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
At least 4 Americans among 700 dead in Israel
At least four American citizens were killed in the attacks in Israel over the weekend, senior administration officials told top House lawmakers on a call Sunday evening, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
That figure could rise in the coming days, the Biden administration officials told Congress. The administration is also still investigating unconfirmed reports of American citizens being taken hostage by Hamas.
Participants on the call included senior members of the relevant House committees and party leaders — including Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina, the temporary House speaker, two sources told ABC News.
As previously reported, Senate leaders will receive a similar briefing tonight.
--ABC News' Ben Siegel
Senate briefing on current situation in Israel tonight
Senate leadership, chairs and ranking members of relevant committees will receive an unclassified briefing on the situation in Israel Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET, a Senate source told ABC News.
The chairs and ranking members from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Armed Services are among those who will be briefed.
Iranian president calls attack on Israel a ‘Victory’
The president of Iran -- Ebrahim Raisi -- called the attack by Hamas on Israel as a “victory,” Reuters reported on Sunday.
At a cabinet meeting, he referred to the attack as a “manifestation of resistance,” the outlet also reported.
'Several' Americans killed in Hamas attacks on Israel
American citizens were killed in the attacks on Israel, U.S. officials confirmed Sunday.
"We can confirm the deaths of several U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected," a U.S. official told ABC News in a statement.
--ABC News' MaryAlice Parks, Shannon Crawford
Gaza running out of body bags, says UNRWA chief
With deaths mounting from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the head of the U.N. Relief and Work Agency said Sunday that Gaza is running out of body bags.
Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA commissioner-general, called a news conference Sunday to "raise the alarm" that as of Sunday he and his colleague are "no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance" in Gaza.
"In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity," Lazarrini said.
He said Gaza has no electricity and is running out of water fast.
He added that an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding under our eyes" in Gaza.
"Thousands of people have been killed, including children and women. Gaza is now even running out of body bags," said Lazarrini.
The government media office in Gaza said is now considering digging mass graves, according to Reuters.
Lazarrini said 14 staff members of his agency are among the dead.
"They were teachers, engineers, guards and psychologists, an engineer and a gynecologist," Lazzarini said. "Most of our 13,000 UNRWA staff in the Gaza Strip are now displaced or out of their homes."