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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The Israeli army and Israeli intelligence said they've targeted and killed Hamas commando forces leader Ali Qadi.
The United States did not ask Israel to hold off or delay a ground invasion of Gaza, ABC News has learned.
“U.S. officials have not asked Israel to slow down. But discussions did include the importance of taking into account the safety of civilians during any operations,” according to a U.S. official.
The official said the Israelis took it under advisement.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Egypt, Israel and the United States have agreed to allow foreigners in Gaza to pass through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, according to a senior State Department official.
“So we have been trying to facilitate access for [the Rafah Border Crossing] to be open from 12 to 5 today. The Egyptians, the Israelis and the Qataris have been working with us on that,” the official said.
They added: “That said, it’s not clear at all if Hamas was going to allow people to make it to Rafah.”
When asked about the number of U.S. citizens, the official said, “We are in touch with a number of the roughly 500-600 (Palestinian-Americans)…who have expressed interest in receiving information about leaving.”
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford
Early Saturday morning, Israel Defense Forces Lt Col. Jonathan Conricus went live on X to give an update on the 24-hour evacuation notice issued in Gaza on Friday.
Conricus stated, "The Palestinian citizens in Gaza are not our enemies," saying IDF doesn’t assess them as such, and if they did "the situation in Gaza would be different."
"We have seen a significant movement of Palestinian civilians toward the south, we have seen people listening to our warning, understanding that they are moving out of a dangerous area," said Conricus.
The IDF advertised their intentions in advance "not because it has any military logic" but because "we want civilians not to be affected by the war," said Conricus.
"They are not our enemy, we are not trying to kill or injure any civilians, we are fighting against Hamas."
