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the tiny, crowded enclave, exceeding previous bouts of destructive warfare that they fear will leave survivors destitute, without homes, water, electricity, hospitals or food.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the price Gaza would pay “will change reality for generations” and Israel was imposing a total blockade with a ban on food and fuel imports as part of a battle against “animals”.

The death toll in the Gaza Strip rose to 560 yesterday, the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said, as Israel pounded Hamas targets for the third consecutive day.

Gaza has no protected shelters designated for times of war.

The densely populated enclave’s 2.3 million residents, many of them refugees descended from people who fled or were expelled from their homes during fighting when Israel was founded in 1948, have endured repeated bouts of war and air strikes before.

They expect this one to be worse.

“It doesn’t need much thinking about. Israel suffered the biggest loss in its history so you can imagine what it is going to do,” said a resident of Beit Hanoun on Gaza’s northeastern border with Israel.

Families began stockpiling food as soon as Saturday’s attack began but fear that despite Hamas assurances supplies will run low.

With Israel cutting off electricity supplies into Gaza, a looming fuel shortage means private generators as well as the enclave’s own power station, which is still providing about four hours of energy a day, will struggle to function.

Electricity shortages mean residents cannot recharge phones, so are cut off from news of each other and from events, and are unable to pump water into rooftop tanks.

At night the enclave is plunged into total darkness, punctuated by the blasts of air strikes.

Gaza health ministry officials said hospitals were expected to run out of fuel, needed to power lifesaving equipment, in two weeks.

Air strikes have damaged and blocked streets, making it harder for ambulances and rescue vehicles to reach bomb sites according to residents and medics. The civil defence said it could not cope with so many bomb sites, and asked for foreign rescue teams to help it save survivors trapped under rubble.

The Beit Hanoun resident said the bombardment of streets seemed like preparation for another Israeli ground offensive, like the ones he watched rolling into Gaza from the roof of his house in 2008 and 2014.

Recorded phone messages and social media posts issued by Israel’s military warning residents to quit some Gaza areas added to residents’ fears.

Despite the danger, the 45-year-old was pleased by Hamas’ raid into Israel he said, requesting anonymity for fear of Israeli reprisals.

“We are afraid but still we are proud like never before,” he said, adding: “Hamas wiped out entire Israeli army battalions. It crushed them like biscuits”.

Standing outside his ruined shop, near wrecked houses where three entire families were killed, Brais said he just hoped for an end to Gaza’s endless cycle of destruction.

“Enough. We had enough. I am 55-years-old and I spent those years going from one war into another. My house has been destroyed twice,” said Brais. “Everything is gone,” he said, looking at the wreckage of his shop.