WORLD NEWS Israel-Hamas war: Death toll nears 1,350 as Israel vows complete siege of Gaza

Israel vowed to lay total siege to the Gaza Strip on Monday, as its military scoured the country’s south for militants, guarded breaches in its border fence and pounded the impoverished, Hamas-ruled territory in the wake of an unprecedented weekend incursion.

More than two days after Hamas launched its surprise attack, the military said the fighting had largely died down for now. Israel's vaunted military and intelligence apparatus was caught completely off guard, bringing heavy battles to its streets for the first time in decades.