Fighting is ongoing after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
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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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.
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.
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Nine workers from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency have been killed from strikes on Gaza, the agency said.
"UNRWA staff are working around the clock to respond to the needs of the displaced in the shelters," the agency said. "However, some are overcrowded and have limited availability of food, other basic items and potable water."
Reports of an infiltration into Israeli air space from Lebanon have been determined to be a false alarm, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Multiple alerts were heard along the northern border.
Israel and Hezbollah were openly exchanging fire at the northern border earlier in the day.
Gaza is now without power. The main hospital remains at full capacity.
Gaza relies on Israel for most of its power, which was cut off following the attack. Its sole power plant ran out of fuel on Wednesday.
"Key munitions" have arrived in Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday, adding that the U.S. will be providing more Iron Dome interceptors.
He confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean and that the deployment of U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft in the Middle East have been extended.
"The more you learn about the sickening atrocities, the worse it gets," Austin said. "Hamas deliberately targeted civilians and massacred them just because they are Jews. … The United States continues to stand firm with Israel and the Israeli people.”
Austin also emphasized that the supply of weapons to Israel won’t impact the flow of military aid to Ukraine.
