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 17, 2023, 4:16 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

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 16, 2023, 3:29 AM EDT

No cease-fire agreed, Netanyahu's office says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday that there was no cease-fire agreement ahead of the expected re-opening of an Egyptian border in Rafah.

"There is no ceasefire," the office said in a two-line statement.

Oct 16, 2023, 2:52 AM EDT

Israelis near Lebanon border to be evacuated

Israelis residents living near the border with Lebanon will be evacuated, state officials said Monday.

A fire burns on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon following explosions, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.
Petros Giannakouris/AP

People living within the 28 Israeli towns that sit within 2 km of the border will be evacuated, the Israeli Ministry of Defense's National Emergency Management Authority and the Israel Defense Forces said in a joint statement.

-ABC News' Clark Bentson

Oct 16, 2023, 2:39 AM EDT

US committed to Israel 'as it defends itself,' Blinken says

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to Israel "as it defends itself."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to members of the media before leaving Cairo, Sunday Oct. 15, 2023, en route to Jordan.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP

"The United States is also actively working to ensure the people of Gaza can get out of harm's way and the assistance they need -- food, water, medicine -- can get in," he said on social media. "Hamas does not care if Palestinians suffer."

The secretary is expected on Monday to travel to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Over the past few days, I've traveled to Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt," Blinken said. "What I've heard from every partner is a shared view to prevent the conflict from spreading, to safeguard innocent lives, and to get assistance to those in Gaza who need it."

-ABC News' Lauren Minore

Oct 15, 2023, 11:32 PM EDT

Rafah crossing on Egypt's border to open at 9 a.m. Monday

The U.S. State Department has said it believes the Rafah crossing, which is located on the border of Gaza and Egypt, will be open on Monday morning.

Quoting media reports, the State Department said the crossing will open at 9 a.m. local time.

As many as a million people are displaced inside Gaza with nowhere to hide from the bombing.
3:20

Gaza humanitarian crisis continues to grow

As many as a million people are displaced inside Gaza with nowhere to hide from the bombing.
ABCNews.com

"We anticipate that the situation at the Rafah crossing will remain fluid and unpredictable and it is unclear whether, or for how long, travelers will be permitted to transit the crossing," the State Department wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "If you assess it to be safe, you may wish to move closer to the Rafah border crossing – there may be very little notice if the crossing opens and it may only open for a limited time."

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

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