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 09, 2023, 5:59 AM EDT

Israel cuts off Gaza in 'total siege'

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Monday that he has ordered a "total siege" of the neighboring Gaza Strip, allowing no food, fuel or electricity to enter the Hamas-ruled territory.

"We are fighting barbaric terrorists and we will act accordingly," Gallant said.

People stand among the rubble of a destroyed mosque during Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City on Oct. 9, 2023.
Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

Since Saturday's surprise attack on Israel launched by Hamas militants, Israeli forces have struck back. Hundreds of buildings and homes have been destroyed in Gaza, leaving more than 123,000 people displaced, according to the United Nations.

Unlike Israel, the Gaza Strip has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters. Over 73,000 people are currently sheltering in schools, according to the U.N.

Meanwhile, hospitals in Gaza are struggling to cope with the number of casualties, the U.N. said. At least 493 people have died and another 2,751 have been injured there, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Oct 09, 2023, 4:39 AM EDT

Fighting has stopped in southern Israel, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that fighting with militants in southern Israel has stopped and it has retaken control of all communities around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israeli soldiers have successfully blocked the holes in the border fence separating Gaza from Israel, which are now secured by tanks on the ground and fighter jets above, according to the IDF.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Oct 09, 2023, 4:22 AM EDT

70 militants infiltrated Be'eri kibbutz overnight, IDF says

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said Monday morning that 70 militants had infiltrated Be'eri kibbutz in southern Israel overnight.

Speaking to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the IDF spokesperson said they suspect there is a tunnel in the area of Be'eri, which the military has been unable to wrest from the Hamas militant group. The kibbutz is located near Israel's southeastern border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The IDF is still gathering information on the Israeli civilians and soldiers being held hostage in Gaza, and not all families have been updated yet, according to the spokesperson.

-ABC News' Clark Bentson

Oct 09, 2023, 1:17 AM EDT

IDF claims to have hit 500 militant targets in Gaza Strip

For an operation now dubbed "Swords of Iron," the Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it had struck 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip.

The attacks were carried out through the use of jets, helicopters and other aircraft, according to the IDF.

The IDF said seven of Hamas' command centers were struck in the mission.

-ABC News' Bruno Nota

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