Saturday is the eighth day since the start of the Israel–Hamas war.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), early Friday, ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians living in Gaza City to evacuate ahead of a feared Israeli ground operation. The United Nations moments earlier had received a warning from Israel to tell the 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours.
Tens of thousands of people in Gaza are estimated to have fled south since Israel’s warning, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday.
In urging the evacuation, Israel’s military said it planned to target underground Hamas hideouts around Gaza City—areas that civilians cannot access. Meanwhile, the Hamas terrorist group has vowed to fight to the last drop of blood and told residents to stay.
Here are the latest updates on the war:
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Controversy Erupts Over Calls for US to Accept Gaza Refugees Amid Israel–Hamas War
As experts predict a million refugees might flee Gaza amid the Israel–Hamas war, controversy has erupted in Congress as some leftist lawmakers have called for them to be brought to the United States, while some Republicans say no and have crafted legislation to block any such moves.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a member of the left-wing “Squad” in Congress, was cited by the New York Post as calling for the United States to “welcome refugees from Palestine,” while Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) introduced a bill that would block people with passports issued by the Palestinian Authority from being admitted to the country.
“We can’t let President Biden abuse our parole and visa rules to bring unvetted Palestinians into American communities the way he did with thousands of unvetted Afghans,” Mr. Tiffany said in a statement posted on X, referring to the Biden administration’s decision to let 76,000 Afghan refugees come to the United States following the Taliban takeover of the country after a botched U.S. pullout.
Read more here
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Monitor Says Israel Attacks Airport in Northern Syria
A Syrian opposition war monitor and a pro-government media outlet say Israel’s military has attacked the international airport of the northern city of Aleppo, putting it out of service.
Al-Watan daily said the Saturday night strike hit the runway of Aleppo airport — putting it out of service just hours after it was fixed following a similar Israeli strike on Thursday.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that the strike also hit the runway at Aleppo airport.
The attack on Aleppo airport came shortly after a rocket was reportedly fired from Syria into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
On Thursday, Israeli struck the runways in Aleppo and Damascus International Airport. Aleppo was fixed within a day before it was again targeted Saturday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel’s military, which rarely confirms such strikes.
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Biden Discusses Support for Humanitarian Aid to Gaza in First Call With Palestinian President
On Saturday, President Joe Biden conversed with both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He emphasized the need for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and voiced his commitment to safeguarding civilians.
These weekend calls in Washington came ahead of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s announcement that the United States was advancing a second carrier strike group to support Israel.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken stepped up diplomatic initiatives throughout the Middle East to garner a global response aimed at halting the expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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World Health Organization Sends Supplies for Gaza
A planeload of World Health Organization supplies has landed at Egypt’s el-Arish airport and is destined for Gaza when humanitarian access across the border is possible, the U.N. said Saturday.
The cache includes enough basic essentials for 300,000 people and enough trauma medicines and materials for 1,200 wounded, the U.N. said in a release. It called for opening the Rafah border crossing immediately to humanitarian deliveries.
“The critically injured, the sick and the vulnerable cannot wait,” the world body said.
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Israel Says It Is Striking Military Targets in Syria
TEL AVIV, Israel—The Israeli military says it is striking targets in Syria after air raid sirens went off in two villages in northern Israel and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
In a statement, the military did not say what set off the sirens. It said it was firing artillery to strike back.
The incident is the latest in a continued flare-up along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Syria after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israeli communities set off a war with Israel.
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Israeli Military Announces It Is Prepared for ‘Coordinated’ Offensive
The Israeli military says it has prepared a “coordinated” offensive in the Gaza Strip involving air, ground, and naval forces.
In a statement on its website Saturday night, the army said it is “preparing to implement a wide range of offensive operative plans.”
Israel has ordered roughly half of Gaza’s population to evacuate their homes ahead of an expected ground offensive in response to a brutal cross-border Hamas attack.
Israel has not said when the offensive will begin.
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Hamas Official Says Palestinians Will Not Migrate to Egypt
A top official with the militant Hamas group says the people of Gaza will not migrate from the strip to Egypt.
