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 9, 2023, 5:29 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."

Click here for the latest updates.

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 09, 2023, 5:29 PM EDT

State Department confirms Americans are missing, unknown if any are hostages

The State Department confirmed Monday evening that there are still missing Americans in Israel but couldn't immediately provide an exact number or estimate.

The department couldn't say yet if any of the missing Americans were hostages.

Israeli troops inspect a damaged house in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon after a rocket attack from Gaza on Oct. 9, 2023.
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

White House spokesperson John Kirby echoed this sentiment to ABC News' Linsey Davis.

"We don't really know whether they're just missing somewhere, or are lost, or whether they're being held hostage. I think we have to accept the possibility that at least some of them are being held hostage by Hamas," he said.

Of the Americans previously confirmed dead, a State Department official said they were all thought to be dual U.S.-Israeli citizens primarily residing in Israel.

Staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Israel are fully accounted for and are communicating with impacted Americans around the clock over the telephone and via the online form the department launched for U.S. nationals who believe their family members are among those missing, according to the agency.

An aerial view shows damage caused by a rocket after if was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, in Ashdod, southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.
Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters

The State Department is also urging Americans in the affected areas who are safe to contact their loved ones directly and/or update their status on social media.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

Oct 09, 2023, 4:42 PM EDT

Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 687

At least 687 people have died, including at least 140 children and 105 women, from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to Palestinian officials.

The Israel Defense Forces said over 1,500 military targets were hit in Gaza on Monday.

The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023.
Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

Oct 09, 2023, 6:20 PM EDT

At least 11 Americans killed, more may be among those held by Hamas

At least 11 Americans are among those killed in Israel, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Friends and relatives of Ilai Bar Sade mourn next to his grave during his funeral at the military cemetery in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. Bar Sade was killed after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns.
Erik Marmor/AP

He added, "While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas."

"American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts," Biden said. "My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days. The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable."

An Israeli firefighter hands a drink to a young child next to a site struck by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

"I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts," Biden said.

Oct 09, 2023, 4:21 PM EDT

Latest on travel to and from Israel

All major U.S. airlines and a number of foreign carriers have suspended service to and from Israel.

Delta said it has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until the end of October. American Airlines has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Oct. 13. United Airlines said its flights to and from Tel Aviv "will remain suspended until conditions allow them to resume."

Many other airlines, including Israeli flag carrier El Al, continue to operate flights.

Rockets fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza City are intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome defence missile system in the early hours of Oct. 8, 2023.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

The Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. airlines and pilots to use caution when flying in Israeli airspace.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin for the airspace of Israel on Sunday, recommending air operators "ensure that a robust risk assessment is in place together with a high level of contingency planning for their operations and to be ready for short notice instructions from the Israeli authorities."

PHOTO: Israelis inspect the rubble of a building a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Oct. 8, 2023.
Israelis inspect the rubble of a building a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Oct. 8, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea, killing hundreds and taking captives.
Oded Balilty/AP

-ABC News' Amanda Maile

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