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
50 Israeli hostages freed, IDF says
Up to 50 Israelis who were being held hostage by Hamas have been freed, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson.
They were being held in the dining hall of Kibbutz Be'eri in southern Israel, though the situation has been "neutralized," the IDF spokesperson said.
Officials still believe hostages are being held in Gaza but an exact number hasn't been released.
FBI and DHS issue public safety alert
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued a "Public Safety Notification" to law enforcement around the U.S., urging them to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity in the midst of the ongoing situation in Israel.
The notice says the agencies "do not currently have specific intelligence indicating a threat to the United States stemming from the Hamas attacks in Israel" but that "foreign terrorist organizations and their supporters remain committed to attacking the United States within and beyond our borders."
"In recent years, there have been several events and incidents in the United States that were purportedly motivated, at least in part, by the conflict between Israel and Hamas," the notice continued. "These have included the targeting of individuals, houses of worship, and institutions associated with the Jewish and Muslim faiths with acts of physical assault, vandalism, or harassment."
-ABC News' Mike Levine
High-ranking IDF commander killed in action, military says
A high-ranking Israel Defense Forces commander was killed in action Saturday, the military said.
Col. Jonathan Steinberg, 42, the commander of the Nahal Brigade, was killed during a confrontation with Hamas, IDF said.
United Hatzalah says it has treated nearly 1,000 injured people in Israel
United Hatzalah, a community-based volunteer EMS organization, said so far it has treated nearly 1,000 people for "various injuries" in southern and central Israel.
The organization said it has also transported an unspecified number of patients to hospitals in the regions via ambulance and helicopter.
Israel to 'launch a massive attack on Hamas' in 'next few days,' Naftali Bennett says
ABC foreign correspondent James Longman spoke with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who said Israel has taken "a big hit, there's no way around that."
"But we're at war right now," he said. "We're between the first phase where we took the huge hit and the second phase where we're hitting back."
"Over the next few days, we're going to launch a massive attack on Hamas. It's going to be tough, it's going to be long," Bennett continued, later adding: "Israel is ready to fight."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday during an during an emergency cabinet meeting, "Hamas thought we would be demolished. It is we who will demolish Hamas," Reuters reported.
Watch Bennett's interview here: