Israel is hammering Gaza with airstrikes, hitting hundreds of targets and reducing neighborhoods to rubble, as new atrocities are uncovered in its territory after a devastating attack by Hamas militants. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he has “released all restraints” on the troops in their fight against Hamas.
US President Joe Biden described the attack as an “act of sheer evil,” and confirmed that 14 Americans were killed in the bloodshed while others were heldhostage in Gaza. Overall, between 100 and 150 hostages are believed held in Gaza, an Israeli official said.
Since Saturday, more than 1,000 people have died in Israel, according to Israel Army Radio, and 900 people have died in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Airstrikes hit residential areas of Gaza, Palestinian officials say
From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi
Flames and smoke rise after an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Wednesday.
Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Intense airstrikes hit residential areas in the eastern part of Jabalia and the Qizan al-Najjar region in the governorate of Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Ministry of Interior Affairs said
The attacks targeted civilians’ homes and roads and resulted in “direct injuries among citizens,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Israel Defense Forces have not yet commented on the strikes.
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Mother of woman seen in back of Hamas truck says she believes her daughter is still alive
From CNN's Yong Xiong
The mother of Shani Louk, an Israeli girl whose body was seen in a Hamas truck following Saturday’s attack, tells CNN she believes her daughter is still alive.
Ricarda Louk told CNN she “heard information” that her daughter is alive in a hospital in Gaza, but is suffering from a severe head injury.
Louk said she cannot reveal where the information came from, but that it came from a “reliable source” through friends.
The body of Shani Louk, a dual Israeli-German citizen, was seen on video seemingly unconscious on the back of a Hamas truck on Saturday after the music festival she was attending in southern Israel was attacked by Hamas militants.
Ricarda Louk said she has sought support from the German government in helping free her daughter.
“I don’t understand really how such a brutal thing can just happen in the middle of the day and it was a complete surprise,” Ricarda Louk said.
At least 260 bodies were found at the music festival site, according to Israeli rescue service Zaka. Some attendees were taken hostage, seen in social media videos being seized by their armed captors.
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At least 4 UN relief workers were killed in air strikes in Gaza
From Eyad Kourdi and Alex Stambaugh
Officials with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said Tuesday four of its employees have died as a result of air strikes on Gaza.
At least 14 of their facilities in Gaza have been damaged directly or indirectly, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma told United Nations news.
The agency has been unable to bring any aid into the Gaza Strip since Saturday, Touma said.
The UNRWA hosts 170,000 people in more than 80 schools and other facilities throughout Gaza. As schools reach their capacity, people have been forced to seek shelter in health care facilities, Touma said.
UNRWA headquarters were subjected to collateral damage on Tuesday morning due to airstrikes in the surrounding neighborhoods, she said. Some of UNRWA’s employees were taking shelter in the same compound in a nearby building during the strikes, she said.
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Israeli soldier finds mother's body "full of bullets" after Hamas attack
Betzalel Taljah speaks with CNN's Abby Phillip about his mother, who died in Saturday's attack, on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
CNN
Israeli soldier Betzalel Taljah went back to the kibbutz where his 63-year-old mother lived after it was attacked by Hamas over the weekend. When he arrived, he found that she had been killed, her body was “full of bullets.”
Taljah said when he found her body, he saw that she was shot from “head to toe.” He said she had a bag of snacks to give kids to help ease their fears of the attack.
Ultimately, she was not able to get to a safe place in time, Taljah said. The spelling of Taljah’s mothers name was not immediately available.
Talijah said Hamas militants saw the attack “like a game.” When he arrived at his mother’s kibbutz, he said it seemed like Hamas came “just to kill and destroy.”
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Is enough being done to help the hostages?
From CNN Audio’s Haley Thomas and David Rind
The number of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza is estimated to be between 100 and 150 and US President Joe Biden has confirmed that there are Americans among those.
On the latest episode of CNN’s Tug of War podcast, CNN International Anchor Becky Anderson shares her conversations with the families of some of the captives and what they are asking for from the US and Israeli governments.
Anderson goes on to explain how Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, have had little help from the Israeli government, so have been doing their own open-source media investigation to try and figure out what happened to their son.
Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin now believe their son has been kidnapped by Hamas after attending a music festival.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he spoke with the parents of Edan Alexander, who told him their son was stationed near the Gaza border and is missing.
“At the time of this weekend’s attack, he was serving near the Gaza border in the Israel Defense Forces,” Murphy said. The governor said Alexander recently graduated from Tenafly High School in Bergen County.
“We pray for his swift safe return, and we pray for every family in New Jersey and across the country with loved ones who are still unaccounted for,” Murphy said.
The governor said his administration is closely monitoring the developments out of Israel to determine whether any New Jersey residents were killed or kidnapped.
The governor added that his administration is working with county and local law enforcement leaders to increase patrols and security in sensitive areas throughout the state including at federations, schools, day care centers and houses of worship.
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Israel’s ambassador to the US urges international community to pressure Hamas to release hostages
From CNN’s Kaitlan Collins
Michael Herzog, Israel ambassador to the US, strongly urged the international community to pressure Hamas to release people taken as hostages.
Herzog acknowledged that officials are still in the process of forming a complete understanding regarding the number of hostages, their identities and their status. He confirmed that among the hostages are Israelis, Americans and other nationalities.
Herzog said he was not sure if any hostages had been killed.
Discussing the evacuation of foreigners from Gaza, Herzog said they are coordinating with Egyptian and US authorities to assist in the safe exit of these individuals, given that the border with Israel is firmly shut.
Israel remains compliant with international law. The ambassador went on to say that Hamas itself has damaged vital infrastructure that benefits Gaza, such as the 10 power lines that deliver electricity from Israel to Gaza.
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Biden stresses the need for all countries to condemn atrocities of Hamas in call with Netanyahu
From Donald Judd
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” on a call with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a readout of the call released Tuesday evening by the White House.
Biden, according to the readout, detailed the US support “that had arrived or would soon be on its way to include ammunition, Iron Dome interceptors, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and other defense materiel.”
The White House said Netanyahu “provided an update from Israel and the spirit of the Israeli people as they unite to protect their country and their people against Hamas and all other threats.”
The two agreed to speak again in the next few days, the White House said.
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Festival survivor says he covered himself with corpses in a bunker to stay alive
Rafael Zimerman says he hid out in a bunker near the music festival that was attacked by Hamas in southern Israel on Saturday.
On the day of the attack, he recalled running with his friends from “a lot of rockets.” He said a car then took him and others to a nearby bunker, where 40-50 people eventually were hiding from the attack. He was near the back of the bunker as he was one of the first to get there, he told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Tuesday night.
Zimerman heard police fighting the attackers and said that at one point gas was thrown into the bunker, which he said reminded him of the gas used by Nazis to kill Jews during the Holocaust.
“With the gas, you cannot breathe,” he said. “It’s impossible to breathe after 30 seconds.”
Following the gas, the attackers entered the bunker and began shooting and throwing flash-bang grenades.
Zimerman, who has shrapnel wounds from the attack, said he did not move while covered by dead people in the bunker. Eventually, six people escaped, he said.
“I’m a miracle. I’m a survivor and I have to be glad,” Zimerman added.
Israeli officials counted at least 260 bodies near the site of the Nova festival, outside Re’im, after the slaughter by Hamas Saturday morning.
“We were partying, you know, just partying and the life, young people, just living,” he recalled. “A lot of people from all the world. It doesn’t matter their religion. It doesn’t matter from where you are,” he said.
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4 Russian citizens killed in Hamas attack, state media reports
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Four Russian citizens were killed in the attack by Hamas on Israel, Russian state media TASS reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian “exchanged views on the current Middle East agenda” over the phone on Tuesday, according to the statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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Fighter jets strike more than 70 targets in Gaza, IDF says
From CNN’s Raja Razek
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City on Tuesday.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Dozens of fighter jets struck more than 70 targets in the Daraja Tuffah area of the Gaza Strip early Wednesday local time, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Israel is hammering Gaza with airstrikes, hitting hundreds of targets and reducing neighborhoods to rubble, as new atrocities are uncovered in its territory after a devastating surprise attack by Hamas militants. Hamas sent fighters pouring into Israeli territory on Saturday. More than 1,000 people were killed in Israel and thousands more injured in the onslaught, according to IDF.
CNN previously reported Israel, which has formally declared war on Hamas, is now battering the densely inhabited strip with air strikes that have killed at least 900 people, including hundreds of children, women, and entire families, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. It said thousands more had been injured.
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Israeli troops are on the move as humanitarian crisis unfolds in Gaza. Here's where things stand
From CNN staff
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Israel and more than 900 people are dead in Gaza, according to Israel’s Army Radio and the Palestinian Health Ministry. Thousands more are injured, according to officials.
As Israeli troops regain ground, details are gradually emerging of the horror unleashed during the weekend attack. More than 100 bodies have been found in the Israeli kibbutz Be’eri, a farming community near Gaza, which was one of the first places targeted by Hamas on Saturday. Bodies were also found at the nearby Kfar Aza kibbutz, according to an Israeli general.
Hamas attacks Israel: A huge barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza by Hamas on Ashkelon in “response to the displacement of civilians in Gaza,” a statement on Telegram said. It followed a warning issued to the residents of the southern Israeli city to leave before 5 p.m. local time.
Israel troops massing: Israel is pounding the densely-packed Gaza Strip with airstrikes, especially on the Gaza port, the Israel Defense Forces said. IDF troops were engaged in a firefight with Hamas militants near the town of Mefalsim, which borders the enclave, Tuesday evening local time, multiple IDF troops on the ground told CNN. Tens of thousands of Israeli troops are on the move as the country prepares for a possible ground operation.
Warning from defense minister: Yoav Gallant said he has “released all restraints” on the Israel Defense Forces’ troops in their fight against Hamas. “Whoever comes to decapitate, murder women, Holocaust survivors — we will eliminate him at the height of our power and without compromise,” the defense minister told soldiers during an inspection of the front line along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
The only crossing available to fleeing Gazans struck: The only border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was struck by Israeli warplanes Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Interior Ministry Eyad al-Bozom said. The tightly controlled Rafah crossing is the only one available to Gazans looking to flee. All other crossings out of the territory are shut.
US President Joe Biden offers support to Israel: The US president condemned Saturday’s rampage by Hamas, calling it “an act of sheer evil” and said Israel has the right to respond. He pledged that the US would make sure Israel has the tools it needs to defend itself. The US has “enhanced our military force posture” in the region and is surging military assistance to Israel, the president said. Biden also talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for the third time since the conflict erupted “to discuss our support for Israel,” the White House said.
Foreign nationals killed: At last 14 Americans are among those killed in Israel, Biden said, adding that US citizens are also among those taken hostage by Hamas.Eight French citizens have been confirmed dead and 20 others are missing, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said. The Canadian government says it is aware of reports that one Canadian was killed and three others are missing.
What we know about some of the victims: Israeli-American Roey Weiser was killed during Saturday’s attack, his mother, Naomi Feifer-Weiser told CNN. Weiser was a sergeant who served in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade and was stationed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, his mother said. Read more about the victims.
Flights out of Israel: The US State Department said it has “been in conversation” with various airlines to “encourage them to consider resuming travel in and out of Israel” so that people can leave. German airline Lufthansa will operate several special flights on Thursday and Friday to evacuate German citizens, the country’s foreign office said. The French government is also in contact with Air France to organize a special flight Thursday to evacuate French citizens, according to the foreign minister.
