Swords of Iron: Here is what happened on days 3, 4 and 5

At least 800 Israelis have been killed by Hamas terrorists since Saturday morning, Israeli media reported on Monday. 

Up to a thousand terrorists crossed the Gaza-Israel border at the same time as a barrage of rockets pummeled the country. Hamas militants were able to gain access to several communities in the south of Israel and IDF bases, killing and taking hostages. 

The IDF has responded with heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and ground troops are gathering near the border. 

Around 20 bodies have so far been recovered from Kibbutz Be'eri by personnel from the rescue and recovery organization ZAKA.

Teams are checking each house for possible explosive traps before entering and state that the clean-up will take time. 

Be'eri was among the communities attacked by Hamas terrorists on Saturday morning as they crossed the border into Israel, killing at least 700 Israelis and wounding at least 2,400.

Residents in the moshav of Netu'a, northern Israel have been ordered to lock their doors and windows due to a potential security breach. 

Netu'a is located close to the Lebanon-Israel border.

This is a developing story. 

The IDF hopes to have a clearer picture of Israel's dead, wounded, and kidnapped within 48-72 hours of Monday afternoon.

While there are rampant complaints that the identification process and providing notice to families about their loved ones has been too slow, garbled, and uneven (with some getting notices much faster than others), the IDF's view would be that it is in an unprecedented situation.

On top of being caught by surprise by the Hamas invasion, there were no plans in place for having to identify and provide notice to such a large number of people all at once.

Taking into account that the dead, wounded, and kidnapped are well over 3,000, the IDF is only now fully rolling out with a greater volume of staff and organization to handle the effort.

The process is made more complex because many IDF soldiers and civilians were killed, mixed in together, which requires an additional level of coordination between the IDF and the police (who is authorized to handle identification and notices for civilians.)

IDF and Shin Bet intelligence combined 

IDF Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon is taking the lead in combining IDF intelligence and Shin Bet intelligence to best identify what has happened to various persons whose current status is still uncertain.

On Sunday there were 50 staff members handling 3,000 requests for clarification or for providing information.

So far only around six burials have taken place, but the IDF plans to significantly speed up the burial process starting Monday afternoon.

The IDF will also work with Gal Hirsch, a former IDF brigadier general who the government has appointed to negotiate with Hamas and third parties regarding the hostages taken to Gaza.

Hamas said on Monday that four Israeli captives and their Hamas captors had been killed in Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave since Sunday.

"The bombardment overnight and today on the Gaza Strip led to the killing of four of the enemy's captives and their captors," said Abu Ubaida, spokesman of the Hamas armed wing.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke at the IDF's Southern Command on Monday and announced, "I have given an order - Gaza will be under complete closure. We are fighting barbaric [terrorists] and will respond accordingly."

Gallant is currently conducting an operational situation assessment in the IDF's Southern Command, together with the Head of the Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman. 

"There will be no electricity, food or fuel [delivered to Gaza]," Gallant said. "We are fighting barbaric [terrorists] and will respond accordingly."

Benny Gantz's National Unity Party met with the Likud on Monday to discuss the formation of an emergency government for the duration of the war.

During the meeting, National Unity suggested setting up a war cabinet where the party would have an influencing representative who would join the existing government's relevant ministers. If other opposition parties join the emergency government, they would also have representation in the cabinet.

National Unity further suggested that the war cabinet be given the majority of authority over war management.

Further, the party requested that for the duration of the war, no legislation be handled in Knesset that isn't related to the war.

Give the government full support

The meeting ended with a commitment from party leader Benny Gantz that the party would give the government full support and help wherever needed whether from within the government or the opposition.

Full support for an emergency government has been voiced by opposition leaders such as Gantz, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu Minister Avigdor Liberman. On Tuesday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also voiced support for it. 

A Hamas official told Chinese news agency Xinhua that Qatar is mediating a prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.

"With US support, Qatar is seeking to accomplish an urgent agreement that would lead to the release of Israeli women captured by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian female prisoners in Israeli prisons," the anonymous source told Xinhua.

The source, said to be a senior official in the terror organization, informed Qatar that Hamas is not opposed to an exchange deal that guarantees the release of all Palestinian female prisoners.

It is estimated that Hamas took over 100 Israelis hostage in the surprise attack.

Hamas's surprise attack

Hamas launched the attack against Israel on Saturday morning, with thousands of rockets fired into the south of the country and hundreds of terrorists crossing the border. So far, over 700 Israelis have been killed and 2,400 injured. The IDF has carried out retaliatory airstrikes and ground troops are heading to the border of the Gaza Strip. 

Due to the ongoing security situation and reports of many injured, missing, and captured individuals in Israel, 'The Western Wall Heritage Foundation' has opened a special 'Prayer Line' for submitting names for prayer and reciting Psalms by worshipers at the Western Wall.

Anyone who knows the names of the injured, missing, or those taken hostage is requested to send the names for prayer through the link on the Western Wall's website 'Submit a Name for Prayer'.

https://thekotel.org/en/sending-prayers

Iran has called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces raged following a weekend assault on Israel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

"Tehran has called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss regional developments," spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.

Iran said it was not involved in the attacks in which 700 Israelis were killed and dozens more abducted by the Islamist group Hamas. More than 400 Palestinians have also been killed.

'A devastating response'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was no evidence Iran was behind the latest attacks on Israel but he said there are long-standing ties between Tehran and Hamas.

"Anyone who threatens the Islamic Republic of Iran should know that any foolish action will be met with a devastating response," Kanaani said.

Iran's backing for Palestinian groups is part of a broader network of militias and armed groups it supports across the Middle East, giving Tehran a powerful presence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Gaza.

The Hamas assault, the biggest incursion into Israel in decades, coincides with US-backed moves to push Saudi Arabia towards normalizing ties with Israel in return for a defense deal between Washington and Riyadh. Such a move would slam the brakes on Saudi Arabia's recent rapprochement with Tehran.