In a televised speech Saturday, Ismail Haniyeh said that “all the massacres” will not break the Palestinian people.
“There will be no migration from Gaza to Egypt,” he said, adding that “our decision is to stay in our land.”
Haniyeh said Israel suffered a “strategic strike” and that last week’s attacks by Hamas that have killed more than 3,200 are an indication the end of Israel’s occupation is near.
Haniyeh said the aim of Hamas is to liberate the land and set Palestinian prisoners free, and that the blockade in Gaza be lifted.
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US Advises Its Citizens in Gaza to Move Closer to Egypt’s Rafah Crossing
The U.S. government on Saturday advised its citizens in Gaza to move south toward the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to be ready for its possible reopening amid the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave after a Hamas terror attack in Israel drew Israeli military retaliation.
Washington has been working with Egypt, Israel, and Qatar to open the Rafah crossing on Saturday afternoon to allow Palestinian-Americans to leave, a senior State Department official said earlier.
“We have been trying to facilitate access for it to be open from 12 to five today. The Egyptians, the Israelis, and the Qataris have been working with us on that,” the official told reporters traveling with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Washington had been in contact with Palestinian-Americans inside Gaza, some of whom expressed a wish to leave via Rafah, but it was unclear whether the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas would allow access to the crossing, the official said.
As the window for the crossing to open was about to expire, U.S. officials were unable to confirm whether any U.S. citizens were able to exit, the official added later.
“We have informed U.S. citizens in Gaza with whom we are in contact that if they assess it to be safe, they may wish to move closer to the Rafah border crossing,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. “There may be very little notice if the crossing opens and it may only open for a limited time.”
The State Department also authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel in its updated travel advisory for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza on Saturday.
The number of dual-citizen Palestinian-Americans in Gaza has been estimated at several hundred among the strip’s population of 2.3 million, and Washington hopes to get many of its nationals out of harm’s way.
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Blinken Calls for Protection of Civilians
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Saturday for protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip and Israel as he intensified his diplomatic outreach across the Middle East and beyond for an international response to prevent the Israel–Hamas war from expanding.
Blinken met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh before stopping in the United Arab Emirates as he sought ways to help civilians trapped in between the fighting and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel’s military has ordered half of the Palestinian territory’s population to evacuate in advance of an expected ground assault, but there are few good options for those fleeing as border crossings remained closed.
Mr. Blinken also called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to seek his country’s help in preventing the war from spreading, asking Beijing to use whatever influence it has in the Mideast. Mr. Blinken’s spokesman declined to characterize Mr. Wang’s response but said the United States believes it and China have a shared interest in the region’s stability.
In Riyadh, Mr. Blinken and Mr. Faisal stressed the importance of minimizing the harm to civilians as Israel prepared for an anticipated incursion against Hamas a week after the militant group’s unprecedented attack against Israel.
“As Israel pursues its legitimate right to defending its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Mr. Blinken said.
“None of us want to see suffering by civilians on any side, whether it’s in Israel, whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s anywhere else,” Mr. Blinken said.
The Saudi minister said the kingdom was committed to the protection of civilians.
“It’s a disturbing situation,” he said. “It’s a very difficult situation. And, as you know, the primary sufferer of this situation are civilians, and civilian populations on both sides are being affected and it’s important, I think, that we all condemn the targeting of civilians in any form at any time by anyone.”
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Russian Death Toll in Israel Rises to 16
Russia’s embassy in Israel said Saturday that the number of Russian citizens killed since Hamas launched its attacks against Israel a week ago has risen to 16. Eight Russian citizens are missing, according to embassy press secretary Marina Ryazanova.
“According to the Israeli side, as of 13:00 on October 14, the number of dead citizens of the Russian Federation who also had Israeli citizenship increased to 16 people, Ryazanova said. “The updated lists of missing persons provided by the Israeli side include eight Russian citizens.”
At least one Russian citizen is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
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French Officials in Contact With Citizens in Gaza, Working to Ensure Their Evacuation
France is in contact with dozens of French citizens currently in Gaza, and employees of the French Institute of Gaza, in hopes of ensuring their evacuation, a French diplomatic official said Sunday. The French citizens include people who live there as well as those visiting for humanitarian or family reasons.
