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.

ByABC NEWS
Last Updated: October 17, 2023, 4:16 PM EDT

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:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 16, 2023, 2:47 pm

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.

Friends and family mourn Dor Reder, who was killed following a deadly infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, at his funeral in Beit Kama, southern Israel, Oct. 16, 2023.
Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

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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Oct 08, 2023, 2:49 PM EDT

Hospitals in Gaza 'becoming overwhelmed': Doctors Without Borders

Hospitals in Gaza are "becoming overwhelmed" and are "overcrowded with injured people," Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières said in a statement Sunday.

They're facing a shortage of drugs, medical supplies and fuel for generators, according to MSF, as well as the challenge of safely transporting patients to facilities.

"Ambulances can't be used right now because they're being hit by airstrikes," Darwin Diaz, MSF medical coordinator in Gaza, said.

-ABC News' Cindy Smith

Oct 08, 2023, 2:39 PM EDT

Sen. Cory Booker was in Jerusalem during Hamas attack, sheltered for safety

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker arrived in Israel on Friday for several days of planned meetings and was in Jerusalem when the attacks began, Maya Krishna-Rogers, a spokesperson, said in a statement Sunday.

He sheltered in place with his staff and safely departed the country earlier Sunday, according to the statement.

Booker was in Israel for "planned meetings and site visits ahead of the start of an Abraham Accords-focused N7 summit on regional economic integration in Tel Aviv, at which he was scheduled to speak on Tuesday," the statement read.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

Oct 08, 2023, 2:37 PM EDT

20,000 Palestinians sheltering in schools: UN agency

The U.N. agency for Palestinian Refugees said more than 20,000 people are sheltering in schools around Gaza.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Oct 08, 2023, 2:37 PM EDT

IDF evacuating Israelis from towns near Gaza border

The IDF said it's evacuating Israeli civilians from at least two dozen towns along the Gaza border within the next 24 hours.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

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