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 09, 2023, 12:47 PM EDT

Gaza hospital, communication center out of service

Gaza's main hospital, Beit Hanoun Hospital, has been damaged and is now out of service after Israeli forces repeatedly targeted the area, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

A main communication center in Gaza was also destroyed from airstrikes, making it difficult to get internet access or make phone calls.

A Palestinian runs amidst the debris after an Israeli airstrike on buildings in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, Oct. 9, 2023.
Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza, Oct. 9, 2023.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Oct 09, 2023, 12:16 PM EDT

Survivors recount 'living hell' at Israel music festival

A 30-year-old Israeli told reporters it was "living hell" when Hamas gunmen opened fire and rockets were unleashed on a music festival in southern Israel, killing hundreds.

"I've been in wars, in two wars in my life, and never seen anything like this. Bodies at all places," the 30-year-old said. "They didn't care if you are a man or a woman, if you are young or an old man."

The terrorist group launched its assault near Re-im, Israel, early Saturday morning, killing at least 260 people.
1:06

Festival survivors look back on Hamas attack

The terrorist group launched its assault near Re-im, Israel, early Saturday morning, killing at least 260 people.
South First Responders via Telegram

At least 260 bodies were removed from the music festival venue, according to an Israeli rescue service.

PHOTO: A grab taken from a UGC video posted on the Telegram channel "South First Responders", Oct. 9, 2023, shows the aftermath of an attack on the Supernova music Festival by Palestinian militants, near Kibbutz Reim in
A grab taken from a UGC video posted on the Telegram channel "South First Responders", Oct. 9, 2023, shows the aftermath of an attack on the Supernova music Festival by Palestinian militants, near Kibbutz Reim in the Negev desert in southern Israel on October 8.
South First Responders/AFP via Getty Images

Another survivor, Elad Hakim, told Reuters in Hebrew that the festival was "the best party I've been to in my life" until it went "from paradise to hell in one second."

"Girls started screaming," Hakim said. "People didn't understand where to go, what to do."

"There were two men on motorcycles on the road … who started spraying us [with bullets] as we drove by," Hakim said. "The vehicles that were behind [us] were left behind."

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Oct 09, 2023, 11:39 AM EDT

Israel wants artillery, missiles, Iron Dome interceptors from US: Biden administration

Israel is seeking a resupply of specific weapons from the United States, including artillery rounds, interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system and precision-guided munitions, a Biden administration official told congressional leaders on a Sunday night conference call, according to two sources familiar with the call.

More U.S. aid approved by Congress will be critical for Israel's defense in the coming weeks as the conflict continues, the sources said, describing the Biden administration's message to lawmakers.

The mother of Israeli Col. Roi Levy cries during her son's funeral at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem on Oct. 9, 2023.
Maya Alleruzzo/AP

-ABC News' Ben Siegel

Oct 09, 2023, 11:09 AM EDT

Dozens of Israeli fighter jets strike Gaza

Dozens of Israeli fighter jets have struck several targets in the Al Forqan area of the Gaza Strip, which serves as a hub for Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said. Massive blasts were seen igniting over the area at the same time.

Many of the operations against Israel this weekend were launched from the Al Forqan area, the IDF said.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

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