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."
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.
IDF says it struck Hamas command center inside Gaza mosque
The Israeli Defense Forces said it "struck terror targets" belonging to Hamas in Gaza.
"IDF aircraft struck a Hamas operational command center in a mosque and an offensive tunnel entry point that was used by terrorists to invade Israel," the IDF said in a statement.
Palestinians inspect the rubble of the West mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, Oct. 9, 2023.
Adel Hana/AP
The IDF also claimed it struck an "Islamic Jihad operational meeting point inside a house that was occupied by a large number of terrorists."
"Two terrorists were killed when they attempted to flee the scene," the IDF said.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
Oct 09, 2023, 5:26 PM EDT
State Department confirms Americans are missing, unknown if any are hostages
The State Department confirmed Monday evening that there are still missing Americans in Israel but couldn't immediately provide an exact number or estimate.
The department couldn't say yet if any of the missing Americans were hostages.
Israeli troops inspect a damaged house in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon after a rocket attack from Gaza on Oct. 9, 2023.
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images
White House spokesperson John Kirby echoed this sentiment to ABC News' Linsey Davis.
"We don't really know whether they're just missing somewhere, or are lost, or whether they're being held hostage. I think we have to accept the possibility that at least some of them are being held hostage by Hamas," he said.
Of the Americans previously confirmed dead, a State Department official said they were all thought to be dual U.S.-Israeli citizens primarily residing in Israel.
Staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Israel are fully accounted for and are communicating with impacted Americans around the clock over the telephone and via the online form the department launched for U.S. nationals who believe their family members are among those missing, according to the agency.
An aerial view shows damage caused by a rocket after if was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, in Ashdod, southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.
Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters
The State Department is also urging Americans in the affected areas who are safe to contact their loved ones directly and/or update their status on social media.
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford
Oct 09, 2023, 4:42 PM EDT
Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 687
At least 687 people have died, including at least 140 children and 105 women, from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to Palestinian officials.
The Israel Defense Forces said over 1,500 military targets were hit in Gaza on Monday.
The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.
Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 9, 2023.
Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images
Oct 09, 2023, 4:27 PM EDT
At least 11 Americans killed, more may be among those held by Hamas
Friends and relatives of Ilai Bar Sade mourn next to his grave during his funeral at the military cemetery in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 9, 2023. Bar Sade was killed after Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns.
Erik Marmor/AP
He added, "While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas."
"American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts," Biden said. "My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days. The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable."
An Israeli firefighter hands a drink to a young child next to a site struck by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Oct. 9, 2023.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
"I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts," Biden said.
