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
Top US military commander in Middle East arrives in Israel for ‘high-level’ meetings
Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, has arrived in Israel.
"I’m here to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, and am particularly focused on avoiding other parties expanding the conflict," Gen. Kurilla said in a statement provided by U.S. Central Command.
Kurilla is set to conduct "high-level" meetings with Israel’s military leadership "to gain a clear understanding of Israel’s defense requirements" and outline American support efforts "to avoid expansion of the conflict."
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
State Department says 4,000 seats offered to Americans leaving Israel
A State Department official said Monday night that the department has offered 4,000 American citizens and their immediate family members help to depart Israel via government-organized transportation since Friday.
“Since Oct. 13, we have augmented the limited commercial flight availability by offering more than 4,000 seats on U.S. government-chartered transport by air and sea to U.S. citizens and their immediate family members,” one official said. “We have communicated the availability of departure assistance options for U.S. citizens via targeted, individualized messaging as well as via broad public messaging.”
Departing flights, though, were not nearly at capacity, the official said.
“The departure options we have offered have generally departed at half capacity or less. Nearly 1,000 U.S. citizens and their immediate family members have departed on U.S. government-chartered transport,” an official said.
The official added that 3,000 other American citizens have told the State Department that they were able to leave Israel and the West Bank on their own.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Biden to visit Israel
President Joe Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on Monday night.
Blinken made the announcement following a lengthy meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas releases video of apparent 21-year-old hostage
A 21-year-old Israeli hostage appeared in a video released by Hamas on Monday.
Mia Schem's family confirmed to ABC News that she is the person who is speaking in the 78-second video.
It was not known when the video was filmed.
Schem's family was slated to hold a news conference Tuesday morning local time.
-ABC News' Christopher Looft and Ellie Kaufman
Blinken: 'Our focus now is on helping to create safe zones' in Gaza
At a press conference with the Qatari prime minister, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed efforts to implement safe zones in Gaza and provide other humanitarian assistance, but did not shed additional light on efforts to evacuate Americans and other foreign nationals ahead of a potential Israeli ground incursion.
"When it comes to providing for civilians in Gaza, both ensuring that they can be out of harm's way and that they can have access to the support that they need -- the humanitarian assistance the food, the medicine, water -- our focus now is on helping to create safe zones. And we're doing that with leading international organizations, and we're doing that engaged with Israel," Blinken said.
But Blinken said that those efforts to help Palestinians were still being actively hindered by Hamas.
"Hamas continues to use innocent civilians as human shields," he said.
"We know the humanitarian situation is urgent. We're actively engaged with partners, including Qatar, to get aid to the those who need it," he said.
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford