The Israeli armed forces are bombing areas of Gaza intensively searching for members of the elite units of Hamas, the Islamist organization that dominates the Gaza Strip, but still It has not been decided whether it will soon move to a ground operation. While the Israeli Energy Minister, Yisrael Katz, has assured that “there will be no electricity, water or fuel” in Gaza until the hostages kidnapped by Hamas are released.

The total siege of Gaza, which has been in darkness since this Wednesday, not only does not stop, but also there is the threat of a ground incursion. The Israeli Army is preparing for this operation, but political leaders have not yet decided which one, its spokesman Richard Hecht said Thursday. The lieutenant colonel has given a press conference where he assures that they are now focused on “making the elite” of Hamas pay a high price.

The Army spokesman has also denied rumors that it was already planning a ground invasion in Gazaalthough he has indicated that he is preparing for all eventualities. “We are preparing for the next phase of the war, which could be from the air, it could be combined air and sea… That depends on the political leaders, but nothing has been decided yet. A ground operation has not yet been decided,” Hecht insisted.

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to “completely destroy and kill Hamas, the ISIS (Islamic State) of Gaza,” advancing that “will disappear from the Earth, will no longer exist“. Statements made with the support of a new war cabinet that includes an opposition critic.

As Israel threatens death and destruction, people in Gaza spent Wednesday night in darkness, surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods. Egypt has engaged in intense talks with Israel and the United States to allow the delivery of aid and fuel through its Rafah border point, rejecting, of course, humanitarian corridors.

However, Israel rejects any entry of humanitarian aid. “Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be turned on, no water pump will be opened, and no fuel truck will enter until the kidnapped Israelis return home“, the Minister of Energy has noted in X. “Any humanitarian step towards Gaza must be in exchange for a humanitarian step, and we will not receive lessons,” Yisrael Katz has written.

Hospitals will become morgues

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip they will turn into morgues as they run out of electricity, causing the death not only of the sick and injured by the war between Israel and Hamas, but also of newborns in incubators and the elderly receiving oxygen, the International Committee of the Red Cross denounced this Thursday. (ICRC).

“The kidney dialysis stops and x-rays cannot be done. The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent and I implore the parties to reduce the suffering of civilians,” said the director of the humanitarian organization for the Middle East, Fabrizio Carboni.

Those responsible for these electricity installations have assured that Israel has warned them that they will attack the plant if it receives fuel and works again. In addition to affecting homes and hospitals, the power outage means there is not enough power to run wells and pump water through the system, to run desalination and water purification plants, and to maintain sanitation services. throughout the Gaza Strip.

The serious shortage of drinking water affects more than 650,000 people. Additionally, four of Gaza’s five wastewater treatment plants have also stopped operating. due to lack of fueland every day more than 120,000 cubic meters of wastewater are dumped into the sea.