Stay informed with our live updates on the unfolding crisis in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Overview
- Israel formally declared war on Oct. 8, retaliating against the Hamas terrorist group‘s surprise attack from the air, land, and sea on Oct. 7. Israeli forces announced the launch of “Operation Swords of Iron” to defend Israeli civilians against the unprecedented assault by Hamas.
- Israel also eased gun license standards on Oct. 8, enabling more citizens to arm themselves.
- By Oct. 10, over 1,200 deaths were reported in Israel (including 155 soldiers); Gaza reported 900 deaths (260 children, 230 women), with Israel attributing many to Hamas terrorists. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.
- Hamas threatened on Oct. 9 to execute Israeli captives if Israel bombed Gaza civilian houses without warning. But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) noted on Oct. 10 that Hamas terrorists operate from civilian buildings, thus making them valid airstrike targets. Furthermore, Israel’s Prime Minister had urged Gaza residents to evacuate the region on Oct. 8.
- Since Oct. 8, tens of thousands have been evacuated from southern Israel.
- The U.S. government is trying to make it easier for Americans to get flights from Israel as of Oct. 10 per the State Department, but many U.S. airlines have halted flights after the Hamas attack.
- Other nations also similarly trying to help evacuate their citizens out of the region.
- U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed 14 American deaths on Oct. 10. The White House said at least 20 Americans are missing.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to visit Israel soon to show support.
- The IDF confirmed the arrival of U.S. armaments in southern Israel on Oct. 10.
Here are the latest updates on the Israel–Hamas war:
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Arab States React to Hamas Attack as ‘Historic’ Israel–Saudi Deal Hangs in Balance
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched an unexpected attack on Israel on Oct. 7, prompting swift retaliation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the start of an all-out war that has already claimed the lives of thousands.
Within the four days since the unprecedented Hamas attack—conducted by land, sea, and air on the same day Israelis were celebrating the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah—Israeli forces launched their most intense strikes ever in the 75-year history of its conflict with Palestine.
An estimated 1,200 Israelis have died since the violence erupted, according to local reports, while more than 900 people have lost their lives in Gaza since Israeli airstrikes began Saturday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
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Nearly 150 Members of Congress Urge to Evacuate Americans Stranded in Israel
Nearly 150 members of Congress are calling on the Biden administration to use all available resources, including chartering flights, to evacuate Americans seeking to leave Israel amid the ongoing war.
In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Oct. 10, 146 bipartisan members of Congress said they had received “harrowing reports” from constituents trapped in Israel since the terrorist organization Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
At least 1,000 civilians in Israel, including 22 Americans, have been killed in the attack.
Numerous airlines—including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Ryanair—have halted flights to and from Israel because of the conflict, which has included Hamas firing rockets, some of which have hit Ben-Gurion International Airport, located about 10 miles southeast of Tel Aviv, Israel.
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No Clear Sign That Iran Was Behind Hamas Attack, White House Says
White House National Security spokesman John Kirby reiterated Wednesday that there is no clear sign that Iran was behind the Hamas attack on Israel.
“We haven’t seen anything that tells they have specifically cut checks to support this set of attacks, or that they were involved in the training,” Kirby said. “And obviously, this required quite a bit of training by these terrorists.”
Kirby said officials are going to continue to review the intelligence to see “if that leads us to a different conclusion.”
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White House Says US Working to Allow Safe Passage out of Gaza for Civilians
The United States is in active conversations to allow for safe passage out of Gaza for civilians, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.
Kirby noted that Israel and Egypt are the two most significant players in the efforts.
“We are having active conversations about trying to allow for that safe passage,” Kirby said. “It’s the civilians who did nothing wrong so we want to make sure they have a way out.”
Kirby did not release any other details, such as whether aid groups would be able to use the safe corridors to bring in supplies.
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Britain’s Foreign Minister Took Shelter From Rocket Fire During Visit to Israel
Britain’s foreign minister said he has experienced “a glimpse of what millions experience every day” after he had to take shelter from Hamas rocket fire during a visit to southern Israel.
Israel’s foreign ministry released video footage of UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and officials hurrying indoors as sirens sounded during a visit to Ofakim. Cleverly and his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen met survivors of the weekend attack by Hamas militants.
Cleverly wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “The threat of Hamas rockets lingers over every Israeli man, woman and child. This is why we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel.”
Cleverly arrived in Israel on Wednesday to show Britain’s solidarity with Israel, the Foreign Office said.
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White House Confirms At Least 22 Americans Killed in Hamas Attacks
The White House on Wednesday confirmed the deaths of at least 22 U.S. citizens following the Hamas attacks.
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Biden Calls Attacks in Israel ‘Beyond the Pale’ After Latest Call With Netanyahu
U.S. President Joe Biden said that he and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden, who is set to meet with Jewish leaders later in the day, sought to connect the weekend attacks by Hamas terrorists that have left hundreds dead directly to decades of antisemitism and violence endured by Jews around the world.
