TEHRAN – Israel is trying to cut off internet and all other means of communication in the besieged Gaza Strip before it launches a ground operation into the territory, according to a report by the Tasnim news agency.

The outlet has quoted its reporter as well as sources in Gaza as saying Israel is planning to commit an “unprecedented” crime and carry out a colossal massacre of ordinary people. 

“Some knowledgeable sources in Gaza have told Tasnim that with the order to attack Gaza by Netanyahu, the Israeli regime's army has prioritized the destruction of all communication infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. 

The regime has specifically focused on the destruction of all electrical, internet, and telephone facilities so that no images or sounds from Gaza are broadcast to the world. They even target telephone lines in their attacks,” said the report.

The report also says that less than 10% of people in Gaza currently have access to electricity.

Israel’s War Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered the “complete siege” of Gaza. “We are fighting against human animals so we will act accordingly,” he said, adding that no water or fuel will be allowed inside the territory.

The UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday that he is “deeply distressed” by Israel’s complete siege of the Gaza Strip which will worsen an already dire situation. António Guterres stated that the latest round of fighting between Israel and Gaza has not arisen from a vacuum, but from a decades-long occupation with no end in sight.

 "Medical equipment, food, fuel and other humanitarian supplies are desperately needed, along with access for humanitarian personnel," said the UN chief.

"Only a negotiated peace that fulfills the legitimate national aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis, together with their security alike – the long-held vision of a two-state solution, in line with United Nations resolutions, international law and previous agreements – can bring long-term stability to the people of this land and the wider Middle East region," the world’s top diplomat insisted.

The United Nations Human Rights Chief has also condemned Israel’s aggression against Gaza, saying Israeli air strikes have struck residential buildings, including large tower blocks, as well as schools and UN buildings across Gaza, resulting in civilian casualties.

"International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks," Volker Turk said in a statement.

The Hamas resistance movement launched a large-scale attack dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm against Israel on Saturday. The group said the offensive happened in response to Israel’s repeated violence against Palestinians and the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Israeli settlers accompanied by the regime’s armed forces stormed the compound several times in the past year, assaulting Palestinian worshippers in a move that has been seen as a big provocation. 

Israel has responded to Hamas’s operation by raining missiles and bombs on mostly civilian sites in the Gaza Strip. Almost 800 Palestinians have so far been slaughtered with women and children among the dead. The regime has targeted residential buildings, schools, hospitals, mosques and the besieged enclave’s infrastructure. 

That’s while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the regime’s ongoing attacks on Gaza "will be remembered by Hamas and Israel’s other enemies for decades to come". Some analysts have raised concerns that Netanyahu might be thinking of committing a genocide of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. 

MHA/PA