Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mentioned Hamas is the “enemy of civilisation” and shall be “crushed”.

Speaking alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel, Mr Netanyahu thanked Washington for its assist since Hamas’s co-ordinated multi-pronged assault on the weekend – including the militant group must be handled “exactly as ISIS was treated”.

Mr Netanyahu mentioned “no country should harbour” Hamas militants – and people who do must be sanctioned – as he condemned the “murder of children in front of their parents”, the “burning of people alive” and “beheadings”.

Reiterating the US’s assist for Israel, Mr Blinken informed Mr Netanyahu he stood earlier than him “not only as US Secretary of State, but also as a Jew”.

Israel prepares for ground invasion – follow live conflict updates

“The message that I bring to Israel is this – you may be strong enough on your own to defend yourselves, but as long as America exists you will never, ever have to,” he mentioned.

Warning in opposition to any “adversary” considering of “taking advantage of the current crisis” to assault Israel, he added: “The United States has Israel’s back.”

While Israeli civilians are stored hostage by Hamas and Israel continues to bombard Gaza, Mr Blinken mentioned it’s “so important” to take each doable precaution to keep away from harming harmless folks.

During his go to to the Middle East, Mr Blinken will attempt to assist safe the discharge of these hostages – with Israel claiming they’ve recognized 97 captives – and maintain talks a couple of humanitarian hall in Gaza.

Some of the hostages are American.

It comes as Israel continues to dam items from coming into the Gaza Strip, warning it is not going to break its siege till all hostages taken by Hamas are freed.

The Red Cross has pleaded for gas to be allowed in to forestall hospitals from “turning into morgues” within the space which is dwelling to 2.3 million folks.

In an indication of the battle’s potential to unfold additional throughout the Middle East, Syria’s pro-government media reported Israeli airstrikes focused airports within the nation on Thursday.

Al-Watan Daily and Dama Post didn’t give additional particulars apart from each airports – within the capital Damascus and the northern metropolis of Aleppo – had been out of service with runways broken.

In the struggle with Hamas, the Israelis say they’re destroying the group’s potential to control following Saturday’s surprise attack.

Bodies of civilians killed in Hamas’s assaults present indicators of torture “unlike anything seen before”, Israeli President Isaac Herzog mentioned.

While many anticipate the bombardment of Gaza will precede a floor offensive, IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht mentioned no resolution has been made on a ground operation but.

“Anyone who will come near the fence will be shot – anyone,” he mentioned on Thursday morning, including Hamas remains to be attempting to come back into Israel by way of the ocean. “No one’s coming in, no one’s coming out.”

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Meanwhile, the UN has mentioned about 340,000 folks have been displaced in Gaza, the place a Sky News staff spoke to a mom who discovered her dwelling had been “bombed entirely”.

“There’s nothing left,” she mentioned. “There’s nothing visible in the house. It’s been bombed entirely… where shall I go?”

In Gaza’s Al Shati refugee camp, residents had been sifting by way of rubble with their naked palms to seek for survivors.

Rescue employees say they lack gas and gear to dig victims out of collapsed buildings.