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."

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Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
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 10, 2023, 10:54 AM EDT

IDF says it killed 2 senior Hamas leaders

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that one of its aircraft overnight struck and killed Zachariah Abu Ma'amar, a senior member of Hamas and head of its office for internal relations.

The IDF also said one of its aircraft struck and killed Joad Abu Shmalah, the Hamas minister of economy in the Gaza Strip. He held security positions in Hamas and led a number of operations targeting Israeli civilians.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City, in Gaza, Oct. 10, 2023.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Oct 10, 2023, 9:52 AM EDT

Biden, Harris to speak with Netanyahu

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to discuss our support for Israel and our efforts coordinated with partners and allies to defend Israel," the White House said in a statement Tuesday.

A woman cries during the funeral of Israeli Col. Roi Levy at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem on Oct. 9, 2023. Col. Levy was killed after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns.
Maya Alleruzzo/AP, FILE

Before their call with Netanyahu, the president and vice president "will meet with their national security teams to receive a situation update and give direction on next steps," the White House said.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Oct 10, 2023, 8:16 AM EDT

7 Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, Palestinian authorities say

At least seven Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to Palestinian authorities.

Palestinian authorities identified the slain journalists as: Ibrahim Lafi, Muhammad Jargon, Muhammad Al-Salhi, Asaad Shamlikh, Said Al-Taweel, Muhammad Subh Abu Rizq and Hisham Al-Nawajaha.

Funerals for the journalists were held in Gaza and they were mourned in parts of the West Bank.
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7 Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli airstrikes 

Funerals for the journalists were held in Gaza and they were mourned in parts of the West Bank.
ABCNews.com

Funerals for some of them were expected to take place in Gaza on Tuesday.

-ABC News' Nasser Atta and Somayeh Malekian

Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in the Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip Oct. 10, 2023.
Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters

Oct 10, 2023, 8:01 AM EDT

1,500 Palestinian militants found dead along Israeli-Gaza border, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that the bodies of 1,500 Palestinian militants have been found along the Israeli-Gaza border.

All of the militants were killed while fighting with Israeli soldiers in recent days, according to the IDF.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

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