“This attack has brought to the surface the painful memories and scars left by a millennium antisemitism and genocide against the Jewish people. And this moment we have to be crystal clear: There is no justification for terrorism, no excuse and the type of terrorism that was exhibited here is just beyond the pale. Beyond the pale,” he said.
It was at least the fourth call between Biden and Netanyahu since Saturday’s attack.
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Netanyahu and Gantz Agree to Form Emergency Israel Government: Statement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence chief and centrist opposition party leader Benny Gantz have agreed to form an emergency government, a joint statement from Gantz’s National Unity party said on Wednesday.
Members of the terrorist group Hamas invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday in a surprise assault that killed at least 1,200 people, the deadliest Palestinian terrorist attack in Israeli history.
Israel has responded with a massive bombardment of Gaza that has killed 1,055, and deployed thousands of troops around the enclave amid growing expectations it will launch a ground invasion to destroy Hamas.
The sides agreed to form a war cabinet comprising Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Gantz, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the statement said, and during the fighting with Hamas in Gaza will not promote any unrelated policy or laws.
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Mother of Woman Kidnapped and Paraded Naked on Street by Hamas Says Daughter Is in Critical Condition
A young German-Israeli woman who was widely believed to have been killed after she was abducted by members of Hamas when the group stormed a music festival in Israel on Oct. 7 is alive and in a hospital, her mother has said.
Ricarda Louk, the mother of Shani Louk, 22, told the German outlet Bild that she had received new information regarding her daughter from Palestinian sources who say she suffered severe injuries and is in critical condition in a hospital in Palestinian territory.
Ms. Louk was kidnapped alongside roughly 260 others while attending a music festival near Kibbutz Re’im in Israel last week when Hamas launched a surprise attack.
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A Prominent Terrorist Group Threatens to Attack US Bases if Country Intervenes in Latest Gaza War
The leader of a prominent Iranian-backed terrorist group in Iraq threatened Wednesday to attack American bases in retaliation if the United States intervenes in the latest war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
“Our missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to direct qualitative strikes at the American enemy in its bases and disrupt its interests if it intervenes in this battle,” Ahmad “Abu Hussein” al-Hamidawi, head of the Kataib Hezbollah group, said in a statement. He also threatened to launch missiles at Israeli targets.
Al-Hamidawi called on Iraqis to demonstrate and collect donations in support of the Hamas military campaign.
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Israeli Forces Destroy Hamas ‘Advanced Detection System’ in Gaza as Death Toll Rises
Israeli forces successfully destroyed an “advanced detection system” used by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 11, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed.
The system, which has for years been used to identify aircraft over the Gaza Strip, was destroyed along with Hamas’s “aerial detection capabilities” in Gaza, according to a statement by the IDF on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“For years, Hamas established a network of high-quality cameras, hidden in solar heaters throughout the Gaza Strip, with the aim of identifying and tracking aircraft,” officials said in the statement, according to a translation by the Telegraph.
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Yellen Says the Latest Gaza War Presents Concerns, but Inflation Can Still Be Contained
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the war between Israel and Hamas terrorist poses “additional concerns” to the American economy, but she still expects inflation can be contained without causing a recession.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, Ms. Yellen said the Biden administration’s focus was on people “affected by these barbaric attacks on Israel” and reiterated support for Israel.
A day earlier, IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said it was “too early” to assess the impact on global economic growth from the days-old war between Israel and the terrorist Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. He did note that oil prices have risen by about 4 percent in the past several days.
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King of Jordan Calls Again for Israeli–Palestinian Talks
The King of Jordan renewed calls for Israeli–Palestinian talks as the ongoing war between Gaza and Israel continues, as it threatens regional security.
“There will be no security, no peace, no stability without just and total peace that comes through a two-state solution,” King Abdullah II said in an address to the Jordanian parliament Wednesday, calling for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based along on its pre-1967 borders.
Abdullah II Tuesday called to dispatch medical and humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip through Egypt.
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Hezbollah Fires Missiles at Israeli Military Position
Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah fired missiles at an Israeli military position in the northern border town of Aramsha. The group claimed in a statement Wednesday that the attack led to a “large number” of wounded as well as some killed troops, without specifying any numbers.
The Israeli military said that anti-tank missiles were fired at a position in the northern border town of Aramsha, but did not mention anything about casualties. The Israeli army shelled the Lebanese border town of Duhaira and surroundings where the missile attack came from.
Hezbollah said the attack was in response to Israeli shelling Sunday that killed three Hezbollah terrorists. The Iran-backed group, a key ally of Hamas, has endorsed the Palestinian groups’ attacks on Israel, but has not officially joined the war.
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Gaza is Set to Run Out of Electricity Within Hours
Gaza’s power authority says its sole power plant will run out of fuel within hours, leaving the territory without electricity after Israel cut off supplies.
