of the bombing Gaza on Monday

A paramedic holds a little girl crying after being pulled from the scene of the bombing Gaza on Monday 

A huge fireball engulfs part of the Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike

A huge fireball engulfs part of the Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike

Israeli police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon

Israeli police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon

A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Sunday night

A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Sunday night 

In a video statement Monday, Israel's foreign minister warned Hamas against harming any of the hostages who were taken from Israel and being held in Gaza. 

Eli Cohen said Israel was committed to bringing the hostages home 'in the spirit of mutual responsibility.'


'We demand Hamas not to harm any of the hostages, Cohen said. 'This war crime will not be forgiven,' he added.

Hamas seized more than 100 hostages amid their surprise attacks this weekend, forcibly deporting some soldiers as well as innocent civilian women and even children back into Gaza.  

Unsettling footage showed women being marched into vehicles, bloodied and bruised, often with their hands bound behind their backs.

A student who attended a desert rave and a mother and her two young girls were among the innocent victims snatched on Saturday.

Particularly shocking footage showed the abduction of Noa Argamani, 25, a student who was torn from her boyfriend's arms and driven away on the back of a militant's motorcycle as she screamed and pleaded for her life.

As violence escalates, Israel has responded with devastating airstrikes into the Gaza Strip, bringing down residential buildings they say contained military infrastructure.

The Israel Defense Forces announced on October 9 it had carried out more than 500 strikes on targets across the Gaza Strip overnight.

Palestinian officials said almost 500 people were killed, including 91 children, and over 2,700 were injured.

The death toll is expected to rise significantly. 

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said an airstrike early on Monday hit a market area 'killing and wounding dozens and causing heavy destruction'.

A school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was also hit in the attack on the camp.

'The school was severely damaged and was housing about 225 people, though no casualties were recorded among the displaced, but the school sustained significant structural damage,' UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily press briefing. 

All UNRWA schools across the Gaza Strip are closed, and more than 300,000 people students are impacted, according to the UN. 

The Times of Gaza reported 'dozens' had been 'killed and burned alive' during the attacks on Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip.

Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on buildings in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023

Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on buildings in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023

A Palestinian mourns the death of her relative following an Israeli airstrike on the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023

A Palestinian mourns the death of her relative following an Israeli airstrike on the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on October 9, 2023

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, 9 October 2023

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Gaza City, 9 October 2023

A smoke rises and ball of fire over a buildings in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

A smoke rises and ball of fire over a buildings in Gaza City on October 9, 2023

Palestinian officials said almost 500 people were killed, including 91 children, and over 2,700 were injured in the strikes. Pictured: smoke rises over Gaza on October 9

Palestinian officials said almost 500 people were killed, including 91 children, and over 2,700 were injured in the strikes. Pictured: smoke rises over Gaza on October 9 

Palestinians sit among rubbles of a damaged residential building, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, October 10, 2023

Palestinians sit among rubbles of a damaged residential building, in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, October 10, 2023

With no sign of either side losing momentum, Israel declared a 'complete siege' of the Strip on Monday, ensuring 'no electricity, no food, no fuel' would reach the 2.3mn people living there.

The country's defence minister said: 'We are fighting human animals, and we act accordingly.' 

The EU also said it would review all of its development funding to the Palestinian territories in response to Hamas' attack on Israel. 

Brussels was later pushed to clarify this would not include humanitarian aid. 

Speaking from Jerusalem on Monday evening, Thomas Helm, Jerusalem Correspondent at The National, told MailOnline he had witnessed missiles hitting the city today, injuring a ten-year-old child.

He suggested there are no indications at present of the conflict waning. 

He said: 'The thinking has been that [Hamas] launched their [strongest missiles] in the first barrage. But if they are still hitting Jerusalem now, it shows they still have a desire to escalate.'

With today's response of a 'complete siege' of Gaza, Israel is now 'trying to prepare their backers' for the possibility that 'this is going to be a long war', Helm added. 

Some 300,000 reservists have been called up as Israel desperately looks to turn the tide. 

'I got caught in a firefight and some of the the Israeli troops engaging were 70, 75-years-old,' Helm said.

He suggested it was unlikely the threat of executing hostages would do much to deter Israeli airstrikes.

Along with hundreds of other young Israelis, Noa (pictured) and Avi had been enjoying a peace festival in the desert when they were forced to flee for their lives

Along with hundreds of other young Israelis, Noa (pictured) and Avi had been enjoying a peace festival in the desert when they were forced to flee for their lives

A plume of smoke rises in the sky of Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9, 2023

A plume of smoke rises in the sky of Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9, 2023

Israeli emergency responders inspect a damaged car after a barrage of rockets that were launched from the Gaza Strip landed in the Israeli settlement of Beitar Ilit, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank October 9, 2023

Israeli emergency responders inspect a damaged car after a barrage of rockets that were launched from the Gaza Strip landed in the Israeli settlement of Beitar Ilit, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank October 9, 2023

The spiralling conflict has been felt globally, with oil prices surging on fears of tightening supplies.

