Blinken vows US support for Israel ahead of possible ground operation as strikes pound Gaza

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Israel on Thursday as its military pulverised the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with airstrikes and prepared for a possible ground invasion. As Palestinians tried to stock up on bread and groceries amid dwindling supplies, Israel said nothing would be allowed into Gaza until around 150 hostages taken captive by Hamas during a weekend attack are freed.
International aid groups warned of worsening humanitarian crisis after Israel stopped all deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity to the tiny enclave of 2.3 million people and prevented entry of supplies from Egypt.

The war has already claimed at least 2,700 lives on both sides.
«Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on, and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home,» Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said on social media.
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Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters on Thursday that forces «are preparing for a ground maneuver» should political leaders order one. A ground offensive in Gaza, where the population is densely packed into a sliver of land only 40 kilometers (25 miles) long, would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.

As Israel pounds Gaza from the air, Hamas militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
Palestinians fleeing airstrikes in Gaza could be seen running through the streets, carrying their belongings and looking for a safe place. The number of people who fled their homes soared 30 per cent within 24 hours, reaching 340,000 people by Wednesday night.