Israel intensifies Gaza strikes and battles to repel Hamas, with over 1,100 dead

Israel intensified its bombardments of the Gaza Strip on Monday after declaring war and vowing to destroy the “military and governing capabilities” of the enclave’s Hamas rulers, as Israeli soldiers fought to dislodge Gaza gunmen from areas of southern Israel.
At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel – a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades – and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza. Palestinian militant groups claimed to be holding over 130 captives from the Israeli side.
More than two days after Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza, Israeli forces were still battling with militants holed up in several locations.