Gaza holds its breath: Israel deploys 300,000 soldiers to the border and creates a war cabinet

Fifth day of the resurgence of the war between the State of Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). The crossfire between both sides has continued throughout the day, to which attacks from Lebanon have also been added.. Israel broke a record by deploying a total of 300,000 reservists and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to create an emergency government and a war cabinet together with the opposition. In addition, the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah threatened to attack US bases in the Middle East. Meanwhile, in Gaza, the population has been left in the dark and hospitals are overwhelmed, since in addition to the lack of electricity, there is also a shortage of medicines, supplies and doctors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this Wednesday the creation of an emergency government and a war management cabinet together with Beny Gantz, opposition leader and former head of the Army.. The Government's political and security cabinet will be made up of five members of the center-right National Unity party, among whom are also: Gideon Saar, former Minister of Justice; Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of the Army Staff; Gantz himself; and two other deputies. For its part, the war management cabinet will be formed by: Netanyahu, Gantz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.. During the day, the deployment of 300,000 reservists was also confirmed.

Sadness and joy in Spain

The arrival of the two planes sent by the Ministry of Defense to Torrejón de Ardoz and a commercial plane to Barajas filled both airports with joy.. In total, more than 400 people have been repatriated from Tel Aviv. However, the news was overshadowed by the confirmation of the death of Maya Villalobo, the 19-year-old girl with Spanish and Israeli nationality, who was doing her military service at a base near Gaza at the time Hamas carried out the attack. last Saturday. The whereabouts of Ivan Illarramendi, the other missing Spaniard, and his wife, a Chilean national, are still unknown.

So far, more than 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, while in Palestine the death toll stands at over a thousand.. Regarding those kidnapped by Hamas, the Israeli Government estimates that there would be between 100 and 150 people and has also ruled out starting talks to negotiate their rescue. “This is not the time to negotiate.. We are still at war. We're counting our bodies. We continue to fight against terrorists in our territory,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat.

Fear of possible escalation

During the day this Wednesday, one of the main fears was the possible escalation of the conflict. Israel was the victim of new attacks with missiles launched from Lebanon, as happened in previous days. However, for the first time the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attacks, which left “a large number of casualties” among Israeli troops.. The Israeli Army counterattacked, according to military sources.

Later, the threat made by the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, supported by Iran, to attack American bases located in the Middle East in case the country intervened in Gaza was made public. “Our missiles, drones and special forces will be prepared to direct qualitative blows against the American enemy in its bases and hinder its interests, if it intervenes in this battle,” said the leader of the organization Abu Hasan al Hamidawi.

For its part, the Islamist movement Hamas denied having “killed children, beheaded and attacked civilians” during the attacks carried out since Saturday against Israel. “We firmly affirm the falsity of fabricated accusations that espouse the Zionist narrative, including claims of killing children, beheading and attacking civilians,” Hamas said in a statement.. Specifically, they stated that they had only attacked “the military and security apparatus” of the Israeli State.

Gaza, devastated

Meanwhile in Gaza, chaos continues. The attacks do not stop and among them the bombing of a university in the region stood out. On Tuesday, attacks on two UN schools located in the Palestinian enclave had already been reported and this Wednesday the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) raised the number of workers killed in the bombings to eleven.. Among them are five teachers, a gynecologist, an engineer, three support members and a counselor.

Last Monday, Israel announced the total blockade of the area and this Wednesday the inhabitants have already been left in the dark. The supply company cut off the electricity supply at the beginning of the afternoon, because they only had 300,000 liters of fuel left, enough for 10 ten hours of light.. The remaining amount has been reserved for emergencies and waiting for Israel to agree to Egypt sending them fuel through the Rafah border crossing.. However, so far Egypt has not even confirmed that it will open the border for Palestinians who wish to flee to pass through.

The hospitals in the Strip are also overwhelmed and it is increasingly difficult to provide care to the 5,000 people who have been injured in the Palestinian territory.. The power outage has been compounded by a shortage of supplies, medicines and health personnel. “Our capacity is at the limit and we can only try to maintain the lives of the wounded,” Dr. Medhat Abás, spokesperson for the Al Shifa Medical Complex, the largest hospital center in Gaza City, explained to EFE.