The official said diplomatic efforts are underway, via the French consulate in Jerusalem and close contacts with Israeli and Egyptian officials. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, also said it is important for civilian preservations to be spared, in line with international humanitarian law.
France has been working to help locate or liberate French-Israeli citizens believed held hostage by Hamas.
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Eygptian Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Arrives in Sinai
Egyptian charities on Saturday sent over 100 trucks carrying 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid including food and other supplies to the Palestinian people in Gaza, local media reported. The aid will wait in Sinai until a deal is secured with Israel to allow the delivery of aid into the besieged territory.
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Israel Readies Next Stage of Operations, Says Many Palestinians Moving South
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had seen a “significant movement” south of Palestinian civilians, a day after ordering Gaza City residents to flee, as Israel’s prime minister promised further actions in response to Hamas’s brutal massacre of Israelis last week.
U.S. President Joe Biden said consultations were underway with regional governments on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as trapped Palestinians endured a power blackout and shortages of food and water amid fierce Israeli bombing.
Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas’s terror capabilities in response to the attack a week ago, in which Hamas terrorists killed at least 1,300 Israelis, mainly civilians, and seized scores of hostages.
Israel has directed precision air strikes targeted at Hamas in Gaza. Gaza authorities say 1,900 people have died; Israel has estimated that hundreds of Hamas terrorists are among these deaths in Gaza.
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US Air Force Deploys Fighter Aircraft to Middle East
The United States Air Force said overnight that it had deployed F-15E fighter aircraft in the Middle East to support its operations backing Israel after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Oct. 7.
Already, there’s more attack and support aircraft in the region over tensions with Iran as it enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.
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Schumer Says He’s Leading Bipartisan Group of Senators to Israel to Show ‘Unwavering’ US Support
Ahead of a trip to Israel this weekend, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says an upcoming administration request for wartime funding could include aid for both Israel and Ukraine.
Mr. Schumer—the first Jewish Senate majority leader and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States—is leading a bipartisan delegation of senators to Israel this weekend to express support for the country amid its week-old war against Hamas. He told The Associated Press in an interview that he wants to make clear that the United States stands with Israel and also show bipartisan support.
“To have a bipartisan delegation, led by the majority leader saying strongly and unequivocally we’re with Israel is going to make a big difference to Israelis,” Mr. Schumer said.
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Israeli Airstrike Destroys Gaza’s Only Planned Parenthood-Affiliated Clinic
The Gaza Strip’s only Planned Parenthood-affiliated clinic “was destroyed” this week by an Israeli military air strike against Hamas targets that destroyed an adjacent building, the organization has said.
The clinic, run by the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA), was the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s only “local member” in Gaza.
In a statement on Thursday, PFPPA said their center “was destroyed” on Oct. 8 “following an Israeli airstrike to an adjacent building.”
Read more here
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Hezbollah Says Calls for It Not to Intervene in War ‘Will Have No Effect’
Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem said on Friday that the group would not be swayed by calls for it to stay on the sidelines of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, saying the party was “fully ready” to contribute to the fighting.
“The behind-the-scenes calls with us by great powers, Arab countries, envoys of the United Nations, directly and indirectly telling us not to interfere will have no effect,” he told supporters gathered in the southern Beirut suburb for a rally.
“Hezbollah knows its duties perfectly well. We are prepared and ready, fully ready,” he said.
The group has already clashed with Israel across the Lebanese border multiple times in the past week in the deadliest confrontations since they fought a month-long war in 2006.
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US Banks, Tech Firms Offer Support for Israel Victims, Announce Aid
As big U.S. corporations kicked off corporate earnings season this week, executives addressed the Israel-Hamas conflict and some companies launched fundraising efforts.
“I just want to say how deeply saddened that we all are about the recent horrific attacks on Israel. … Terrorism and hatred have no place in our civilized world,” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said on a post-earnings call before diving into results.
He warned that the war in Ukraine, compounded by the attacks on Israel, could have “far-reaching impacts on energy and food markets, global trade, and geopolitical relationships.”