US energy firm Chevron said it suspended operations at a natural gas platform off Israel's coast at the request of authorities.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in a phone call that the Gulf kingdom was working to prevent the conflict spreading across the region, state media said early Tuesday.

Qatar meanwhile sought to mediate de-escalation talks with Israel and Hamas, aiming to secure a deal whereby both sides release captives.

The ongoing negotiations, which Qatar has been conducting in coordination with the United States since Saturday night, are 'moving positively' a source told Reuters earlier today.

'We are in constant contact with all sides at the moment. Our priorities are to end the bloodshed, release the prisoners and make sure the conflict is contained with no regional spillover,' foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said.

Reports of artillery shelling and gunfire near the Israel-Lebanon border fuelled growing fears that the fighting could spread to other areas in the region, should Israel's opponents decide to strike against it following the attacks by Hamas during the weekend. 

Arab League foreign ministers are set to meet tomorrow to discuss 'the Israeli aggression' against Gaza, the group said. 

ISRAEL PALESTINE CONFLICT TIMELINE

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas launched its biggest assault on Israel in years early on Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets from Gaza and sending fighters across the border.

Israel said it was on a war footing and began its own strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, with Israeli media reporting gunbattles between bands of Palestinian fighters and security forces in southern Israel.

The following timeline, which begins with Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, details the major flare-ups in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian groups in the crowded coastal enclave, which is home to 2.3 million people.

August 2005 - Israeli forces unilaterally withdraw from Gaza 38 years after capturing it from Egypt in the Middle East war, abandoning settlements and leaving the enclave under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Jan. 25, 2006 - The Islamist group Hamas wins a majority of seats in a Palestinian legislative election. Israel and the U.S. cut off aid to Palestinians because Hamas refuses to renounce violence and recognise Israel.

June 25, 2006 - Hamas militants capture Israeli army conscript Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid from Gaza, prompting Israeli air strikes and incursions. Shalit is finally freed more than five years later in a prisoner exchange.

June 14, 2007 - Hamas takes over Gaza in a brief civil war, ousting Fatah forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in the West Bank.

Dec. 27, 2008 - Israel launches a 22-day military offensive in Gaza after Palestinians fire rockets at the southern Israeli town of Sderot. About 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis are reported killed before a ceasefire is agreed.

Nov. 14, 2012 - Israel kills Hamas's military chief of staff, Ahmad Jabari. Eight days of Palestinian militant rocket fire and Israeli air strikes follow.

July-August 2014 - The kidnap and killing of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas leads to a seven-week war in which more than 2,100 Palestinians are reported killed in Gaza and 73 Israelis are reported dead, 67 of them military.

March 2018 - Palestinian protests begin at Gazaâs fenced border with Israel. Israeli troops open fire to keep protestors back. More than 170 Palestinians are reported killed in several months of protests, which also prompt fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces.

May 2021 - After weeks of tension during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, hundreds of Palestinians are wounded in clashes with Israeli security forces at the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, Islamâs third holiest site.

After demanding Israel withdraw security forces from the compound, Hamas unleashes a barrage of rockets from Gaza into Israel. Israel hits back with air strikes on Gaza. Fighting goes on for 11 days, killing at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel.

Aug 2022 - At least 44 people, including 15 children, are killed in three days of violence that begin when Israeli air strikes hit a senior Islamic Jihad commander.

Israel says the strikes were a pre-emptive operation against an imminent attack by the Iranian-backed militant movement, targeting commanders and arms depots. In response, Islamic Jihad fires more than 1,000 rockets towards Israel. Israel's Iron Dome air defence system prevents any serious damage or casualties.

Jan 2023 - Islamic Jihad in Gaza fires two rockets towards Israel after Israeli troops raid a refugee camp and kill seven Palestinian gunmen and two civilians. The rockets set off alarms in Israeli communities near the border but cause no casualties. Israel responds with air strikes on Gaza.

Oct 2023 - Hamas launches the biggest attack on Israel in years from the Gaza Strip, with a surprise assault combining gunmen crossing the border with a heavy barrage of rockets. Islamic Jihad says its fighters have joined the attack.

Israel's military said it was on a war footing, adding it had carried out strikes targeting Hamas in Gaza and had called up reservists.