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."
Click here for the latest updates.
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
Blinken: 'Depravity in the worst imaginable way'
At a news conference Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked about the gruesome photos and videos shown to him behind closed doors by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"It’s beyond what anyone would ever want to imagine, much less, God forbid, experience. A baby, an infant -- riddled with bullets. Soldiers beheaded. Young people, burned alive," he said. "I could go on, but it’s simply depravity in the worst imaginable way."
Blinken said that some of the images had been seen before, but others were new to him, and again said that Hamas’ acts harkened back to ISIS.
"I think for any human being to see this -- it’s really beyond almost anything that we can comprehend, digest," Blinken continued. "You can’t help but imagine yourself, your family, your loved ones, your friends in that situation, in that predicament and maybe the best word for it for me is overwhelming."
While some of the claims made by the IDF have been questioned and others have fueled online claims that the Israeli government is spreading disinformation, Blinken said that the photos would ultimately show exactly the horrors its people have confronted and serve to unify through "moral clarity."
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford
IDF: On Saturday we failed
The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that it's responsible for Israel's security and said they failed on Saturday.
The IDF said they'll investigate how the security failure happened, but right now, they're in a time of war.
Gaza hospitals risk 'turning into morgues'
Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for Near and Middle East for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said hospitals are losing power as Gaza loses power, risking the lives of the elderly on oxygen and newborns in incubators.
"Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken," Carboni said. "Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues."
Austin: US not placing conditions on military aid to Israel
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters in Brussels Thursday that the U.S. is not placing conditions on its military aid to Israel.
Austin said Israel is "a professional military led by professional leadership" and "we would hope and expect that they would do the right things in the prosecution of their campaign."
Austin said U.S. intelligence had no indication or warning that Hamas was planning such an attack.
Echoing other administration officials, Austin said, "We've not seen any indication that Iran was involved in the planning or the execution of this attack," though he added the U.S. will continue to focus on whether that is truly the case.
Austin said that the U.S. will "work urgently to get Israel what it needs to defend itself," including munitions and Iron Dome interceptors, and said helping Israel won’t affect the U.S. flow of military aid to Ukraine.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
Where diplomatic efforts to free hostages stand
Two U.S. officials familiar with the diplomatic efforts to free hostages told ABC News it appears that allies and partners in the Middle East in communication with Hamas are being helpful in advocating for their release.
The officials say Hamas has shown no real willingness to partake in diplomacy up to this point.
Hamas’ designation as a foreign terrorist organization also complicates any negotiations involving the U.S., because the official label makes it illegal for any American to knowingly provide "material support or resources," which includes personnel.
Deputy Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Steve Gillen is among the U.S. delegation en route to Israel with the Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In remarks earlier Wednesday, President Joe Biden said "there's a lot we're doing" to bring the hostages home.
"In the days ahead we're gonna continue to work closely with our partners in Israel and around the world,” he said.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Crawford