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.

Click here for the full timeline

Oct 08, 2023, 3:38 PM EDT

American Airlines pilots' union says do not fly to Israel

The union representing American Airlines pilots told its members to "cease flight operations to Israel" amid conflict in the region.

The Allied Pilots Association (APA) president, Ed Sicher, told members to refuse assignments into Israel "until we can be reasonably assured of the region's safety and security."

American Airlines told ABC News earlier Sunday it canceled flight AA145 from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York scheduled for Monday. The carrier said it continues to monitor the situation in Israel and will make further adjustments as needed.

American had announced Saturday it was temporarily suspending operations to and from Tel Aviv and would continue to monitor the situation.

-ABC News' Sam Sweeney, Amanda Maile

Oct 08, 2023, 3:35 PM EDT

Harris spoke with Herzog, stressed US support for Israel

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday to express her and second gentleman Doug Emhoff's condolences and stress U.S. commitment to Israel's security, according to her office.

-ABC News' Fritz Farrow

Oct 08, 2023, 3:31 PM EDT

Rep. Dan Goldman was in Israel during attacks, has since left safely

New York Rep. Dan Goldman and his family were in Israel for a bar mitzvah and on Saturday "sheltered from Hamas rocket fire in their hotel's interiors stairwell until early Sunday," a spokesperson, Simone Kanter, said in a statement.

Goldman and his family were able to safely depart Israel with the help of the State Department and Israeli officials, his spokesperson said.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

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

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