Israels far-right national security minister has said that every person in a southern Israel city less than 4km from the Gaza Strip will be allowed to carry a firearm for their protection.
All citizens of Sderot will be allowed to carry a weapon in response to attacks launched by the Hamas terrorist group, Itamr Ben-Givr said.
The National Security Minister said that since Saturday some 10,600 new applications for a licence to carry a firearm have been submitted.
“As of today, every resident of Sderot can receive a licence to carry a weapon,” Ben-Gvir said.
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There are also concerns that Israel could be forced to fight a two-front war if a Lebanese Hezbollah group invades northern Israel.
Skirmished by Hezbollah has led to firing attacks on Israel in the early evening of Wednesday and residents in the north have been urged to take cover due to “hostile aircraft” entering from Lebanon.
Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Sky News, they have been “concerned for some time” that Hezbollah could “escalate the situation.”
“We don’t want to see an escalation in the north, but if a two front war is forced upon us, we won’t be caught be surprise. We are prepared, we are ready and we will prevail,” Regev said.
“It is not easy, but no war is ever easy. We have been planning for the possibility… and we can fight, if need be, a two-front war.”
Regev said Israel wants to come out of this conflict with a “different reality” and the Gaza Strip will “not be the same,” he warned.
He added, “This war will finish on our terms,” and a solution will see the situation in Gaza “radically change,” which comes as Israels military are preparing a ground offensive.
The number of Palestinians has risen from 1,055 to more than 1,100 and there has been 5,339 people injured, the Gaza Health Ministry reported on Wednesday evening.
An Oxfam official has warned that the situation in Gaza is leading to a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
Gaza’s only power plant has no fuel and the area has no electricity and food is running out including water.
Bushra Khalidi Oxfam’s policy lead for the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel told Sky News, “Gaza is in the dark, it is completely isolated from the world.
“There is no electricity, there’s no water, no phone lines, there’s very little food, there are dwindling medical supplies – the situation is dire and devastating.”
She said that there has been suggestions that Egypt could open a humanitarian route for those in Gaza.
She added, “We don’t want to be in a situation where there are two million Gazans are stuck between Egypt and Gaza.”
She explained, “Israel has been clear if any trucks from Egypt attempt to cross, they will be bombed, so no medical aid is entering Gaza.
“For now, we are really calling for both parties to end the violence.”
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