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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Gaza school sheltering families hit by airstrikes
Six people were killed and dozens were injured when a Gaza school sheltering refugees was hit by Israeli airstrikes, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency said.
At least 4,000 people have taken refuge in the school, UNRWA said.
IDF preparing to implement 'wide range of offensive plans'
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that it's "preparing to implement a wide range of offensive plans" after mobilizing hundreds of thousands of reserves and several days of combat.
Gaza death toll climbs to 3,000
In Gaza, at least 3,000 people have been killed, including about 1,000 women and 1,000 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Another 12,500 people in Gaza have been injured.
Turkey, France in talks with Hamas
French President Emmanuel Macron said there's been contact with Hamas via "several friendly intermediary powers" to try and negotiate the release of hostages.
Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, said it's launched talks with Hamas' political wing as it efforts the release of foreigners, civilians and children.
Human Rights Watch says IDF used white phosphorus munitions over Gaza
Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, saying it violated international humanitarian law by putting civilians at unnecessary risk.
In a report released Thursday, Human Rights Watch said it based its determination on a video it said it has verified, as well as two eyewitness accounts.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement to ABC News that claims they used white phosphorus in Gaza are "unequivocally false."
ABC News geolocated a video showing a jellyfish-shaped plume of white smoke over the port of Gaza. The video was posted on Wednesday by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA and matches images posted on social media and by other news outlets on the day.
Two experts -- Amael Kotlarski, the weapons team manager for the defense intelligence firm Janes, and Amnesty International weapons investigator Brian Castner -- told ABC News that images suggested munitions deployed over the port of Gaza on Wednesday appeared to contain white phosphorus.
"We have verified that Israeli artillery forces striking Gaza are equipped with M825 and M825A1155mm white phosphorus projectiles," Castner told ABC News, pointing to photographs by an Anadolu Agency photographer taken on Monday and showing Israeli troops handling shells labeled "M825A1."
Kotlarski said visual evidence alone was not sufficient to confirm that these specific shells were used in the Gaza port strikes.
There are "perfectly legal" military uses for white phosphorus munitions, Kotlarski said, including to create a smoke screen to conceal movements, to mark targets for artillery or air strikes, or to illuminate a battlefield. However, its use in urban areas is "problematic due to the higher risk of collateral damage," Kotlarski said, including the munitions' potential to cause severe burns.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton said Friday the U.S. had not independently verified allegations Israel used white phosphorous "so that is not something I would want to speculate about or weigh in on at this time."
-ABC News' Christopher Looft, Ben Gittleson and Jordana Miller