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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How night of dancing turned into worst civilian massacre in Israel history
As Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend, pillaging, kidnapping and killing civilians across several towns, one of the first targets was the Supernova music festival, held in the Negev desert in southern Israel.
At least 260 people were killed, making it one of the worst civilian casualty incidents in Israel's history.
ABC News talked to survivors and families of the missing, and analyzed and verified witness video and security footage to piece together how the brutal killings unfolded.
Israel says no electricity will be turned on in Gaza until hostages are returned
As the humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said no electrical switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter Gaza until the Israeli hostages are returned home.
Gaza relies on Israel for most of its power, which was cut off following the attack. Its sole power plant ran out of fuel on Wednesday.
No plans for US troops on the ground in Israel
The White House said there are no intentions to send U.S. troops to Israel.
"The Israelis have made it very clear that they don't want foreign troops on their soil. That they want to prosecute these operations on their own and they have every right to want to do that," said John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council.
Kirby said the U.S. would "do everything we can to improve" the capabilities of the Israeli military.
And as humanitarian concerns grow in Gaza, Kirby told reporters that there are "ongoing conversations" with Israeli counterparts about the need for the "continued flow of humanitarian assistance" to the area.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez and Molly Nagle
27 Americans among the dead: Kirby
The death toll of American citizens in Israel now stands at 27, John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said at a White House briefing on Thursday.
Fourteen Americans remain unaccounted for.
Israeli officials say images of dead babies taken in Kfar Aza
Israeli authorities released images Thursday of babies they said were killed and burned by Hamas. The images were shown to Secretary of State Antony Blinken by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government during his visit to Israel.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry told ABC News the photos were taken by ZAKA, the organization that removed the bodies, in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz near the Gaza border where Israeli military officials said more than 100 people were killed by Hamas fighters.
Two Hamas officials, who did not provide their names, claimed in a video statement released Thursday that fighters were instructed to not target civilians and had tried to avoid harming them.
“Sadly the Hamas PR machine is now trying to claim that they did not target children and women specifically and that it was not their intention which is a blatant lie and a fake campaign to try and distance themselves from the massacre they carried out," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. "That is why sadly we have to tweet pictures of babies they killed."