Israel vows complete siege of Gaza amid wave of strikes after incursion by Hamas

Around 700 people have been killed in Israel, according to Israeli media outlets. The Gaza Health Ministry said 493 people, including 78 children and 41 women, were killed in the territory

Israel’s military scoured the country’s south for Hamas fighters and guarded breaches in its border fence with tanks on Monday, as it pounded the Gaza Strip from the air (Tsafrir Abayov/AP)

Israel’s military ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday, halting entry of food, fuel and supplies to its 2.3 million people as it pounded the Hamas-ruled territory with waves of air strikes in retaliation for the militants’ bloody weekend incursion.

More than two days after Hamas launched its surprise attack from Gaza, the Israeli military said it had largely gained control in its southern towns where it had been battling Hamas gunmen.