Netanyahu tells his forces Israel is with them as the 'fateful hour' to attack Gaza Strip by land, sea and air draws near: UN warns of 'spectre of death'

Netanyahu tells his forces Israel is with them as the 'fateful hour' to attack Gaza Strip by land, sea and air draws near: UN warns of 'spectre of death' as enclave's hospitals run out of medicine and crisis threatens to engulf whole Middle East

By SAM GREENHILL IN JERUSALEM and JON BRADY and MATTHEW LODGE

Israel's imminent invasion of Gaza could turn into an occupation lasting 18 months in order to dismantle the 'bloodthirsty monsters' of Hamas.

Rainy weather delayed the full-scale onslaught yesterday but Israel's prime minister vowed to 'demolish' the terror group.

A week after the bloodbath that shocked the world, Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation was approaching a 'fateful hour'.

However, the United Nations has warned that the 'spectre of death' looms over Gaza as hundreds of thousands continue fleeing from the expected Israeli invasion.

Supplies of food, water, fuel and medicines are running dangerously low after Israel imposed blockades on the Palestinian territory - but today Egypt agreed to re-open the Rafah border crossing for eight hours between 6am to 2pm GMT. 

A ceasefire agreed upon by Egypt, Israel and the US will coincide with the opening of the border crossing and would last for several hours, two Egyptian security sources said on Monday. 

Undeterred by the comments of human rights observers over recent days, Mr Netanyahu said preparations were being made around the clock to launch the ground offensive, with nearly 400,000 soldiers gearing up for battle in Gaza.

He pledged: 'They are ready to take action to defeat the bloodthirsty monsters who have risen against us to destroy us. Hamas thought that we would come apart – we will demolish Hamas.'

Scores of Israeli soldiers were yesterday photographed with arms draped over each other's shoulders in a 'band of brothers' moment as they prepared near Ashkelon, by the Gaza border.

The Israeli military's rules of engagement have reportedly been 'loosened' for the ground invasion to allow fewer checks before shooting.

But US President Biden, who has repeatedly proclaimed support for Israel, has warned any move for the country to reoccupy Gaza would be a 'big mistake'.  

Yesterday more anguished families spoke of their horror at seeing harrowing videos of their loved ones being held hostage. Some ten Britons are among up to 200 kidnapped by Hamas during their sickening rampage nine days ago. They face being paraded as human shields during the impending invasion.

There were reports yesterday that Israel rejected a prisoner exchange offer by Hamas in order to focus on its own military efforts.

Diplomatic sources said the offer, brokered by Qatar, would have entailed women, children and the elderly being exchanged for 36 Hamas prisoners held in Israel.

Soldiers from Israel's highly secretive SAS-style Sayeret Matkal unit have instead been conducting lightning raids to seek out the hostages, so far without any known success.

The might of the country's armed forces is poised to follow them in by air, land and sea, with their goal 'the rout of Hamas and the elimination of its leaders,' said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

As more than a million civilians in Gaza fled their homes, analysts suggested Israel could become bogged down for more than a year hunting for terrorists in the 25-mile long enclave. 

Nimrod Novik, a former senior Israeli diplomat and security adviser, said some military and political leaders wanted soldiers to undertake 18 months of door-to-door arrest operations to root out the Hamas top brass.

Yesterday rockets, artillery fire and anti-tank shells were exchanged between Lebanon – home to terror group Hezbollah – and Israel, threatening to drag the region into open warfare. 

Israel reported its first civilian death from a Hezbollah strike in the current violence, with a man in his 40s killed in a guided missile attack on the northern community of Shtula.

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