Israel said it would cut off all electricity to the territory after Hamas’ bloody rampage over the weekend.
All of Gaza’s crossings are closed, making it impossible to bring in fuel for the power plant or the generators on which residents and hospitals have long relied.
The power authority said Wednesday that the plant would shut down in the afternoon.
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Hamas Official Says Israeli Airstrikes Killed Family Members of Leader Mohammad Deif
Hamas officials say Israeli airstrikes late Tuesday struck the family house of Mohammad Deif, the shadowy leader of Hamas’s military wing. The attack killed his father, brother, and at least two other relatives in the southern town of Khan Younis, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim confirmed to The Associated Press. The whereabouts of Deif himself have long been unknown.
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20 Thai Nationals Are Feared Dead With Dozens Injured or Kidnapped
There are 20 Thai nationals feared dead, 13 injured and 14 kidnapped, the country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Wednesday during a news briefing, citing reports from workers and their employers.
About 30,000 Thais have been working as low-wage laborers in Israel, especially engaged in farm work. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke says 5,019 have registered so far to be evacuated back to their homeland.
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Israel Death Toll Rises to 1,200: Military
The IDF on Oct. 11 morning local time reported the death toll had risen to 1,200 in Israel due to attacks from the Hamas terrorist group.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, in a video update, added that more than 2,700 other people in Israel have been wounded.
He also said that ground troops have been sent to areas near Gaza in an effort to neutralize Hamas’s military capabilities against Israeli people.
Lt. Col. Conricus noted that Hamas terrorists have embedded themselves in civilian buildings in Gaza, making those buildings legitimate targets for air strikes.
Late on Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported the death toll in Gaza is at least 900, and about 4,500 have been wounded.
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Israel Hits ‘Over 200 Targets’ in Airstrikes Towards Gaza: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that dozens of its fighter jets struck over 200 targets in Al-Furqan, a neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, “a short while ago.”
“This is the third strike in the area during the last 24 hours, in which the IDF struck over 450 targets,” the IDF said in its announcement, at 4:10 a.m. local time Israel.
“Al-Furqan … is used as a terror hub for the Hamas terrorist organization, where a large number of terror attacks against Israel are directed.”
“The IDF will continue to operate against Hamas terror infrastructure that directs terror against Israel.”
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Biden Emphasizes Need for Global Condemnation of Hamas Atrocities
President Joe Biden “underscored the need for all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas’s brutal atrocities, which are akin to the atrocities of ISIS from many years ago” in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday afternoon.
Per a White House readout of the call, which was also joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, President Biden said he was briefed by his national security team and noted that the U.S. support that is being provided to Israel includes ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and other defense material.
According to the White House readout, Mr. Netanyahu provided an update from Israel, and the two leaders agreed to speak again in the next few days.
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US Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Help Israel With Iron Dome Defense System
Republican and Democrat lawmakers in the House on Tuesday introduced legislation to appropriate $2 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system—the air defense system designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired at Israel.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) joined other co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle to introduce the “Operation Swords of Iron” Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act, which they say “has received widespread support, including from FDD Action, JINSA, and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).”
Mr. Gottheimer said in a release announcing the legislation that it is “critical to increasing American security assistance for Israel’s missile defense system, which is saving millions of innocent lives.”
“Radical Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists are kidnapping, torturing, raping, burning alive, and brutally murdering innocent babies, children, women, men, and grandparents in Israel—parading their bodies through the streets,” he noted in the release.
Ms. Tenney said in the release she “unequivocally support Israel’s right to self-defense” and that “[w]ithout the critical Iron Dome system, which intercepts Palestinian rockets in the air, many, many more civilians would have been wounded or killed.”
“Just in the last few days, Israel’s Iron Dome has intercepted over 3,200 rockets,” she noted. “The United States must stand with our Israeli brothers and sisters and support our strongest ally in the Middle East in its unequivocal right to defend itself and pursue justice for the Israeli and American citizens harmed by Palestinian leadership.”
With the House Speaker position vacant, House business is stalled. Republicans will meet on Wednesday to vote on a Speaker, but unity on a choice remains uncertain.
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First Shipment of US Armaments Arrives in Israel
The first supply of U.S. armaments arrived in Israel on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, following a deadly attack by Hamas that prompted Israel to declare war for the first time since 1973.
The first plane carrying U.S. weapons landed at the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel Tuesday evening, the IDF said, while thanking the United States for its support to Israel during this challenging time.
The IDF did not disclose the types of U.S. weaponry it received, only stating that they were “designed to facilitate significant military operations and increase preparedness for other scenarios.”
“Our common enemies know that the cooperation between our militaries is stronger than ever and is a key part in ensuring regional security and stability,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
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See the previous day’s updates here.
Katabella Roberts, Aldgra Fredly, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
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