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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to wipe Hamas “off the face of the Earth” as the new unity government signaled a major ground offensive would start soon in retaliation for an attack by the militant group that killed 1,200 people.
“I say here, to everyone — we will wipe out this thing called Hamas,” Gallant said alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will wipe them off the face of the Earth.”
The address came hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel in a push to show US support.
Israel has cut electricity to the Gaza Strip, where airstrikes continued. Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union, is holding an unknown number of Israelis hostage and officials suggested the invasion would start before they had been brought to safety.