Israel-Gaza updates: Israeli forces preparing for 'wide range of offensive plans'
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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Latest headlines:
- At least 500 killed in explosion at Gaza hospital: Gaza Health Ministry
- IDF preparing to implement 'wide range of offensive plans'
- 3,000 tons of aid with nowhere to go as Gaza-Egypt border remains closed
- Biden to visit Israel
- Hostages suffering from amputated limbs, severe injuries from rape: Israeli forum
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.
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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IDF fighter jets attack neighborhood in Gaza Strip
Dozens of fighter jets attacked more than 70 targets in a neighborhood in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Hamas allegedly had operations in the neighborhood and carried out activities against Israel, according to the IDF.
The IDF said it also attacked a military building that was allegedly used by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.
-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman
WHO calls for access to health and humanitarian assistance
The World Health Organization repeated its call to end hostilities in the Israel-Gaza region and offered assistance to health officials in both countries.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed to a WHO request to facilitate the delivery of health and other humanitarian supplies from WHO to Gaza via the Rafah crossing, the organization said.
"In the Gaza Strip, hospitals are running on back-up generators with fuel likely to run out in the coming days. They have exhausted the supplies WHO pre-positioned before the escalation," the organization said in a statement. "The life-saving health response is now dependent on getting new supplies and fuel to health care facilities as fast as possible."
-ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud
'Hamas was always an obstacle to peace': Former Israeli FM
Former Israeli Foreign Minister and former Knesset member Tzipi Livni spoke with ABC News Live about the recent Hamas attacks on Israel and argued the group is "not just an Israeli problem."
Livni said, "Hamas was always an obstacle to peace," and called on the entire international community to stand against them.
"They don't represent the Palestinian people," Livni said about Hamas. "They represent this extreme religious ideology that does not accept not only Israel, [but also] the U.S., or our liberal values, [and] democratic ideas."
She thanked President Joe Biden for his support of Israel shortly after he delivered remarks, and said that for Israelis listening it was "the first light in dark days."
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
First plane with US ammunition lands in Israel
The IDF said the first plane bringing U.S. ammunition landed in Israel Tuesday.
"We are grateful for the American backing and assistance to the IDF in particular, and to the State of Israel in general, during this challenging period," the IDF said in a statement.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
1st US charter flight left Israel, headed to Europe
The first U.S. charter flight to evacuate Americans from Israel has departed the country and is now en route to Europe, John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, told reporters on Friday. Kirby didn’t provide the exact destination in Europe.
He said more flights are expected to depart "in the coming days" and that "the State Department will continue to organize these charter flights for as long as there is a demand from US citizens for departure assistance."
He said the U.S. is still exploring "other options" to expand evacuation capacity, which also includes an option by sea.
Kirby also spoke to the heightened alert across the U.S.
"I want to be completely and crystal clear on one thing: At this time, none of our intelligence agencies have any specific intelligence indicating a threat to the United States stemming from the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel," Kirby stressed.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez