FLASH
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Israel said Thursday it will not allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip until Israelis held hostage by Hamas are released.
The statement came as the Red Cross called for fuel to be allowed to be sent to prevent overburdened hospitals from "turning into morgues".
Israel has vowed to eradicate the Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip following attacks carried out by Hamas militants last Saturday.
The state-run Kan network said the death toll had risen to more than 1,300 since Saturday. Most civilians killed at home, street and at a party.
A number of Israelis and foreign nationals have been taken hostage in Gaza, Israel says it has identified 97 of them.
Today, the US Secretary of State said that at least 25 US citizens have been killed during Hamas attacks.
Israel responded to Saturday's surprise attacks by surrounding Gaza, home to a population of 2.3 million, and launching the most powerful attacks in the 75-year history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, destroying entire neighborhoods.
Gaza authorities say that more than 1,200 people have been killed and over 5,000 others have been injured as a result of the bomb attacks. The only power station has been shut down and hospitals are running out of fuel for emergency generators.
Red Cross regional director Fabrizio Carboni pleaded with both sides to ease civilian suffering, saying if Gaza loses power, babies in incubators and elderly patients are at risk. "Without energy, hospitals risk turning into morgues," he said.
But Energy Minister Israel Katz said there will be no exceptions until the Israeli hostages are released.
According to the United Nations, 340,000 residents of Gaza have lost their homes in the last 4 days. /VOA
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