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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Fresh rockets fired toward Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
The sound of rocket alert sirens rang out in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities on Monday morning.
One of the fresh rockets launched on Monday by Hamas militants from the neighboring Gaza Strip landed near Ben Gurion International Airport in southern Israel.
Several people were reportedly injured by rockets in the southern Israeli cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon on Monday.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
Israel cuts off Gaza in 'total siege'
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Monday that he has ordered a "total siege" of the neighboring Gaza Strip, allowing no food, fuel or electricity to enter the Hamas-ruled territory.
"We are fighting barbaric terrorists and we will act accordingly," Gallant said.
Since Saturday's surprise attack on Israel launched by Hamas militants, Israeli forces have struck back. Hundreds of buildings and homes have been destroyed in Gaza, leaving more than 123,000 people displaced, according to the United Nations.
Unlike Israel, the Gaza Strip has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters. Over 73,000 people are currently sheltering in schools, according to the U.N.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Gaza are struggling to cope with the number of casualties, the U.N. said. At least 493 people have died and another 2,751 have been injured there, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
Fighting has stopped in southern Israel, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that fighting with militants in southern Israel has stopped and it has retaken control of all communities around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Israeli soldiers have successfully blocked the holes in the border fence separating Gaza from Israel, which are now secured by tanks on the ground and fighter jets above, according to the IDF.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
70 militants infiltrated Be'eri kibbutz overnight, IDF says
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said Monday morning that 70 militants had infiltrated Be'eri kibbutz in southern Israel overnight.
Speaking to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the IDF spokesperson said they suspect there is a tunnel in the area of Be'eri, which the military has been unable to wrest from the Hamas militant group. The kibbutz is located near Israel's southeastern border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The IDF is still gathering information on the Israeli civilians and soldiers being held hostage in Gaza, and not all families have been updated yet, according to the spokesperson.
-ABC News' Clark Bentson
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