Fundraising efforts to relieve the crisis have been mobilized swiftly. Billionaires and members of the U.S. and Canadian Jewish community have contributed millions of dollars, military gear and clothing, food, and household supplies.
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Israel Strikes Hezbollah Target in Southern Lebanon
Israel’s military has hit a target belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist group in southern Lebanon after one of its drones was fired on.
“A short while ago, the [Israeli Defense Forces] struck a Hezbollah terror target in southern Lebanon in response to the infiltration of unidentified aerial objects into Israel and fire on an IAF [Israeli Air Force] UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle],” the Israeli military said in a statement early Saturday local time.
“The IDF intercepted the infiltrating aerial object and the fire on the IAF UAV.”
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Israel Makes First Raids Into Gaza
Israeli infantry made their first raids into the Gaza Strip Friday and vowed to eradicate Hamas. On Telegram, the IDF announced it was “currently conducting a wide-scale strike on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “striking at our enemies with unprecedented might” on Friday and emphasized that “this is just the beginning.”
Mr. Netanyahu added, “Our enemies have only begun paying the price. And I won’t detail what is yet to come.”
So far, troops backed by tanks have mounted raids to attack Hamas rocket crews and sought information about the location of hostages, according to an Israeli military spokesperson.
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Israeli soldiers carry the flag-covered coffin of Maya Villalobo during her funeral at the military cemetery in Givatayim, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2023. (Francisco Seco/AP)
Death Toll Update
At least 3,000 lives on both sides of the border have been taken since Oct. 7, when the Hamas terrorist group launched a brutal attack on Israel’s south via land, air, and sea. Its fighters stormed through towns and villages in southern Israel, killing thousands of Israelis, mainly civilians, and making off with scores of hostages.
The IDF said early Friday that more than 1,300 people, including 222 soldiers, have been killed in Israel, and more than 3,000 have been injured. It separately reported on Oct. 10 that at least 1,500 bodies of Hamas terrorists lie dead in Israel, killed while fighting with Israelis and their soldiers since the start of the war.
Gaza’s Hamas-backed health ministry reported late Friday that 1,799 have been killed in Gaza, with over 7,300 injured, due to Israeli precision airstrikes on Hamas targets in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack. Israel has estimated that hundreds of Hamas terrorists are among the deaths in Gaza.
The IDF confirmed Saturday morning at least 120 hostages are being held by Hamas.
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Summary of Events So Far
On Oct. 7, the Hamas terrorist group launched a bloody, surprise attack on Israel from the air, land, and sea. In response, Israeli forces swiftly launched “Operation Swords of Iron” to defend Israeli civilians.
Israel formally declared war on the Hamas Islamists on Oct. 8 and eased its gun license standards, enabling more citizens to arm themselves. Israel’s prime minister called on Gazan civilians to evacuate the region on Oct. 8, which was followed by a campaign of mass text messages urging civilians to evacuate before the planned assault on Hamas was well and truly underway.
On Oct. 11, Israel established an emergency government and a special war cabinet to oversee its military response, to eliminate the Hamas terror group so it can never again attack Israel. It has also called up some 360,000 army reservists who have gathered along the Gaza border.
Israel has cut off supplies of food, fuel, electricity, and medicine into Gaza.
Hamas terrorists in Gaza are holding an estimated 100 to 150 hostages taken from Israel, and on Oct. 9, threatened to kill the hostages if Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza civilians “without warning.” The IDF had noted on Oct. 10 that Hamas terrorists have embedded themselves in civilian buildings, thus making those structures valid military targets.
The United States began charter flights out of Israel on Friday to evacuate Americans from the region.
President Joe Biden on Oct. 11 said the U.S. government is working with the Israelis to rescue the Americans taken hostage by Hamas.
But the administration has no plans to send troops to Israel, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Oct. 12. “There is no intention, no plan, and frankly, no desire by the Israelis, for U.S. combat troops to be involved in this conflict,” he told NTD.
At least 27 Americans have died since the start of the war, and that 14 Americans are unaccounted for, Mr. Kirby confirmed on Oct. 12.
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See the previous day’s updates here.
Caden Pearson, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