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135 Mexican citizens evacuated from Israel, ministry says
From CNN's David Shortell
A Mexican Air Force aircraft takes off at Santa Lucia base, as the Mexican army is carrying out a humanitarian flight aimed at bringing home nationals from Israel, outside Mexico City, Mexico, on October 9, 2023.
Henry Romero/Reuters
Mexico’s foreign ministry said 135 citizens were evacuated on a military flight from Israel on Tuesday evening.
A second military flight is en route to Israel to pick up dozens more Mexicans who have requested to leave the country, the ministry said.
Two Mexican nationals are missing following Hamas’ attacks, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday.
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Australian woman killed in Hamas attack, government says
From CNN's Angus Watson and Hilary Whiteman
The Australian government has confirmed the first known death of a citizen in the attacks in Israel.
Galit Carbone, 66, was found dead outside her home in Kibbutz Be’eri, a farming community about three miles (five kilometers) from the Gaza Strip border, according to CNN affiliate 7 News.
Carbone was born in Sydney but raised her children in Israel where she worked as a librarian, the outlet reported.
More than 100 bodies were recovered at the kibbutz, Israeli rescue services told CNN on Tuesday, days after Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, raiding homes and killing residents.
On Wednesday, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a statement offering Carbone’s family her deepest condolences.
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Israeli broadcaster says death toll from Hamas attacks has grown to 1,200 people
From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi
Israeli Defense Forces soldiers drop dirt on the grave of their comrade Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg at Mount Herzel Cemetery during his funeral in Jerusalem on October 10, 2023.
Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images
At least 1,200 people have died as a result of the Hamas attacks on Israel, public broadcaster Kan reported early Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Army Radio said at least 1,000 people had died after Hamas unleashed an unprecedented and brutal attack Saturday in Israel territory.
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US agencies hunt for evidence of Iranian role in Hamas attack on Israel
From CNN's Katie Bo Lillis, Alex Marquardt and Oren Liebermann
The US intelligence community is digging through its stores of data and tasking the nation’s spy agencies to hunt for fresh clues to determine whether Iran played a direct role in Saturday’s deadly attack on Israel by Hamas, a senior Biden administration official said Tuesday.
Even as the US believes Iran is “complicit” in the attack, given its years of support to the Palestinian militant group, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday that the administration still does not have direct evidence linking Tehran to the planning and execution of the assault.
Israeli intelligence is also going back and examining previous evidence, a senior Israeli official told CNN.
US and Israeli intelligence had no advance warning of the attack — something US officials say is stunning given the scale of the assault — and now, the Biden administration is treading cautiously.
Iran has for years been Hamas’ chief benefactor, providing it with tens of millions of dollars, weapons and components smuggled into Gaza, as well as broad technical and ideological support.
Hamas maintains a degree of independence from the Iranian regime. Tehran doesn’t have advisers on the ground in blockaded Gaza, according to former security officials and other regional analysts, and it doesn’t command the group’s activities.
But the unprecedented scale of the weekend’s attacks — combined with analysts’ broad belief that Iran sees the attack as a net positive for its interests in the region — have fueled questions of whether Hamas could have pulled off such a sophisticated operation without direct Iranian assistance.
At least 20 Americans unaccounted for in Israel, White House says
From CNN's Donald Judd and Michael Conte
The Biden administration believes there are “20 or more Americans” missing from Israel as of Tuesday, but that number does not necessarily reflect the number of hostages in Hamas custody at this time, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
President Joe Biden confirmed that 14 Americans were among those killed during Hamas’ attack over the weekend and he said that US citizens are among those held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
“We will work hour by hour, both to determine whether we can account for any of those Americans, or to confirm exactly what the number of Americans are being held hostage, and we will come back to you with that information as soon as we have it,” Sullivan said. “As you know, very sadly and tragically, the number of dead has risen with each passing hour, and that’s true of the total number, it’s also true of Americans, which has gone up just today from an earlier report this morning of 12 and 13 — now 14.”
Sullivan declined to weigh in on the possibility of a ground incursion into Gaza and how that might affect American hostages.
“I’m not going to get into the operational discussions that the president and the prime minister had,” he said, referring to a phone call between Biden and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. “That is important for them to be able to keep in his discreet channel between them.”
White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby called on Hamas to release the hostages.
“They belong to be freed. We call on Hamas to release them now,” Kirby told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Short of that, we’re going to do everything we can to get them back with their families.”
Kirby said the US doesn’t have much information about the hostages right now, noting that an active war zone makes recovering them much more difficult.
The first step is communicating with the Israelis, he said.
“They’re on the ground, they’re closer to it, they have contacts that we probably could benefit from,” he said. “We’re having active conversations with the Israelis about what they’re seeing, what they possibly know.”
Kirby acknowledged the Israelis are very good at hostage recovery but confirmed the US has offered members of the US military, law enforcement and intelligence community to help with the hostage situation.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the US has military special operators who “are going to help” the Israeli military “with intelligence and planning” for potential operations regarding hostages taken by Hamas.
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Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza
From CNN Impact Your World
As deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas intensifies, so too does a dire humanitarian crisis in the area.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured on both sides after Hamas launched unprecedented attacks on Israel on Saturday. Subsequent airstrikes have overwhelmed local hospitals and displaced more than 100,000 people in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas on Earth.
The intense fighting has also hampered humanitarian relief. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which suffered damage to one of its buildings in Gaza, is calling for the protection of humanitarian workers, civilians, and critical infrastructure. Calling the situation “horrific,” Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is urging restraint after medical facilities have been destroyed in the fighting.
Impact Your World has gathered a list of vetted organizations that are on the ground responding.
Hamas “firmly” rejected President Joe Biden’s remarks on Israel, calling it an “inflammatory statement” that aims to “escalate the tension by the barbaric Zionist regime against the Palestinian people,” according to a written statement published Tuesday.
Hamas said Biden’s remarks overshadowed the “criminality and terrorism of the Zionist government” and criticized the US president for not addressing “massacres committed by the Zionist forces against people in cold blood.”
Hamas concluded the statement urging the American administration to reassess its position and accusing it of exhibiting a “policy of double standards” when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Biden posts new photo of call with Netanyahu
From CNN's Donald Judd
US President Joe Biden speaks on the phone with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Vice President Kamala Harris watches on at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2023.
Courtesy of POTUS/X
President Joe Biden shared a new photo from his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office.
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First plane carrying US ammunition lands in Israel, country's defense forces says
From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey, Jeremy Diamond and Michael Schwartz
The first supply of US weapons since Israel faced a devastating attack by Hamas arrived in Israel late Tuesday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Earlier Tuesday, President Joe Biden pledged that the US would make sure Israel has the tools it needs to defend itself and that it was surging military assistance to Israel.
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American Airlines cancels Israel flights through December 4
From CNN's Pete Muntean
American Airlines says it is canceling all flights to and from Israel’s main international airport through December 4 “as a result of the current operating environment.”
The airline operates flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
The airline said it has also “extended our travel alert providing additional flexibility to customers whose travel plans are impacted by this adjustment.”
On Monday, Delta Air Lines, which operates flights to Israel from Atlanta, JFK, and Boston, said it was canceling flights for the rest of October.
The State Department said earlier Tuesday that it has been encouraging airlines “to consider resuming travel in and out of Israel.”
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Israeli defense minister: "Gaza will never return to what it was"
From CNN's Amir Tal
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attends a press conference after signing a joint declaration with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on intent over the purchase by Germany of Israel's Arrow 3 missile defense system on September 28, 2023, in Berlin, Germany.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Israel’s defense minister said he has “released all restraints” on the Israel Defense Forces’ troops in their fight against Hamas.
“Whoever comes to decapitate, murder women, Holocaust survivors — we will eliminate him at the height of our power and without compromise,” Yoav Gallant told soldiers during an inspection of the front line along Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
The minister visited the IDF’s Gaza division headquarters in the Re’im military base. He also spoke to Shaldag fighters, paratroopers and soldiers at kibbutz Be’eri, one of the sites Hamas first targeted over the weekend.
“We will be back here, in Be’eri, in a few months, and the situation will be different. We will settle the kibbutz to the last meter, and what happened in Gaza will not happen,” Gallant said.
Airstrikes have beenIsrael’s primary retaliation measure so far in Gaza, with jets repeatedly pounding the heavily populated 140 square mile coastal strip, turning multiple buildings to rubble, displacing tens of thousands of people and sending waves of injured Palestinians to overwhelmed hospitals.
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At least 21 people killed and 130 injured in the West Bank, Palestinian health ministry says
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Raja Razek
The death toll in the West Bank since Saturday has now risen to 21 killed and 130 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah.
The West Bank is led by the Palestinian Authority. The Fatah party, a rival faction to Hamas, is the political backbone of the Palestinian Authority.
The deaths occurred in clashes due to Israeli “aggression” and many of the victims were shot, the ministry said.
Clashes erupted in several parts of the occupied West Bank amid a closure that was imposed by the Israeli army following Hamas’ attack in southern Israel Saturday morning.
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Quiet streets but the unmistakable sounds of war in the city of Ashdod
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Ashdod, Israel
The streets of Ashdod have been deserted since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Saturday morning.
But the unmistakable sounds of the war are constant in this Israeli city, about 35 kilometers (20 miles) north of Gaza.
An intense and near continuous thunder of explosions has been heard from the Gaza Strip for more than 48 hours now. At the same time, rockets are being launched from the Gaza Strip.
When that happens, the sirens go off, giving residents about 45 seconds to find a shelter. Most of the buildings in Ashdod were built in the 1990s, during the city’s huge expansion following a wave of immigration from the Soviet Union. That means most apartments are equipped with shelters — a requirement for all buildings built here after 1993.
The vast majority of restaurants and cafes are shut, the sprawling beaches are closed and most people are staying inside.
For days now, the city has seen a heavy military presence and tensions are running high. At one point on Tuesday evening, about two dozen soldiers could be seen running outside and spending about 15 minutes patrolling a street in the city center before returning to one of the hotels that have become their hub.
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IDF says Israeli soldiers killed 3 terrorists during gun battle in Ashkelon
From CNN’s Clarissa Ward and Brent Swails in Ashkelon
Israeli soldiers killed three terrorists during a gun battle in the Ashkelon Industrial Area on Tuesday night, the IDF said.
CNN crew heard a helicopter gunship and heavy machine-gun fire during the fight. The soldiers were also backed by an unmanned aerial vehicle, according to the IDF.
Flames broke out at the scene and fire crews are heading there, the IDF said. Israeli troops continue to search the area.
Ashkelon is just north of the Gaza Strip.
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Germany to evacuate citizens from Israel on Thursday and Friday
From CNN's Inke Kappeler in Berlin
Germany will evacuate citizens from Israel on Thursday and Friday, the country’s Foreign Office announced Tuesday.
German airline Lufthansa will operate several special flights from Israel at the request of the Foreign Office. Citizens registered with the German crisis prevention list “ELEFAND“ will be informed Thursday morning about how to book tickets for the special flights with Lufthansa, the Foreign Office said.
It was unclear how many German citizens or dual nationals are currently in Israel.
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Rockets were launched from Syria into Israeli territory on Tuesday, IDF says
From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey and Eyad Kourdi
Rockets were launched from Syria into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday.
The rockets landed in open areas, the IDF said.
The IDF did not immediately provide details on damage or injuries.
A Syrian eyewitness, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, said three rockets were launched in the direction of the Golan Heights.
