As the death toll rose above 1,100 by the third day of fighting, the Israeli military amassed as many as 100,000 reserve troops near the troubled border amid fears of a ground invasion in an effort to retake control of the desert near the Gaza Strip. Israeli military spokesman said that for the ongoing conflict with Hamas, Israel has gathered 100,000 reserve soldiers close to Gaza. In a video uploaded to X, an Israeli military spokesperson stated, “We have gathered roughly 100,000 reserve troops who are currently in southern Israel.” “Our responsibility is to make sure that Hamas lacks the military capacity to pose a threat to Israeli civilians after this conflict is over,” said Jonathan Conricus. According to him, the Israeli military will also ensure that Hamas cannot control the Gaza Strip after the war is over. Israeli soldiers are looking for the final Palestinian fighters who have infiltrated southern Israel, Conricus added. A day after Hamas launched an unexpected attack from Gaza, firing a barrage of rockets and sending a wave of fighters who shot dead civilians and kidnapped at least 100 people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel to get ready for a “long and difficult” conflict on Sunday. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported on Monday that more than 700 Israelis have died since Hamas began its extensive attack, representing the worst casualties for the nation since the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Gaza officials reported at least 413 fatalities in the 800 targets hit by Israeli air strikes on the 2.3 million-person blockaded and impoverished enclave, which many feared might be the beginning of a ground invasion. In the south, where bodies of civilians had been discovered strewn on roads and in town centres, tens of thousands of Israeli troops were sent to engage remaining Hamas fighters. “The enemy is still on the ground,” military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said as a second night fell after the massive opening attack. US President Joe Biden ordered “additional support for Israel in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas”. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington “will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions”.