Death toll soars to 1,300 as fighting between Hamas and Israel rages

More than 800 Israelis and some 500 Palestinians have been killed amid heavy fighting and bombardment following the largest attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas against Israel in decades.

More than 800 Israelis and some 500 Palestinians have been killed amid heavy fighting and bombardment following the largest attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas against Israel in decades.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday authorities would impose a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, cutting electricity and blocking food and fuel supplies as part of “a complete siege” on the Hamas-run enclave.

It came as Gaza’s Ministry of Health said at least 510 Palestinians had been killed and 2,751 more had been wounded in Israeli air raids on the enclave since Saturday, when Hamas launched its multipronged offensive on Israel.

In Israel, the number of people killed has reached 800, with more than 2,200 also wounded.

The Israeli military said it hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza, including air raids that levelled much of the town of Beit Hanoon, known as Erez to Israelis, in the enclave’s northeast corner. The United Nations said more than 123,000 Palestinians in Gaza had been displaced amid the intense bombardment.