According to the media activist group Shaam News Network, 12 rockets were launched from various Syrian locations close to the Israeli border. Of these, eight rockets landed inside Syria, while four flew toward the Golan Heights. It was not immediately clear where they landed.
The Golan Heights is under Israeli government control and is considered to be occupied territory by the international community.
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New Yorker returns to Israel to join war effort
From CNN's Gabe Cohen
Noy Leyb left his home in New York and headed to Israel to fight in the military following the Hamas terrorist attack.
Noy Leyb
Inside his apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Noy Leyb says he couldn’t sleep Friday night after news of Hamas’ surprise attack in Israel reached him as he was getting ready for bed after Shabbat dinner.
The Israeli-Canadian, who has lived in the US for three years, watched in horror as Israelis were being kidnapped and killed in a surprise attack by Hamas terrorists.
Then, he packed his bags.
He booked the first flight he could find back to Israel and arrived Sunday evening, seeing that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists were being called to fight.
Noy Leyb
Leyb, 32, is the co-founder and COO of BachPlace, a tech startup in New York. He was born and raised in Canada and says he moved to Israel at age 18 to volunteer with the IDF.
Leyb says he is a machine gunner in an elite paratroopers unit. He and his two brothers have returned to base and are preparing for war.
In his military vest, he’s carrying his yarmulke and Star of David.
“I’m feeling, first of all, proud and happy to be here. And also nervous,” he said. “I think everyone, including myself, is scared. You know, we don’t want to be here. There’s just that feeling of just having to be there for our country and for our people. And it’s just feeling that it’s my duty, you know. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s my calling and it’s why I initially volunteered for the IDF instead of going to school right away. And it’s my responsibility.”
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US State Department is in talks with airlines to encourage travel to Israel
From Jennifer Hansler and Michael Conte
Passengers wait at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023, as flights are cancelled because of the Hamas surprise attack.
Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images
The State Department has “been in conversation with various (airline) carriers to encourage them to consider resuming travel in and out of Israel.”
“We’ll continue to do that,” spokesperson Matthew Miller said Tuesday.
He noted that the Department has “been in contact with a number of American citizens in Israel” who wish to depart and urged them to take advantage of the flights that are operating.
“The airport is still open. There are flights that are getting out of the airport in Tel Aviv. And so we encourage people to try to avail themselves of those options,” Miller said.
White House says Iran is complicit in Hamas attack, but says there's no specific evidence of its support
From CNN's Donald Judd
Iran is “complicit, in a broad sense,” in Hamas’ attack on Israel, there is no intelligence that indicates Tehran specifically offered support for the unprecedented assault, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday.
Sullivan told reporters that the administration was engaged with its Israeli counterparts and “looking back through our intelligence holdings to see if we have any further information on that,” adding, “If there’s an update to that, I’ll share it with you.”
Pressed on why Israel was unable to anticipate Hamas’ attack on Israel, Sullivan referred questions to Israeli officials.
For America’s part, he said, “We did not see anything that suggested an attack of this type was going to unfold any more than the Israelis did.”
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Satellite imagery shows aftermath of Israel's retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy
The aftermath of Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza following unprecedented attacks by Hamas this weekend can be seen in new satellite imagery captured Tuesday by Maxar technologies.
The first image shows the rising smoke from an Israeli airstrike near the Mediterranean Sea in northeastern Gaza, near Atatra. CNN has been unable to confirm the target. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said its airstrikes are only targeting Hamas infrastructure and operations.
This next image shows residential buildings in the western section of Gaza City covered in ash and soot following Israeli airstrikes. Again, CNN has been unable to confirm the target.
The third image shows an area just to the north, providing a view of Gaza City’s Rimal district. The sites of at least three airstrikes can be seen. The northernmost destroyed the Al Gharbi mosque, while the strike in the center of the image hit the Al Sousi mosque. The strike in the left corner hit the Abbas mosque.
The IDF has admitted to targeting mosques, claiming that decision is due to Hamas activity within them.
Gaza toll rises to 900 killed and 4,500 wounded, Palestinian health ministry says
From CNN’s Abeer Salman
The death toll in Gaza has risen to 900, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, with another 4,500 wounded since Israeli airstrikes began in response to Hamas’ surprise attack early Saturday.
Those killed include 260 children and 230 women, the ministry said, including 22 families killed in their entirety.
Fifteen paramedics and 20 journalists have also been injured, the ministry said in a statement.
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US secretary of state will travel to Israel in coming days
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to media with El Salvador’s Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill at the State Department in Washington, DC, on August 7, 2023.
Kevin Wurm/Reuters
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel in the coming days “to engage our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground” and to navigate how the US can continue to support them, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Tuesday.
Blinken is expected to leave on Wednesday and will arrive in Israel Thursday, Miller said.
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US engaged in contingency planning in case situation in Israel escalates
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
The US is engaged in contingency planning in the event the current conflict in Israel escalates, according to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
President Joe Biden ordered the planning, which includes consulting with US allies.
The movement of a US carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean is meant to deter other nations or groups from exploiting the situation.
“The president has also tasked us with engaging in contingency planning for any and all escalation scenarios,” Sullivan said. “And we are now deeply engaged in that planning. And we’re consulting with allies and partners as well about all of the potential scenarios that might unfold in the days ahead.”
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Here's a map of the locations impacted by the Hamas-Israel war
After the surprise attack by Hamas over the weekend, Israel is pounding Gaza in response with deadly airstrikes, displacing more than 100,000 people and sending waves of injured Palestinians to overwhelmed hospitals.
At the same time, Hamas is also firing rockets at Israel.
"Without her, there is no value for life.” Father says he won't give up hope on finding missing daughter
From CNN’s Sarah Boxer and Erica Hill
Jacob Ben Senior last heard from his daughter, Daniel, on Friday night when the 34-year-old Israeli-American was on her way to the Nova music festival. He hasn’t slept or eaten in days.
Senior is in touch with several other families searching for missing loved ones; they’ve connected on WhatsApp to share information, though there is little to be had.
“We don’t know anything. The information, it’s zero. That drives you crazy. Nobody talks to you,” he said.
Senior said he has not had any contact with the Israeli government or US State Department officials but has opened a case with police. He said he has sent DNA from his daughter’s personal items for authorities to use to identify her if needed.
Desperate for any clues, Daniel’s boyfriend returned to the site of the Nova festival this afternoon with a group of others to search the area, Senior said.
Daniel — a medic —served with the Israel Defense Forces’ Oketz unit, which is a special forces K9 unit, according to her father.
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Israeli-American soldier died trying to help others, his mother tells CNN
From CNN’s Caroll Alvarado
Israeli-American Roey Weiser was killed during Saturday’s attack by Hamas, his mother, Naomi Feifer-Weiser told CNN.
Weiser, 21, was a sergeant who served in the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade and was stationed at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, his mother said.
Weiser’s father, Yami Weiser, called his son a “hero” when he spoke about his son’s passing.
“My son Roey fell defending the southern border as a hero,” Weiser’s father posted on Facebook.
Roey’s mother told CNN that the family was finally able to retrieve his body on Tuesday and that they plan to hold his funeral on Wednesday.
Naomi and Yami were born and raised in the US, but now live in Israel.
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Security stepped up around centers of Jewish life in US, Biden says
A security guard stands watch in front of Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel synagogue on October 9, 2023, in Los Angeles, California.
Eric Thayer/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that security has been stepped up around centers of Jewish life across the country after the attack in Israel.
“We’re also taking steps at home, in cities across the United States of America. Police departments have stepped up security around centers of Jewish life. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are working closely with state and local law enforcement and Jewish community partners to identify and disrupt any domestic threat that could emerge in connection with these horrific attacks,” he said.
Biden then urged unity.
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US has enhanced "military force posture in the region" to ensure deterrence, Biden says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the United States has “enhanced our military force posture in the region to strengthen our deterrence.”
“The Department of Defense has moved the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean and bolstered our fighter aircraft presence. And we stand ready to move in additional assets as needed,” he said.
Biden also warned any hostile parties against taking advantage of the situation in Israel.
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"This is not about party or politics," Biden says about funding for US allies
U.S. President Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, makes remarks after speaking by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the situation in Israel following Hamas' deadly attacks, from the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2023.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Joe Biden said the US would ensure Israel has the tools it needs to defend itself against attacks from Hamas, saying a call for Congress to help fund the national security of America’s “critical partners” was “not about party or politics.”
Biden said his administration was “surging” additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunitions and interceptors that would replenish the Iron Dome.
“We’re going to make sure Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens.”
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Americans among hostages held by Hamas, Biden says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that there are Americans among hostages taken by Hamas as part of the militant group’s attack on Israel.
“We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas,” he said.
Biden added that he has directed his team to “share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts.”
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Turkish president and UN secretary-general discuss Israeli-Palestinian conflict
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency.
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Biden: "Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond"
US President Joe Biden reiterated the US’s support for Israel, and said that if the US were attacked in the way Israel was attacked this weekend, “our response would be swift decisive and overwhelming.”
Biden noted that he had just wrapped up a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I told him, ‘If the United States experienced what you’re experiencing, our response would be swift decisive and overwhelming,’” Biden said. He added he and Netanyahu discussed how democracies are “more secure when we act according to the rule of law.”
At least 14 American citizens killed in Israel, Biden says
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said there were at least 14 American citizens among those killed following the attacks by Hamas on Israel.
That’s a slight increase from the death toll on Monday, when there were 11 US citizens confirmed dead.
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US President Biden: Hamas attack on Israel is "an act of sheer evil"
US President Joe Biden condemned Saturday’s attacks by Hamas on Israel, calling it “an act of sheer evil.”
People in Israel lived suffered “pure unadulterated evil” at the “bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, a group whose stated purpose for being is to kill Jews. This is an act of sheer evil,” Biden said Tuesday.
He noted that more than 1,000 people have died in Israel, including at least 14 American citizens. “Parents butchered using their bodies to try to protect their children — stomach-turning reports of babies being killed, entire families slain. Young people massacred while attending a musical festival to celebrate peace.”
He added, “Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies. Families hidden in fear for hours and hours, desperately trying to keep their children quiet to avoid drawing attention. And thousands of wounded, alive but carrying with them the bullet holes and the shrapnel wounds and the memory of what they endured.”
2 senior Hamas members killed in Israel strikes, IDF says
From CNN's Ruba Alhenawi and Nurit Ben
Two senior Hamas members – Minister of Economy Jawad Abu Shammala and senior member of the Hamas political bureau Zachariah Abu Maamar – were killed in overnight strikes, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Abu Shammala was responsible in his role for managing terrorism funding within and outside of the Gaza Strip, the IDF said, while describing Abu Maamar as “a senior Hamas decision-maker and coordinator between terror groups in the Gaza Strip.”
Abu Maamar was a “known confidant” to Yahya Sinwar, who is the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.
Hamas in turn on Tuesday confirmed the deaths in a statement on its Telegram channel, describing them as “Hamas political office members.”
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Canada investigating reports of 1 Canadian dead in Israel and 3 others missing
From CNN’s David Williams and Amanda Jackson
The Canadian government says it is aware of reports that one Canadian was killed and three others are missing in Israel after Hamas launched a devastating attack from Gaza over the weekend.
Canadian government officials in Israel are “in contact with local authorities to confirm and gather additional information,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Monday evening, noting more than 2,450 Canadians are registered as abroad in Israel, with another 480 Canadians registered in Palestinian territories.
