Israel-Gaza updates: IDF preparing for 'wide range of offensive plans'

Fighting is ongoing after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

ByABC NEWS
Last Updated: October 8, 2023, 12:15 PM EDT

At least 1,400 people have died and 3,400 others have been injured in Israel after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented incursion from air, land and sea on Oct. 7, Israeli authorities said.

In Gaza, 3,000 people have been killed and another 12,500 were injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Tensions are high with the prospect of ground war and evacuation orders for Gaza after the Israel Defense Forces called for "all residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes" and "move south for their protection" early Friday, saying residents should move "and settle in the area south of the Gaza River." The announcement was made, according to the IDF, because it plans to "operate significantly in Gaza City in the coming days" and wanted "to avoid harming civilians."

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Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 16, 2023, 2:47 PM EDT

Timeline: The Hamas attack and response

On the morning of Oct. 7, sirens echoed across Israel as Hamas terrorists began a full-fledged surprise attack from the air, sea and ground. Hundreds of armed Hamas fighters stormed into Israel from Gaza, charging into cities and gunning down citizens.

Friends and family mourn Dor Reder, who was killed following a deadly infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, at his funeral in Beit Kama, southern Israel, Oct. 16, 2023.
Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

Israeli forces responded by sending wave after wave of bombs into Gaza, killing thousands, trapping civilians and raising fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Click here for the full timeline

Oct 08, 2023, 12:15 PM EDT

Christie says dysfunction of House could delay aid to Israel

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie slammed the dysfunctionin> the U.S. House of Representatives, where a small group of Republican lawmakers last week voted along with the Democratic minority to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, for leaving it without a way to pass legislation, including foreign aid to Israel.

"What I would be doing is making sure, one, that Israel has everything that it needs to be able to take whatever actions it needs to take. And this is the problem with not having a speaker right now," Christie, the former New Jersey governor, told ABC News' "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Christie, a former ABC News contributor, added, "The actions taken by some members of my party were wholly irresponsible without this going on. They're now even putting a brighter light on the irresponsibility of not having someone in place."

Christie also said his top priorities if he were president would be engaging allies in the region, such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia, to keep the conflict from spreading and to serve as a "sounding board" to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help him "think through the ramifications of every step they're going to take to defend themselves and to try to do the best they can to eliminate the leadership of Hamas."

-ABC Nicholas Kerr

Oct 08, 2023, 11:35 AM EDT

Israel says at least 100 civilians, soldiers are being held hostage

For the first time since Saturday's surprise attack by Hamas militants, the Israeli government confirmed that a number of people, including civilians, have been taken hostage.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon in southern Israel, on Oct. 8, 2023.
Amir Cohen/Reuters

Israel's Government Press Office said Sunday that at least 100 Israeli citizens and soldiers are being held hostage by Hamas fighters.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in separate interviews on CNN and NBC News that there is a possibility Americans are among those killed or taken hostage and that the U.S. Department of State is investigating.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Oct 08, 2023, 10:47 AM EDT

Blinken calls GOP claims WH funded Iran prior to Israel attack a 'false narrative'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday pushed back on growing Republican criticism that the White House's decision to allow the transfer of some $6 billion of Iran's oil revenue, in exchange for the release of five American detainees, was a sign of "appeasement" ahead of the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants.

"Not a single dollar from that account has been spent to date and, in any event, is very closely and carefully regulated by the Treasury Department," Blinken told ABC's "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Blinken stressed that the funds are designated solely for humanitarian purposes and are not U.S. tax dollars.

-ABC News' Adam Carlson

Oct 08, 2023, 9:53 AM EDT

2 Israeli tourists gunned down in Egypt

Two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guide were killed Sunday when a gunman opened fire on them and a group of travelers in Egypt, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

The attack unfolded in Alexandria and was allegedly committed by a local resident, the Foreign Ministry said. The tour guide was an Egyptian, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The shooting left at least one other Israeli tourist injured, the Foreign Ministry said.

Israeli officials -- including the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, the Prime Minister's Office and the Israel Defense Forces -- are working with Egyptian authorities to return the slain Israeli citizens to Israel as soon as possible, the Foreign Ministry said.

-ABC News' Becky Perlow

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