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
199 hostages taken, Israel says
Hamas militants have taken at least 199 hostages since their ground invasion into Israel began on Oct. 7, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said on Monday.
-ABC News' Clark Bentson
No cease-fire agreed, Netanyahu's office says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday that there was no cease-fire agreement ahead of the expected re-opening of an Egyptian border in Rafah.
"There is no ceasefire," the office said in a two-line statement.
Israelis near Lebanon border to be evacuated
Israelis residents living near the border with Lebanon will be evacuated, state officials said Monday.
People living within the 28 Israeli towns that sit within 2 km of the border will be evacuated, the Israeli Ministry of Defense's National Emergency Management Authority and the Israel Defense Forces said in a joint statement.
-ABC News' Clark Bentson
US committed to Israel 'as it defends itself,' Blinken says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to Israel "as it defends itself."
"The United States is also actively working to ensure the people of Gaza can get out of harm's way and the assistance they need -- food, water, medicine -- can get in," he said on social media. "Hamas does not care if Palestinians suffer."
The secretary is expected on Monday to travel to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Over the past few days, I've traveled to Israel, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt," Blinken said. "What I've heard from every partner is a shared view to prevent the conflict from spreading, to safeguard innocent lives, and to get assistance to those in Gaza who need it."
-ABC News' Lauren Minore
US citizens in Gaza urged to move south
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Sunday morning urged U.S. citizens trapped in the Gaza Strip to move to southern Gaza along the main highway, the Salah al-Din Street.
U.S. citizens who can do so safely were advised by the embassy to flee to the south of the Gaza Valley toward the city of Khan Younis as U.S. officials work on potential options for getting them out of Gaza.
As of Sunday morning, the only exit to the south of Gaza, the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border, remained closed to all seeking to flee Gaza, officials said.
But Tala Herzallah, a Palestinian woman trapped in Gaza, told ABC News Sunday that Israel Defense Forces are continuing to bomb both Khan Younis and Rafah, saying homes were hit in the areas Saturday night.
"They’re telling us to move there, and then they are bombing the houses there without warning people," Herzallah said.
The military conflict between Israel and Hamas is ongoing, making identifying departure options for U.S. citizens complex, the U.S. Embassy said.
Embassy officials encouraged U.S. citizens to complete a crisis intake form to provide contact information "should we need to reach out to you on short notice."
-ABC News' Clark Bentson