The government said it would “not comment on or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of Canadians,” and it has not identified any Canadian victims.
The parents of 33-year-old Canadian Alexandre Look, however, have said their son was killed in the attack on the outdoor music festival near Re’im, Israel.
Raquel Ohnona Look and Alain Haim Look told CNN news partner CBC that they were on the phone with their son as he tried to escape the gunfire. Look and other festival-goers sought shelter in a bunker without a door, his parents said.
The Canadian government has not identified any Canadian victims of the attacks. But Premier François Legault sent his condolences to Look’s family on Monday.
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Israel has right to defend itself, but "collective punishment" of all Palestinians unfair, EU diplomat says
From CNN's James Frater and Radina Gigova
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks to members of the media ahead of a EU-US Energy Council Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on April 4, 2023.
Olivier Matthys/Pool/Reuters/FILE
Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas attacks, but it has to do it in accordance with international law, the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday.
While the EU considers Hamas a terrorist organization, the Palestinian Authority “is our partner,” Borrell said.
“Israel has the right to defend, but it has to be done accordingly with international law, humanitarian law, and some decisions are counter to international law,” he added.
Any steps toward peace should be made “with the Palestinians,” otherwise “the cycle of violence will restart again,” he warned.
“Our will is to continue supporting the Palestinian Authority,” he said, discouraging the blockage of funding for Palestinians.
Some background: Hamas, which runs Gaza, presents itself as an alternative to the PA, which has recognized Israel and has engaged in multiple failed peace initiatives with it. The PA, which runs the occupied West Bank, is led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
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NOW: Biden addresses the Hamas-Israel war for the second time
US President Joe Biden is now speaking to address the fighting between Israel and Hamas that has continued for the fourth day straight since the Islamist militant group carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel’s history.
At least 900 people are dead in Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Tel Aviv has responded with an overwhelming number of airstrikes on Gaza, the 140 square-mile densely populated territory controlled by Hamas, leaving at least 830 people dead there and displacing more than 137,000.
France says 8 citizens confirmed dead and 20 missing following Hamas attacks in Israel
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris
Eight French citizens have been confirmed dead and 20 others remain missing following the Hamas attacks against Israel, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Tuesday.
Those missing include at least one child, Colonna said, but it is possible several children are among the missing.
The numbers are likely to continue to rise — France previously said four citizens were dead and 14 missing — as Israeli authorities continue to identify victims, the foreign minister said.
Separately, the French government is in contact with Air France to organize a special flight Thursday to evacuate French citizens who wish to leave Israel, according to Colonna.
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Analysis: CNN reporter explains what an Israeli ground assault in Gaza could look like based on one he covered
Analysis from CNN's Ben Wedeman
Palestinian citizens inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli airstrikes on October 10, 2023, in Gaza City.
Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
In January 2009, CNN’s Ben Wedeman, along with a crew, went on the ground to cover what Israel had dubbed “Operation Cast Lead” — the first in a series of flare-ups of various durations between Israel and Gaza in 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2022.
Here’s what he knows about how an Israeli ground assault in Gaza could play out based on what he saw then:
Inside Israel’s tactics: Israel’s tactics have always been to move fast, control as much territory as possible, but avoid street-to-street, house-to-house fighting where a weaker opponent can take full advantage of the terrain. Entering urban areas in Gaza, however, would bring in an entire new element to the fight.
Multiple Palestinian groups on ground: At the moment, Israeli forces are engaged with Hamas. But Gaza is home to a myriad of armed Palestinian groups, including Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) to name just a few. They don’t have Hamas’ manpower or weaponry, but they’re numerous enough to put up serious resistance.
A well-prepared Hamas: The Israeli military has now mobilized 300,000 reservists for what is now widely believed to be an unprecedented incursion into Gaza – and perhaps, some speculate, a re-occupation of the enclave – in the aftermath of Hamas’ surprise attack Saturday, which killed more than 1,000 people in Israel. What awaits it is a Hamas that has shown, despite the cruelty vividly displayed in its Saturday attack, a level of military capability far beyond what was previously thought. It is probably well prepared for the next phase in this war.
A bloody ground operation: If it comes, the ground operation will be far bloodier and more destructive than what we saw during the weekend fighting between Hamas and Israel. Israeli forces will also have to be mindful that spread around Gaza are more than a hundred Israelis – soldiers and civilians, including women and children – held captive by Hamas. And although no one outside Hamas knows where they’re being held, it’s likely they’re in the most difficult areas for Israeli forces to access, possibly in crowded refugee camps. As eager as Israel’s leaders may be to deal a fatal blow to Hamas, it will come at a very high price. To all.
At least 1,000 people have been killed in Hamas attacks on Israel, Israel's Army Radio reports
From CNN's Nurit Ben
At least 1,000 people have been killed following the Hamas attacks on Israel over the weekend, Israel’s Army Radio reported on Tuesday.
Army Radio is operated by the Israel Defense Forces.
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US President Biden's call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu just wrapped up
From CNN's DJ Judd and Kevin Liptak
US President Joe Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Getty Images
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris just concluded a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to discuss our support for Israel,” the White House said.
This marks the third call Biden has held with Netanyahu since the conflict erupted on Saturday.
The White House plans to share a readout of the call shortly, and Biden is expected to deliver remarks on the conflict from the State Dining Room imminently, although those remarks have been delayed.
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Germany to expand departure options out of Israel as group of students returns home safely
From CNN's Inke Kappeler in Berlin
German authorities are working with airlines to expand departure options for German nationals trying to leave Israel, the German Foreign Office said in a statement Tuesday, advising those seeking to return home to Germany to look for flights on less well-known airlines or flights traveling through third countries.
The statement comes as a group of exchange students from Dortmund were able to leave Israel via Turkey on Tuesday afternoon. The 13 students landed safely in Antalya and are expected to arrive in Germany on Wednesday morning, Martina Plum, a spokesperson for the Youth Exchange Organization, told CNN “with great relief“ on Tuesday.
“Nothing happened to them, but the students and their tutors, of course, have experienced a very threatening situation,” Plum said. “We are overjoyed that the students are safe.”
Most of the students are 16 years old and were staying with host families in Tel Aviv and Netanya as part of the exchange program. They were scheduled to leave Wednesday but were relieved to have been able to catch an earlier flight given all the flight cancellations, Plum added.
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Gaza homes, schools and medical institutions flattened by Israeli airstrikes, Palestinian authorities say
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi in Jerusalem
This aerial photo shows heavily damaged buildings following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10, 2023.
Belal Al Sabbagh/AFP/Getty Images
Homes, schools, medical institutions and government buildings were flattened in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes continued Tuesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Information said in a statement.
Here’s a breakdown provided in the statement:
Buildings:
Fully destroyed:168 buildings, including 1,009 residential units
Partially destroyed: 12,630 residential units were partially destroyed.
Medical institutions: 10 bombed, including seven hospitals were bombed
Ambulances: 12 ambulances have been directly targeted
Schools: 48 schools destroyed
Government buildings: 23 destroyed
Five medical personnel and seven journalists were killed, and displaced people in Gaza are now taking shelter in 70 centers due to continued airstrikes, the statement said.
Palestinians fleeing Israeli air strikes take refuge in a school run by the United Nations in Gaza City on October 8, 2023.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
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It's 8 p.m. in Tel Aviv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Fighting between Israel and Hamas continues for the fourth day straight since the Islamist militant group carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel’s history, killing at least 900 people. Israel has responded with an overwhelming number of airstrikes on Gaza, the 140 square-mile densely populated territory controlled by Hamas, leaving at least 830 people dead there, wounding 4,250 and displacing more than 137,000.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know:
Israel attacks Gaza: Israel is carrying out air strikes on the Gaza port, the Israel Defense Forces has confirmed to CNN. “IDF is currently striking terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization on the coast of the Gaza Strip. Details to follow,” it said in a statement Tuesday. A fishing boat was pictured ablaze at the port.
Hamas attacks Israel: A huge barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza by Hamas on Ashkelon in “response to the displacement of civilians in Gaza,” a statement on Telegram said. It followed a warning issued to the residents of the southern Israeli city to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time. A video shared by Hamas showed rockets flying through the sky with people taking cover on the side of the road in Israel.
The only crossing available to fleeing Gazans was struck: The only border crossing between the Gaza strip and Egypt was struck by Israeli warplanes on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Interior Ministry Eyad al-Bozom said Tuesday. The tightly controlled Rafah crossing is the only crossing available to Gazans looking to flee as Israel attacks Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack on Saturday. All other crossings out of the territory are shut. The IDF has urged civilians in Gaza to leave their residential areas immediately for their safety as Israeli military operations continue to target Hamas, and shut all crossings between Israel and Gaza, potentially setting the stage for a ground incursion into the enclave.
Rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel: Rockets were fired from south Lebanon toward Israel, according to Al Manar, a Lebanese outlet that is Hezbollah-owned. Hezbollah did not claim that it fired the rockets. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with artillery fire, it said.
Foreigners among the dead: At least nine Latin Americans — Peruvian, Brazilian, Argentinian — are dead and 25 others are missing following attacks by Hamas on Israel this weekend, according to their respective governments. Other foreign nationals were reported dead on Tuesday, including citizens of France, Russia and Thailand.
US not urging Israel to exercise restraint: In a phone call with US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought up the possibility of going into Gaza. President Biden did not warn him against doing so, a US official briefed on the conversation tells CNN. When Biden delivers a second speech on the situation in Israel later today, he will continue to hold back from urging Netanyahu to exercise restraint, according to officials familiar with the remarks.
On the ground: In a new season of CNN’s “Tug of War” podcast, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson brings us the latest on the conflict from his position just two miles from the Israeli border with Gaza.
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Women, children and the elderly "brutally butchered" in southern Israel, IDF says
From CNN's Richard Allen Greene in Jerusalem
Burned out buildings are seen in the aftermath of attacks on Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel.
Muhammad Darwish/CNN
Hamas militants carried out a “massacre” in Kfar Aza in southern Israel during their attacks over the weekend, in which women, children, toddlers and the elderly were “brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN Tuesday.
The IDF said it cannot confirm the number of people killed there and would not go into details how the people were killed.
The IDF was responding to a report by the news outlet i24 that some of its troops who arrived at Kfar Aza found terrible atrocities had been committed against the victims.
What is the Israeli military's "knock on the roof," and why is it being discussed now?
From CNN’s Abeer Salman in Jerusalem
Palestinian civilians and rescuers help clear the rubble in the heavily bombarded city center of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, following overnight Israeli shelling, on October 10, 2023.
Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have seemingly stopped the “knock on the roof.” The euphemism describes a military tactic first developed in 2009 and used in several conflicts since then.
How it works: IDF forces will alert a building’s occupants that they are targeting the structure for an airstrike by dropping a small, non-explosive munition on the roof before a larger strike is executed. Its objective is to minimize civilian casualties by allowing for evacuation in buildings where militant groups keep rockets or ammunition stashed.
Despite the ultimate goal of saving lives, the technique is controversial and has been criticized by human rights groups, who argue dropping a munition on a building should not be considered a warning.
Others say even with the heads-up, there are few safe places for civilians to go in a blockaded strip of land. Gaza is small, just 140 square miles, and one of the most densely populated places on the planet. Civilians, including children, are often killed in the bombardments.
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht explained that the distinction between military and civilian targets was not so simple.
What’s happening now: Following Hamas’ attack on Saturday, Israel seems to have abandoned the “knock on the roof.” CNN has spoken to multiple people in Gaza who said they were given no notice when their homes were bombed.
