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."

Click here for the latest updates.

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, 4:38 PM EDT

US has for decades had vast weapons stockpile in Israel

The White House has pledged assistance to Israel in responding to Hamas' attack -- and America has for decades maintained a vast pre-positioned military stockpile inside Israel.

First established in the wake of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when it took time for the U.S. to send supplies to Israel, the munitions are available in case of emergencies.

It’s possible that Israel will ask the U.S. to tap into this stockpile, which contains weapons systems including tanks and ammunition stored in warehouses.

While not especially well known to the public, the supplies got some exposure earlier this year when the U.S. planned to use them in order to send artillery to Ukraine in responding to Russia's invasion.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Oct 08, 2023, 3:54 PM EDT

Hundreds killed at music festival in Israel that came under attack

Israeli rescue service Zaka said at least 260 bodies were removed from the venue of the music festival in southern Israel that came under a Hamas attack.

Oct 08, 2023, 3:54 PM EDT

United says Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended

United Airlines said Sunday its Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions allow for them to resume.

The airline operated two scheduled flights out of TLV late Saturday and early Sunday.

PHOTO: People look at a departure board for canceled flights in Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on Oct. 8, 2023.
People look at a departure board for canceled flights in Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on Oct. 8, 2023. Ben Gurion Airport is suffering from major disruptions of canceled and delayed flights after a surprise incursion by Palestinian Hamas militants from Gaza into Israel.
Debbie Hill/UPI/Shutterstock

"The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority," United said.

-ABC News' Amanda Maile

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

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