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.
Click here for the full timeline
IDF says it killed Hamas council member, attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
Israeli Defense Forces and the Shin Bet said they killed the head of the Shura Council of Hamas, Osama al-Mazini, in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF added that it is now attacking military targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanese territory.
-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman and Michal Dagon
Netanyahu speaks with Putin
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday evening, his office said.
"The Prime Minister made it clear that Israel had been attacked by brutal and abhorrent murderers, had gone to war determined and united and would not stop until it had destroyed Hamas's military and governing capabilities," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
-ABC News' Clark Bentson
Gaza hospital official says facility resources are being depleted with surge of patients
Muhammad Abu Salima, the director of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, provided an update on the dire conditions in the city after 10 days of attacks by Israel.
Many of the wounded patients are children and women, Abu Salima said.
He added that water is scarce inside the hospital due to the lack of electricity and there is a shortage of medicines and fuel.
The hospital added more beds to accommodate the extra patients, Abu Salima said.
-ABC News' Desiree Adib
McConnell says Hamas should be wiped 'from the face of the Earth'
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called on the United States to continue providing maximum assistance to Israel in the face of the "savage cold-blooded violence" perpetrated by Hamas.
In his first Senate floor remarks since the Oct. 7 attack, McConnell painted a visceral picture of "charred corpses" and "beheadings of children shot dead in their homes."
"Make no mistake, the surest way to stop violence against Israelis and oppression of Palestinians is to wipe terrorists like Hamas from the face of the Earth," he said. "To that end, the United States must continue to provide maximum support to Israel's counterterrorist operation as long as it takes."
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
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