When asked whether the IDF has stopped the tactic, Hecht said on Monday that Hamas did not “knock on the roof.”
This absence of such warnings may be contributing to the significant number of civilian casualties reported so far in Gaza. At least 830 people have been killed in Gaza since Saturday.
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Israeli troops say they are engaged in a gun battle with Hamas in southern Israel
From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Mike Schwartz and Matthias Somm
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops engaged in a firefight with Hamas militants near the kibbutz Mefalsim Tuesday evening local time, multiple IDF troops on the ground told CNN.
A CNN team heard numerous exchanges of machine gunfire, while positioned near a group of IDF troops holding a perimeter about 1 kilometer (or about 0.6 miles) away from the battle.
At one point, CNN heard gunfire coming from a different direction and troops indicated there were numerous firefights with Hamas happening in the area.
An IDF spokesperson could not immediately confirm an official version of events.
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Children of 66-year-old US citizen say they heard her screaming on the phone before she went missing in Israel
From CNN's Chris Boyette
Before Adrienne Neta went missing from Kibbutz Be’eri Saturday — assumed kidnapped by Hamas attackers — she was on the phone with her children, who were trying to calm the 66-year-old as she heard gunfire outside her home, her eldest son Nahar Neta told reporters Tuesday at a news conference held by families of US citizens missing in Israel.
“Both my brother and my sister were on the call with her as the terrorists barged into her home and we heard a little bit of screaming and that was our last contact with her,” Nahar Neta said.
According to Nahar, he has not been contacted by the government about his mother.
Adrienne was born and raised in California, Nahar said, adding the US government also had a responsibility “for the life of every US citizen that is out there,” and to bring each home “safe and sound.”
Diana Neta, Adrienne’s youngest child, praised her mother, describing her as “an exceptional human being” who spent most of her adult life working as a nurse and a midwife. “When she walked into a delivery room, she saw a human being in front of her. Not a religion, not a race.”
The family once calculated that Adrienne has brought thousands of lives into this world.
“When Hamas walked into my mother’s room in Be’eri, they saw her alone, but they did not see a human being,” she said.
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Gaza death toll reaches 830, with another 4,250 injured
From CNN’s Ruba Alhenawi
Th death toll in Gaza rose to 830 people killed, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said Tuesday, with another 4,250 people injured.
Internet disruptions are affecting the death toll updates, the ministry said.
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What we know about Israeli force movements as country prepares for possible ground operation
Tens of thousands of Israeli troops are on the move as the country prepares for a possible ground operation in response to the surprise attack launched by Hamas early Saturday morning.
More than 300,000 troops have been called up, the largest mobilization on short notice in Israel’s history, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus. Those in the south are readying ahead of the forthcoming operation in Gaza and defending the border. Jeeps, tanks and other large military vehicles have been seen heading south as well
Along the northern border with Lebanon, the IDF has deployed tens of thousands of troops, including reservists and regular units, Conricus said. Tanks have also been spotted in the area.
No shortages: In a briefing on its website, the IDF shot down any hints that it was suffering a shortage of goods, food and water. It said that the main struggle was equipping 300,000 troops who had mobilized in just 48 hours.“We are not lacking equipment, everyone will be provided everything they need,” the IDF said.
Washington’s role: To support its ally, the United States sent a carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea that, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, is meant to help deter Hezbollah and other militant groups.
The first tranche of military assistance from the US is already on its way to Israel, according to John Kirby, the coordinator for strategic communications at the US National Security Council.Israel had previously requested more interceptors for the Iron Dome missile defense system and precision guided bombs, an Israeli military source and a US defense official told CNN. It’s unclear if Washington will provide the precision weapons.
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IDF carries out strikes against Hamas targets at Gaza port
Smoke billows after a strike by Israel on the port of Gaza City on October 10.
Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
Israel is carrying out air strikes on the Gaza port, the Israel Defense Forces has confirmed to CNN, as seen on a live video feed from Reuters.
“IDF is currently striking terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization on the coast of the Gaza Strip. Details to follow,” it said in a statement Tuesday.
A fishing boat was pictured ablaze at the port.
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Israeli American man says his son is missing after defending kibbutz
On-air interview with CNN's Becky Anderson / written by CNN's Chris Boyette
Jonathan Dekel-Chen is calling on the US government to help negotiate the release of his son and other people presumed kidnapped by Hamas.
“The United States administration and its various services have relationships in the world with countries that Israel does not and it could be helpful for the United States in its various parts to engage with those friends and acquaintances to help it negotiate in some way, secure the release or at least get solid information,” Dekel-Chen told CNN.
Dekel-Chen grew up in Connecticut, but he says he has lived on a kibbutz in Israel for many years and raised his family there, including his 35-year-old son Sagui who is missing.
Sagui and others tried to repel attackers from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, the father said.
Sagui is the father of two girls and his wife is pregnant with a third daughter, he said.
According to Dekel-Chen, 400 people make up the Kibbutz Nir Oz community, but he currently knows of only 160 survivors.
“The rest have either died or are, as we said, prisoners are missing,” he said.
Some background: Traditionally agrarian, the kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) were popular in the country’s early years, founded on ideals of communal living and agriculture. About 125,000 people live on them today, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel, and there are approximately 250 kibbutzim across Israel.
CNN’s Amir Tal and Heather Chen contributed reporting to this post.
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US President Biden will not urge Israel to exercise restraint in speech today
From CNN's MJ lee and Kevin Liptak
In a phone call with US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – reeling from one of the worst attacks on his country in decades – brought up the possibility of going into Gaza. President Biden did not warn him against doing so, a US official briefed on the conversation tells CNN.
With Biden set to deliver a second speech on the situation in Israel, he will continue to hold back from urging Netanyahu to exercise restraint, according to officials familiar with the remarks.
This decision in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in no small part reflects the sheer shock and breadth of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel that makes this moment different, officials say.
Over the past 72 hours, officials have acknowledged what a deeply tenuous position that possibility puts the administration in: as a general matter, the US has historically urged for cease fire on all sides when conflicts have broken out in the region.
And now, as Biden is poised to deliver his second speech to the nation since war broke out in Israel, the president and his national security team are keenly aware of what appears to be a growing likelihood of Netanyahu making a ground incursion into Gaza.
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Rockets fired from Lebanon toward Israel, prompting Israeli military to respond with artillery fire
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem in Abu Dhabi and Tamara Qiblawi in Beirut
Rockets were fired from south Lebanon toward Israel, according to Al Manar, a Lebanese outlet that is Hezbollah-owned.
Hezbollah did not claim that it fired the rockets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with artillery fire, it said, after “launches” were “identified from Lebanese territory toward Israeli territory.”
The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) said it detected rocket firing from south of Tyre in Lebanon.
“We continue to be in contact with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to de-escalate this very dangerous situation,” UNIFIL said, adding, “We urge everyone to exercise restraint at this critical time.” The Blue Line separates Lebanon and Israel.
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At least nine Latin Americans dead and 25 missing after Hamas attacks
From CNN’s Claudia Rebaza, Stefano Pozebbon, Mia Alberti and CNN Brasil's Duda Cambraia
At least nine Latin Americans are dead and 25 others are missing following attacks by Hamas on Israel this weekend, according to their respective governments.
Peru’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday morning that aPeruvian citizen, Brando Flores, has died while three others remain missing. Flores belonged to the military reserve force in Israel, Peru’s ambassador, Manuel Cacho-Sousa, told local media.
Brazilian authorities announced the death of Ranani Nidejelski Glazer, a Brazilian citizen whose girlfriend, Rafaela Treistman, said they were attending the Nova music festival on Saturday when Hamas attacked.
The couple took refuge in a nearby bunker with other fellow festivalgoers when “gas bombs” started being thrown inside the shelter, Treistman told CNN Brasil.
Treistman said she lost track of her boyfriend because the gas left her disoriented and caused her to “faint a lot.”
Treistman and another friend were rescued by police, she said, but they couldn’t find Glazer.
Authorities in Panama separately announced Monday that a Panamanian woman who was previously missing had been found.
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First US Fed official addresses the war in Israel and its impact on global economy
From CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald
Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic addressed the war in Israel Tuesday, marking the first US central bank official to acknowledge the conflict that began over the weekend.
Speaking at the American Bankers Association’s annual conference on Tuesday, Bostic said, “My heart goes out to everyone who has been adversely affected by that situation,” adding, “it’s really troublesome.”
With regard to how the conflict will impact both the US and the global economy, Bostic said:
Bostic did not speak about the impact the war has had on energy prices. On Monday, oil prices climbed 4% over fears that the unprecedented weekend attack on Israel by Hamas could escalate into a regional conflict embroiling oil-producing nations. That could translate into higher gas prices consumers pay at the pump and cause a spike in inflation.
But Bostic said, “I don’t think we need to increase rates any more.”
Bostic does not vote on Fed interest rate decisions this year, due to the structure of the Fed system.
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Here's what you need to know about the Iron Dome — Israel's defense system
From CNN's Joshua Berlinger, Lou Robinson, Rachel Wilson and Will Mullery
The Iron Dome anti-missile system fires an interceptor missile as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel on August 6, 2022.
Ilia Yefimovich/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
As thousands of rockets have rained down on Israel, the country has been relying once again on the Iron Dome system to protect its citizens.
The missile defense system is one of the most important tools in Israel’s arsenal and has saved countless civilian lives over various conflicts in the last decade, analysts say. It is highly effective.The Israel Defense Forces said the system boasted a 95.6% success rate during a rocket salvo fired by Islamic Jihad in May.
The Iron Dome is designed to shoot down incoming projectiles. It is equipped with a radar that detects rockets and then uses a command-and-control system that quickly calculates whether an incoming projectile poses a threat or is likely to hit an unpopulated area. If the rocket does pose a threat, the Iron Dome fires missiles from the ground to destroy in the air.
Here’s how it works:
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Germany launches investigation into Hamas after attack on Israel
From CNN's Inke Kappeler
Germany’s federal prosecutor is investigating this weekend’s attacks on Israel by Hamas, during which the group took a number of hostages, several of whom are believed to be German nationals.
German authorities are assuming, according to a Foreign Office spokesperson, that nationals with dual German and Israeli citizenship were “among those kidnapped by Hamas.“
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Huge barrage of rockets fired from Gaza
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman
A salvo of rockets is fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza towards Israel on October 10.
Mahmud Ham/AFP/Getty Images
A huge barrage of rockets were fired from Gaza.
Hamas said it fired hundreds of rockets on Ashkelon in “response to the displacement of civilians in Gaza,” a statement on Telegram said.
This comes after a Hamas spokesperson issued a warning to the residents of the southern Israeli city to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time.
A video shared by Hamas showed rockets flying through the sky with people taking cover on the side of the road in Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said sirens were sounded in area surrounding the Gaza Strip.
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Parents of 23-year-old American missing in Israel describe his heroic efforts in bunker at the music festival
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
Hersh Goldberg-Polin
courtesy Goldberg-Polin family
The parents of 23-year-old American Hersh Goldberg-Polin are holding on to hope for their wounded son who was at the Nova music festival in Israel Saturday when Hamas attacked and began taking hostages.
Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin told CNN that they last heard from their son Saturday morning, receiving two WhatsApp messages in the same minute, “I love you.” and “I’m sorry.”
Goldberg immediately tried to call him, and said, “it just rang and rang.”
She sent follow-up messages.
