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."
Click here for the latest updates.
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
UN says still no aid has entered Gaza in over a week
The blockade of supplies into Gaza continues, according to a spokeswoman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
"No fuel, no food, no water, and no other kind of aid," Juliette Touma, the spokeswoman for the UNRWA, said in a statement.
The UNRWA also estimated the number of displaced people in Gaza at 1 million people and denied reports of fuel entering through Rafah.
Schumer urges Senate to work on aid package
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, fresh off his return from Israel, harshly condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel and repeatedly insisted that the Senate act quickly to provide an aid package to Israel.
In the coming days, Schumer said he'd work with the administration to craft a package that includes military, humanitarian, intelligence and diplomatic aid. The administration has not yet presented a formal ask for Israeli relief, but Schumer said in a conversation with Israeli leaders, he's learned what the nation needs most.
He also said it's incumbent on the Senate to begin work on the package to "give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself" and to move on it quickly, even as the House remains without a speaker. He said supporting Israel must be "at the front and center of our attention."
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Israel's security chief takes responsibility for intelligence failure
Ronen Bar, director of Israel's Shin Bet security service, said in a letter, "We were unable to generate a sufficient warning" for Hamas' attack.
"As the one who is at the head of the organization -- the responsibility for this is mine," he wrote.
Bar said there will be time for an investigation, but for now, Israelis are fighting.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
DC protesters call for cease-fire in Gaza
A large group of protesters are rallying outside the White House calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
More than 30 people have been arrested, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
The organizers of the rally said protesters came from all over the country to "protest for peace." Two demonstrators said they felt President Joe Biden's handling of the crisis has been "shameful" and "catastrophic."
The president has emphasized that Hamas does not represent all Palestinian people, who are also suffering, but some protesters told ABC News they didn't think Biden's language was strong enough.
-ABC News' Selina Wang
'Acute security threats' preventing US from aiding Americans at Rafah crossing
As Americans inside Gaza wait for the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to open, a senior State Department official said that Egypt has informed the U.S. that “there are acute security threats" preventing U.S. officials and others from aiding Americans inside Gaza.
The official added that the State Department has placed a team on the Egypt side of the border "as close to the border as conditions permit."
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Monday that Israel has not allowed the opening of the Rafah border crossing from the Gaza side.
Shoukry said, since the crisis broke out, Egypt "has been seeking to keep the crossing operational and in a way that allows the entry of humanitarian aid."
"Until now, unfortunately, the Israeli government has not taken a position to allow the opening of the crossing from the Gaza side for the entry of aid or the exit of nationals of [other] countries," Shoukry said. "We are ready and Egyptian authorities on the border are ready to get aid in and get nationals of third countries out."
He added that Egypt aims to keep normal operation of the border "for the entry of Palestinians with medical needs or the normal movement between the Strip and Egypt."
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford