Fighting is ongoing after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
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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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.
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.
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Women and children account for most of the thousands injured in Gaza from the airstrikes, according to Doctors Without Borders.
Doctors Without Borders said all of the patients they received at one of their clinics in Gaza City were children between the ages of 10 to 14.
Stephanie Hallett, the chargé d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, posted a video on X showing her standing in front of the wreckage at Israel's Be'eri kibbutz, where many residents were killed by Hamas terrorists.
"It's really unbelievable," she said, choking up. "As a mother, and just as a human being, to see and to know what happened here, it's really important to say that we've been here, we've seen it, and it is evil. And we stand with Israel."
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. is working with its Israeli and Egyptian counterparts to secure safe passage out of Gaza for civilians.
"Civilians are not to blame for what Hamas has done," Kirby said. "I don't have an announcement to make today -- I can't tell you a specific route or corridor. I just want to make it clear that we are actively working on this with our Egyptian and our Israeli counterparts. Civilians are protected under the laws of armed conflict, and they should be given every opportunity to avoid the fighting."
-ABC News' Molly Nagle
Seventeen Americans are missing, including an unknown number of Americans being held hostage by Hamas, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
"I think we all need to steel ourselves for the very distinct possibility that these numbers will keep increasing and that we may, in fact, find out that more Americans are part of the hostage pool," Kirby said.
He said the conditions and whereabouts of the hostages are not known.
"We don't know where they are, we don’t know if they're all in one group, or broken up into several groups. We don't know if they're being moved, and with what frequency and to what locations. All of those questions we're working hard to answer," he said.
Pressed by ABC News if U.S. officials have seen any proof of life, Kirby said, "I am not aware of any specific proof of live on any individual hostage."
Blinken heads to Israel to reiterate support amid conflict in Gaza
Asked if the U.S. has had any communication with Hamas, directly or through allies, Kirby said, "We're in discussions not only with the Israelis about what hostage recovery can look like, but with other allies and partners in the region. And there are some countries like Qatar that have open lines of communication with Hamas. So, of course, we're casting the net wide."
"We haven't made any policy options or operational decisions with respect to hostage recovery at this time," he said.
Kirby said there is no "specific evidence that Iran was directly involved with these specific sets of attacks" on Israel, but he added, "We are going to keep looking at it -- the book is not closed."
In recent days, the White House has consistently said there was no evidence pointing to Iran’s participation but said Iran was broadly complicit with their past funding and support for Hamas.
-ABC News' Mary Bruce