They say the police told them around 12:45 p.m. local time Saturday afternoon that their son’s phone signal was on the Gaza border.
Since then, they said they are learning more about their son’s heroism. A firsthand account from a young woman who was in the bunker with Goldberg-Polin when Hamas attacked said he helped to throw grenades out of a bunker before getting his arm blown off from the elbow down.
He was physically wounded with a severe injury and shell-shocked, not really understanding what was happening, the parents added.
The young woman told the parents that Goldberg-Polin “stood up, didn’t lose consciousness — he was very calm, he was not screaming and he walked out with his tourniquet-ed arm,” the Goldberg explained.
The parents urged the US government and other leaders to rescue and treat their son and other hostages. The family was born in the US but made Aliyah and moved to Israel in 2008. One of Israel’s foundational laws is the right of any Jew in the world to make “aliyah” and immigrate to Israel. The family still has American citizenship.
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International humanitarian law prohibits a siege of Gaza, UN human rights commissioner says
From CNN's Eve Brennan
Ravina Shamdasani speaks at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 7, 2018.
Violaine Martin/UN Photo
The imposition of sieges that endanger civilians by depriving them of essential goods “is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), said Tuesday.
Shamdasani’s comments come a day after Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, saying he would halt the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel to the Palestinian enclave following Hamas’ devastating surprise attack over the weekend.
Laerke said Tuesday the decision to cut off the water supply to Gaza affects more than 610,000 people and “will result in severe shortage of drinking water.”
“We remain extremely alarmed by these rapidly escalating events,” said Laerke, adding that displacement across the Gaza Strip has reached more than 187,500 people since Saturday.
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Israel death toll rises to more than 1,000 in Hamas attacks, Israeli embassy in US says
From CNN's Lindsay Isaac and Richard Allen Greene
Israeli forces extract the dead bodies of Israeli residents from a destroyed house in Kfar Aza, Israel, on October 10.
Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance/Getty Images
More than 1,000 people were killed in an attack by Hamas on Israel over the weekend, according to the Israeli Embassy in the US.
The death toll now stands at 1,008, with at least 3,418 injured, the embassy said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The Israel Defense Forces has said it “cannot confirm or deny” these reports from the embassy. An IDF spokesperson told CNN that it is aware of over 900 deaths.
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IDF says its jets struck more than 100 “targets” in Al-Furqan area in Gaza on Tuesday
From Lauren Izso in Ashdod
Israeli jets have struck more than 100 “targets” in the Al-Furqan area in Gaza on Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Over the past day, the IDF has struck over 250 targets in the area, it added.
The defense forces said it also struck in the Rafah area, including an underground tunnel used for “smuggling weapons and equipment.”
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The only crossing available to fleeing Gazans was struck
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi in Jerusalem
Smoke billows from the Rafah, Gaza, border crossing with Egypt during an Israeli airstrike on October 10.
Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
The only border crossing between the Gaza strip and Egypt was struck on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Interior Ministry Eyad al-Bozom said Tuesday.
Israeli warplanes struck the gateway and teams working at the crossing were asked to evacuate “immediately due to threats of strikes of the crossing,” al-Bozom said Tuesday.
The order came from the management of the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian side, Bozom said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not say that the border crossing was struck but said that an underground tunnel for smuggling weapons and equipment was struck in the Rafah area. It’s unclear where exactly the strike occurred.
The Rafah crossing was working normally on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Border Crossing General Authority, adding that 75 names had been cleared for passage on Wednesday.
About the Gaza border crossings: The tightly controlled Rafah crossing with Egypt is the only crossing available to Gazans looking to flee following Hamas’ attack on Israel. All crossings out of the territory are shut.
The IDF has urged civilians in Gaza to leave their residential areas immediately for their safety as Israeli military operations continue to target Hamas, and shut all crossings between Israel and Gaza, potentially setting the stage for a ground incursion into the enclave.
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Biden expected to speak with Netanyahu on Tuesday
From CNN's Arlette Saenz
US President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, an administration official says.
The anticipated call would mark the third call between the two leaders since Hamas launched its attacks on Israel on Saturday and would come as the president is set to speak about the “terrorist attacks” Tuesday afternoon.
Netanyahu has been in “continuous contact with President Biden” as the crisis has unfolded, the Israeli prime minister said Monday.
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Putin criticizes US policy in first comments on Israeli-Hamas conflict
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first comments on the conflict in Israeli, framing it as a “clear example” of the failure of the US policy.
“We see a sharp escalation of the situation in the Middle East. I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failure of the United States policy in the Middle East, which tried to monopolize any settlement (between the Israelis and the Palestinians),” Putin said at the Kremlin on Tuesday.
Putin went on to criticize the US approach for not prioritizing compromises acceptable to both sides, emphasizing that it often involved imposing ideas and pressure without considering the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people.
“Unfortunately, they (the US administration) were not concerned with finding compromises acceptable to both sides, but on the contrary, (they were) putting forward their own ideas about how this should be done, putting pressure on both sides,” Putin said.
“Without taking into account the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people. I mean, first of all, the need to implement the decision of the UN Security Council on the creation of an independent sovereign Palestinian state,” he added.
Putin also emphasized the need to minimize damage to the civilian population and called on all conflicting parties to prioritize this goal.
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Two foreign workers killed in rocket attack in southern Israel, volunteer medic group says
From CNN's Amil Tal
Two foreign workers were killed and another seriously injured in a rocket attack Tuesday in the Eshkol region in southern Israel, according to United Hatzalah, a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) group.
The nationalities of the foreign workers are not immediately clear.
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Hamas warns Ashkelon residents to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman in Gaza
A Hamas spokesperson on Tuesday issued a warning to the residents of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time.
The warning is in response to the “crime of displacing our people and forcing them to flee their homes” in the Gaza strip, the spokesperson said.
No further details were provided in the statement, which was shared by Hamas on Telegram.
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Sirens, then loud bangs rock through Ashdod
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Ashdod, Israel
A bomb shelter in Ashdod, Israel, on October 10.
Ivana Kottasova
Air raid sirens warning of a rocket attack have sounded throughout the area north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon, prompting residents and visitors to rush to the shelters.
People here know that time is of essence — while those in Tel Aviv and areas further north have a bit more time to find a shelter, people near the Gaza Strip have mere seconds to run to safety.
Shortly after the sirens sounded, several loud bangs could be heard in Ashdod, as rockets fired from Gaza were being intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
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It's the fourth day of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Here's what you need to know today
From CNN staff
It’s the fourth day of fighting between Israel and Hamas since the Islamist militant group carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel’s history, killing at least 900 people. Israel has responded with an overwhelming number of airstrikes on Gaza, the 140 square-mile densely populated territory controlled by Hamas, leaving at least 765 people dead, wounding 4,000 and displacing more than 137,000.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations told CNN that the country’s priority is “to obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities. Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched another 200 strikes targeting “terror hubs.” Hamas is threatening to kill civilian hostages and broadcast the executions live should the aerial attacks continue without warning. The group claims to be holding more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers. Israel’s UN ambassador said the number of hostages could be as high as 150.
Here are the developments to get you up to speed:
Bloodbath at Be’eri: More than 100 bodies have been found in the Israeli kibbutz Be’eri, a self-sustaining farming community of 1,000 residents near Gaza. Be’eri was one of the first places targeted by militants who breached the border early Saturday morning, and among the hardest hit. Civilians there were killed and taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities and videos obtained and authenticated by CNN.
More foreign victims:More foreign nationals were reported dead on Tuesday, including citizens of France, Russia and Thailand.
Bodies of attackers: The IDF said it has recovered the bodies of about 1,500 Hamas militants since the group’s surprise blitz early Saturday.
Control at the border: Hecht, the IDF spokesperson, said Tuesday that the Israeli military had “more or less” restored full control over the border fence with Gaza following the breach over the weekend. A huge buildup of tanks was apparent close to the border with Gaza, while Israel continued its barrage of airstrikes. Hecht said Israeli forces have secured communities around the border and have nearly completed evacuations in the area. He added that there were two small firefights overnight in a pair of communities. The focus is now on airstrikes and the forthcoming offensive in Gaza, Hecht said.
Fearing the worst: Some Israeli parents are being told to remove social media from their children’s phones in case Hamas carries through with its threat to broadcast hostage videos.
On the ground: In a new season of CNN’s “Tug of War” podcast, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson brings us the latest on the conflict from his position just two miles from the Israeli border with Gaza.
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Air raid sirens sound in Israel
Air raid sirens are going off in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas as well as in the city of Ashdod, CNN teams report.
A CNN team in Tel Aviv has been moved to shelter, according to a field producer.
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US is taking the possibility of American hostages "seriously," National Security Council says
From CNN's Betsy Klein
The US is still not aware of any American citizens taken hostage by Hamas, but concerns remain “high” as US President Joe Biden’s administration offers Israel assistance, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby told CNN Tuesday.
Pressed on what lengths the US is willing to go to bring possible American hostages home, Kirby said the administration will “work with might and main,” but declined to speculate.
“We don’t know if there are Americans in this population, we don’t know where they are, we don’t know how they’re being held, and it’s an active warzone – so that complicates the options. But clearly, we’re going to do everything we can to help with this hostage crisis, with or without Americans being in the population,” he said.
Kirby also declined to say whether the Biden administration has issued any warnings to Israel as it mounts its response.
There is still “no direct evidence” that Iran was involved in the sourcing or planning of these attacks, Kirby reiterated, though he said there is a “level of complicity.”
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Israeli general describes moment his soldiers found dead bodies in kibbutz attacked by Hamas
From CNN’s Nic Robertson, Muhammad Darwish and Martin Goillandeau
Israeli soldiers carry the body of a victim of an attack at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel, on October 10.
Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
Just a few hours after Israeli troops secured the Kfar Aza kibbutz from Hamas militants, Major Gen. Itai Veruv reflected on what he saw — although he has “the skills” to prepare for this sort of situation from his many years of experience, he had never imagined anything like this could happen.
Veruv couldn’t confirm how many people were killed in the attack but said his soldiers spent “about 48 hours” fighting “waves and waves of terrorists” on roads and in neighboring communities.
Veruv said he started fighting Hamas militants in the Yakhini moshav (community) on Saturday, moving then “from battle to battle,” on the road to Sderot, before joining the Be’eri kibbutz on Monday evening.
In Be’eri, he said he saw that “some people came out with their children and [Hamas attackers] killed them. They killed babies in front of their parents and then killed the parents. They killed parents and we found babies between the dogs and their families killed before him.”
Thinking about what he saw in Kfar Aza kibbutz, just a few miles from Be’eri, he said, “I have heard during my childhood about the pogroms in Europe, the Holocaust, of course. All my family came from Europe, they are survivors. But I never thought I would see in my eyes pictures and things like that”
Yet, Veruv said it was “not a time for feelings.”
“Now is time for the mission and to be very effective and very strong,” he said. “Maybe later, we will take time to think about ourself and our soul. Now, I only want to fight in defense and attack.”
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Red Cross calls for hostages to be "released unharmed"
From CNN’s Caitlin Danaher in London
The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC, Mirjana Spoljaric, sits for a portrait in the organisation's office in New York, US, on May 22.
Alessandro Della Valle/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The violence in Israel and Gaza has the “potential to escalate dramatically,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned in a statement on Tuesday, as the organization’s president called for the safe release of hostages.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric was quoted in the statement calling for all hostages to be “immediately released unharmed” in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Additionally, authorities must ensure civilians have access to water, food, and medical care, “irrespective of any military siege,” Spoljaric said.
“ICRC teams are working closely with the Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to assist those who are wounded or sick and in need,” she said, noting her organization had sent medical supplies to a hospital in Gaza.
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A second Russian national has been reported dead in the Hamas attack
From CNN's Anna Chernova
At least two Russian citizens have now been confirmed killed in the attack by Hamas on Saturday, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov said on Russian television.
Viktorov added that the embassy has not yet contacted the relatives of the latest victim. He previously told the state-run Channel One television station that the first person reported dead was a “young man” with dual Israeli-Russian citizenship.
Russian state media RIA Novosti has reported that one of the duo is a 47-year-old Russian citizen born in the Kaliningrad region, who moved to Israel in 1992.
Four Russians are listed as missing, but Russia’s diplomatic mission in Israel has no information on whether its citizens are being held hostage by Hamas, Viktorov added.
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Kremlin comments on Chechen leader Kadyrov’s statement on supporting Palestinians
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
After Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov expressed support for the Palestinians, the Kremlin said that Russia maintains diplomatic ties with both sides in the conflict.
When questioned about the nature of Russia’s support for Palestinians, Peskov said Moscow is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts and participating in various formats seeking grounds for a settlement. “We intend to continue to make efforts and play a role in terms of assistance in finding a way to a settlement,” he said Tuesday.
Peskov added that the dates for an announced visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Moscow have not been finalized but said the visit had been planned in advance.
In a video posted Monday, Kadyrov expressed “complete support” for the Palestinians and suggested the deployment of his “peacemaking” forces on a mission to settle the conflict in Israel. Kadyrov also called on “Islamic, Muslim and Arabic countries to make a joint statement in protection of their Muslim brothers” and blamed the West and Europe for the conflict in Israel.
Earlier Monday, Peskov voiced significant concern over the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and called for a peaceful resolution.
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French president says there's no "formal proof" of Iranian involvement in Hamas attacks
From CNN’s Joseph Ataman in Paris
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron speak at a news conference after a joint cabinet meeting of the German and French governments in Hamburg on Tuesday.
Markus Schreiber/AP
French President Emmanuel Macron said that he has no “formal proof” of Iranian support for Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
Speaking Tuesday at a news conference in Hamburg alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Macron said it was, however, “likely that Hamas was offered help.”
What others are saying about Iran: The scale and sophistication of the Hamas incursion into Israel Saturday prompted questions about whether the militant group could have done it alone.
US security officials have struck a similar tone as Macron. Deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said there is no “direct information” linking these attacks to Iran at this time, but that the United States believes Iran is “broadly complicit” in Hamas attacks in Israel.
On aid to Gaza: Macron also said that Paris is “not in favor of a suspension” of aid to Palestinian populations, echoing a statement made by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier Tuesday. He said that France had already put in place measures to ensure that aid to Palestinian populations in the occupied territories and neighboring countries does not go to terror groups.
“We must not confuse the struggle against terrorism with the most basic human rights,” the French president urged as it would risk an increase in “popular support” for terrorist acts in the region.
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Gaza death toll reaches 765, with 4,000 injured
From CNN's Mostafa Salem in Abu Dhabi
The death toll in Gaza has risen to 765, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said Tuesday, adding that 4,000 other people have been injured.
Internet disruptions are affecting the death toll updates, the health ministry said.
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Israeli parents told to remove social media from kids' phones ahead of possible hostage videos
From CNN's Elliott Gotkine
Some Israeli parents are being told to remove social media from their children’s phones before Hamas militants start the expected broadcasting of video of hostages taken over the weekend.
A Tel Aviv school’s parent’s association has said that it has been told to expect the video of hostages “begging for their lives.”
In a message to parents, it asked them to remove the TikTok app in particular from their children’s phones.
Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers.
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Around 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants have been found inside Israel
From CNN's Ana Bickford
The bodies of approximately 1,500 Hamas attackers have been recovered inside Israel since the Islamist group’s surprise attack early Sunday, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Tuesday.
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4 French citizens have been reported dead
From CNN’s Joshua Berlinger and Joseph Ataman in Paris
Four French citizens were among those killed in the Hamas attacks in Israel, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday.
Thirteen more are also missing, and the ministry has no information on their whereabouts. The statement said the situation is “very worrying” as some of those unaccounted for have “very probably been kidnapped.”
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Evidence suggests gunmen at music festival threw grenade into bomb shelter
From CNN's Nic Robertson in Ashdod, Israel
An aerial picture shows the abandoned site of the music festival in the Negev desert, southern Israel, on October 10.
Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
The bullet holes and empty shell casings littered inside a bomb shelter near the music festival attacked on Saturday indicate that Hamas militants threw a grenade and opened fire at civilians sheltering inside, according to a weapons expert.
CNN visited the bomb shelter on Monday and saw a number of empty shell casings on the floor, in addition to bullet holes high up on the walls. The military expert who accompanied CNN in the shelter concluded that the location of the holes, in addition to their height, pattern and size, were caused by gunfire.
CNN is not naming the weapons expert because the individual is in a conflict zone in Israel.
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Iran's Supreme Leader says Tehran was not involved in the Hamas attack on Israel
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem in Abu Dhabi
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran was not involved in the Hamas attack on Israel, but he praised the assault that left more than 900 people dead.
Some context: The scale and sophistication of the Hamas incursion into Israel Saturday prompted questions about whether the militant group could have done it alone.
United States deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said there is no “direct information” linking these attacks to Iran at this time, but that the US believes Iran is “broadly complicit” in Hamas attacks in Israel.
Read more about Hamas and Iran’s relationship here:
Hamas has fired rockets targeting two kibbutzim in southern Israel, Zikim and Ra’im, the group said on social media.
What’s a kibbutz?: A kibbutz is a type of self-sustaining community in Israel. Traditionally agrarian, the kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) were popular in the country’s early years, but today about 125,000 people live on them, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel. There are approximately 250 kibbutzim across the country.
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More than 120 Israeli soldiers died in the Hamas attacks
From journalist Lauren Izso in Ashdod, Israel
At least 123 Israeli soldiers were killed in the attacks by Hamas that began early Saturday, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.
Hagari added that the families of 50 Israeli hostages have been contacted by security forces. Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers.
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The Israeli military is responding to report of suspected aerial infiltration in the country's north
From journalist Lauren Izso in Ashdod, Israel
Israeli soldiers kneel in position on patrol in northern Israel on October 10.
Lisi Niesner/Reuters
The Israel Defense Forces are conducting searches following a report of a suspected aerial infiltration in the northern areas of the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee, near Syria and Lebanon, it said in a statement.
Israel has warned hostile neighbors against trying to take advantage of Saturday’s attack with the military squarely focused on Gaza in the south.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah appeared to try to do just that over the weekend, targeting an area known as Shebaa Farms using missiles and artillery.
Some context: Lebanon and Israel are considered enemy states, but a truce between the two has largely held since a conflict between them in 2006. There have been several small-scale rocket attacks from Lebanon in recent years that have prompted retaliatory strikes from Israel.
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France is "not in favor" of suspending EU aid to the Palestinian people
From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau in London
France is “not in favor of suspending aid that directly benefits the Palestinian people,” the French foreign ministry said Tuesday.
France provided 95 million euros ($100m) worth of support to Palestinians in 2022, focusing on “water, health, food security and education.”
The statement said the ministry made its position clear to the European Commission following comments from a commission official that the European Union aid payments to Palestinians would be suspended following Hamas’ attack.
The EU later backtracked and said payments would not be halted, but was launching an “urgent review of the EU’s assistance for Palestine.” The review will not affect assistance provided by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
CNN’s James Frater and Radina Gigova contributed to this post
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Israeli forces target Hamas "terror hubs" in hundreds of Gaza airstrikes
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová and Lauren Izso in Ashdod, Israel
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza on Tuesday.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
The rolling thunder of explosions reverberated throughout the area around Gaza on Tuesday morning as the Israel Defense Forces carried out heavy bombardment against the enclave.
The strikes continued throughout the night and into the morning, with multiple fighter jets heard flying over the area.
The IDF said in a statement that its planes struck over 200 targets in Rimal and Khan Yunis in Gaza, claiming the areas “are used as terror hubs” by Hamas and that “a large number of terror attacks against Israel are directed there.”
The IDF said it was committed to “making sure Hamas doesn’t have any military capabilities at the end of the war.”
While the IDF said it was focusing on strikes against Hamas targets, the nature of Gaza — a narrow, densely populated strip of land completely sealed off from the outside world — means civilians, including children, are often caught up in the strikes.
On Tuesday, the Hamas-controlled Government Media Office added that two local journalists were killed and another injured in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in western Gaza.
The IDF strikes are even more complicated given that a number of hostages are being held by Hamas.
Israeli authorities believe women and children are among up to 150 hostages in Gaza, the country’s UN ambassador said. Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers.
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US supports Israel's defense against "Hamas' terrorist attack," Blinken says
From CNN's Andrea Cambron
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Monday to discuss support for Israel as it “defends itself against Hamas’ terrorist attack,” according to a readout of the call.
Blinken extended condolences to the foreign minister and reaffirmed US efforts to secure the release of hostages captured by Hamas militants.
The hostages include Israelis and foreign citizens including Brazilian and Mexicans. On Monday, President Joe Biden said in a statement it was “likely” that American citizens may be among those being held captive.
Blinken also spoke to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, according to a separate readout, and welcomed French and European efforts “toward our shared goal of ending Hamas’ violence.”
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Thai death toll rises following Israel attacks
From CNN's Kocha Olarn in Bangkok, Thailand
The number of Thai nationals killed in Israel has risen to 18, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
It also clarified that nine people have been injured, revising its earlier figure of 15.
So far, 11 Thai nationals are also believed to have been captured, with their whereabouts unknown, the ministry said.
Thai embassies in various locations are working to reach out to the Palestinian Authority to request their release.
Thailand’s foreign minister has also spoken to his Israeli counterpart, who expressed condolences for the deaths of Thai citizens, the ministry said. Compensation will be provided to the families of Thai victims, the ministry added.
Return to Thailand: At least 15 Thai nationals, including some of the injured, are scheduled to leave Israel on Wednesday to return to Thailand.
The group will return through commercial flights, as Thai military aircraft have not received permission to enter Israeli airspace, the Thai foreign minister said.
There are approximately 30,000 Thai workers in Israel, according to the ministry. As of Monday, more than 1,000 Thai workers have requested help with evacuation.
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Here's what you need to know about Iran's relationship with Hamas
From CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim
The scale and sophistication of the Hamas incursion into Israel Saturday prompted questions about whether the militant group could have done it alone — and if it had help, whether that could have come from its longtime backer in the region, Iran.
While Tehran has commended the operation, it has denied involvement. US deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said there is no “direct information” linking these attacks to Iran at this time, but that the US believes Iran is “broadly complicit” in Hamas attacks in Israel.
Yet Iran’s evolving relationship with Hamas and its Palestinian militant partners, the Islamic Jihad, is well documented.
Here’s what you need to know:
An ambiguous and evolving alliance: Hamas turned against Iran for several years over its support for Syria’s dictator President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s civil war. Ultimately it returned to Tehran’s orbit, and has been openly communicating with Iran and its paramilitary allies about its militant goals.
Funding: Israel says Iran supports Hamas to the tune of some $100 million dollars a year. The US State Department in 2021 said the group receives funding, weapons and training from Iran, as well as some funds that are raised in Gulf Arab countries.
Regional coordination: Iran’s paramilitary allies in the region — namely Lebanon’s Shia armed group Hezbollah — have repeatedly boasted about an ironclad security coordination with Palestinian Islamist groups. (Much of the Western world and some Arab countries consider Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad to be terrorist groups.)
CNN’s Betsy Klein, MJ Lee, Jim Sciutto and Pamela Brown contributed reporting.
Taking hostages is a "crime against humanity," father of missing Israeli woman says
From CNN's Jadyn Sham
Tomer Shalom, an Israeli citizen whose 20-year-old daughter has been missing since the weekend, said the capture of hostages by Hamas militants is a “crime against humanity.”
Shalom told CNN his daughter, Noam, called him frightened and crying at around 8:30am on Saturday from a music festival in southern Israel after Hamas militants stormed the event.
He heard gunshots over the phone, he said.
At least 260 people died in the festival attack and an unknown number of revelers were taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
Shalom said his daughter, a paramedic, spoke to a friend on the phone around 9:15am on Saturday from an ambulance where another friend was being treated for a gunshot wound.
It’s the last time anyone heard from her, he said.
“Fragile” situation: Israeli authorities believe women and children are among up to 150 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, according to the country’s UN ambassador. Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces are pounding Gaza from the air after Hamas threatened to kill civilian hostages and broadcast the executions if airstrikes target the enclave without warning.
Shalom said the situation is “very fragile.”
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Killing Gaza hostages "will not make things better," IDF warns Hamas
From CNN's Richard Allen Greene and Alex Stambaugh
Killing hostages “will not make things better,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said Tuesday, a day after Hamas militants threatened to execute civilian captives if Israel targets Gaza without warning.
Israeli authorities believe women and children are among up to 150 hostages being held by Islamist militants in Gaza, according to the country’s UN ambassador. Hamas has claimed it is holding more than 100 captives, including high-ranking Israeli army officers.
Dozens of Israeli fighter jets struck more than 200 targets in Gaza overnight, the IDF said in a statement Tuesday.
The bombings have killed at least 687 people, including dozens of children and women, and left thousands injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
More than 137,000 people are taking cover from Israeli strikes at UN emergency shelters in Gaza. The shelters are at 90% capacity, the UN relief agency said.
Hecht said Tuesday that the IDF was sending some warnings before bombing targets, including via social media and warning shots.
Asked if the IDF was distinguishing between civilian, governmental and military targets, Hecht said the distinction was not so simple.
“In buildings where people are living there could be a weapons store… there could be a Hamas kingpin living there,” he said.
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How did Israel and Palestinians get here?
From CNN's Hadas Gold, Richard Allen Greene, Amir Tal, Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman, Kareem Khaddar and Nadeen Ebrahim
Israeli soldiers celebrate the capture of Old Jerusalem in June,1967.
Bettmanm Archive/Getty Images
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have existed since before the nation’s founding in 1948. Thousands of people on both sides have been killed and many more injured in the long-simmering conflict between the two sides over the past few decades.
Violence has been particularly heightened this year. The number of Palestinians — militants and civilians — killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces is at its highest in nearly two decades. The same is true of Israelis and foreigners — most of them civilians — killed in Palestinian attacks.
Israel and the militant group Hamas have been involved in armed conflict dating back as early as the 1987 First Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, against Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Israel captured Gaza from Egypt in a 1967 war, then withdrew in 2005. The small territory — home to some 2 million Palestinians — fell under Hamas’ control in 2007 after a brief civil war with Fatah, a rival Palestinian faction that is the backbone of the Palestinian Authority.
After Hamas seized control of Gaza, Israel and Egypt imposed a strict siege on the territory, which is ongoing. Israel also maintains an air and naval blockade on Gaza.
Before Saturday’s operation, the last war between Hamas and Israel was in 2021, which lasted for 11 days and killed at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel.
Saturday’s assault occurred on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 war, when Israel’s Arab neighbors launched a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on October 6, 1973.
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IDF strikes more than 200 targets in Gaza overnight
From journalist Lauren Izso in Ashdod
Palestinians inspect the destruction from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's al-Rimal neighbourhood early on October 10.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
Dozens of Israeli fighter jets struck more than 200 targets in Gaza overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Tuesday.
The targets were in the Rimal and Khan Yunis neighborhoods in the densely populated coastal enclave, where the IDF claimed a number of attacks against Israel were directed from.
The IDF said it struck an Islamic Jihad terror infrastructure in Khan Yunis, a weapons storage site of Hamas militants located inside a mosque, and “operational terror infrastructure used by Hamas terror operatives,” among other targets.
The fighter jets also struck a number of “operational residences” belonging to Hamas operatives, as well as a Hamas operational command center located inside a mosque, the IDF said.
So far, the bombings have killed at least 687 people, including dozens of children and women, and left thousands injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
A major Israeli offensive such as a ground incursion into Gaza is widely anticipated though the full scale of the Israeli response remains unclear.
"The house and living room were filled with bullets": Survivors recount horror of Hamas attack
From CNN's Becky Anderson and Zeena Saifi
Members of an Israeli family who survived a Hamas attack on their home have described the terror unleashed by the Islamist militants during their unprecedented assault in southern Israel on Saturday.
The Shindler family’s home in the kibbutz of Kerem Shalom is located mere steps away from where militants bulldozed through the Gaza border as they launched a killing spree against civilians.
“They woke us up at 6:30, ‘red alert,’” mother of six young children, Revital Shindler, told CNN. “We went to the bathroom. We started hearing shots from everywhere, and the house and living room were filled with bullets.
“My husband heard noises in Arabic in the house. He immediately went into the safe room and held the door handle so that nobody could get in. They screamed at us ‘we are IDF soldiers, we want to come in.’
“We heard they had an Arabic accent, we said: ‘We are not opening the door,’ and there was a battle of shouting.”
She said the militants threw a grenade at the door, sending her husband, Amichai, flying through the air.
Amichai Shindler, 33, survived the blast and is recovering in hospital in Tel Aviv after one of his arms was amputated, his wife said.
It’s not the first time the family has experienced the pain of a terror attack. Over a decade ago, they lost Amichai’s 24-year-old brother, said his mother, Sagalit. He was shot by militants during a flare-up of tensions between Palestinians and Israelis.
“It brings me back 13 years ago, to cope with this massacre, this monstrosity. It’s just so difficult and sad,” she said.
Despite the horror of Saturday’s attack, the family said they remain positive and hoped those injured would pull through.
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IDF says it has "more or less" restored full control over border fence with Gaza
From CNN's Richard Greene in Jerusalem
Israeli forces patrol areas along the Israeli-Gaza border in Sa'ad on October 10.
Ilia Yefimovich/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have “more or less” restored full control over the border fence with Gaza, after it was breached by Hamas militants launching their surprise attack on Saturday, according to IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht.
Hecht said Israeli forces have secured communities around the border and have nearly completed evacuations in the area.
He added there were two small firefights overnight in the Sa’ad and Kissufim communities. “We are focusing our offensive in the Gaza Strip and our airstrikes,” he said.
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IDF adds "tens of thousands" of additional troops along border with Lebanon after deadly clash
From CNN's Nada Bashir
A convoy of Israeli armored vehicles drive on a road near Israel's border with Lebanon on Monday.
Ammar Awad/Reuters
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has amplified its presence along the border with Lebanon, adding tens of thousands of additional troops after clashes in the disputed region, according to IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus.
Some context: Lebanon and Israel are considered enemy states, but a truce between the two has largely held since a conflict between them in 2006.
There have been several small-scale rocket attacks in recent years from Lebanon that have prompted retaliatory strikes from Israel. Palestinian factions in Lebanon were believed to be behind those rocket attacks.
On Monday, the IDF said militants had infiltrated from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with a “number of armed suspects” killed and IDF troops searching the area. An IDF officer died after an “encounter” with the militants, Israeli hospital officials said.
From CNN's Hadas Gold, Richard Allen Greene, Amir Tal, Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman, Kareem Khaddar and Nadeen Ebrahim
Hamas members attend a funeral in Rafah, southern Gaza, on February 16, 2022.
Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
Hamas is an Islamist organization with a military wing that came into being in 1987, emerging out of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group that was founded in the late 1920s in Egypt.
The word “Hamas” is itself an acronym for “Harakat Al-Muqawama Al-Islamia” — Arabic for Islamic Resistance Movement.
The group, like most Palestinian factions and political parties, insists that Israel is an occupying power and that it is trying to liberate the Palestinian territories. It considers Israel an illegitimate state.
Its refusal to recognize Israel is one reason why it has rejected peace talks in the past. In 1993, it opposed the Oslo Accords, a peace pact between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The group presents itself as an alternative to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which has recognized Israel and has engaged in multiple failed peace initiatives with it. The PA is today led by Mahmoud Abbas and is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Hamas, meanwhile, controls the Gaza Strip, an enclave that is home to some 2 million Palestinians and is frequently the site of civilian casualties when fighting flares between militants and Israeli forces.
Hamas has over the years claimed many attacks on Israel and has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel. Israel accuses its archenemy Iran of backing Hamas.
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"We just kept on going": Israeli woman recalls escape with young children from deadly Gaza attack
From CNN’s Yong Xiong
An Israeli woman who survived a deadly Hamas attack on Monday recounted how the Islamist militants stormed her home, taking her and others captive and killing her friend.
Avital Alajem told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that she and her neighbor, Hayim Katsman, hid in a closet on Saturday when around eight Hamas militants bombed the door and began shooting — killing Katsman.
Alajem said she was dragged by militants alongside another friend’s two young children — Negev, 4, and baby Eshel, just 4 months — and forced to walk toward Gaza as her neighborhood was torched.
Alajem said that for reasons she doesn’t understand, the militants released her and the two children after crossing into Gaza.
Negev, whose foot was injured by shrapnel, had to crawl on the way home, she said.
Alajem was able to safely return the two children to their father, but their mother, Adi Kaaplon, is still missing, she said.
Hayim Katsman, her neighbor who was killed in the attack, “was a good soul in this world,” who “gave life to this planet, because he saved me and I was able to save two kids,” Alajem said.
Analysis: Deep and wide political shockwaves will result from Israel's war with Hamas
Analysis from CNN's Stephen Collinson
Israeli soldiers keep watch in Sderot, southern Israel, on Monday
Amir Cohen/Reuters
Cataclysmic events like the Hamas onslaught on Israel trigger profound political shocks and strategic transformations that no one could predict at the time.
The rocket attacks, hostage takings and mass killings inside Israel came as the global order was already at a pivot point, with the post-Cold War era swept away by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s superpower ascent.
The raw shock over what just happened — the scenes of gunned down civilians at an Israeli music festival, the wrenching accounts of families torn apart and the fierce first burst of Israeli reprisal attacks on Gaza — are transfixing the world.
But politics is never still for long. The sudden and bloody shattering of a rare interregnum of calm and hope for diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East is already shifting calculations in Israel, the United States, the Arab world and across the globe.
The Hamas assault has been compared to the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001 — as a comparatively low-tech assault on civilians that breached the homeland of a more powerful and sophisticated adversary, partly by defying the imagination of threat assessors in a complacent national security and political establishment.
The lesson of that historic trauma was that the political and military steps taken by American and other leaders when normal politics roared back to life did not just change the world through military action. They unleashed extraordinary political forces inside nations like the United States and Britain, creating conditions that are still influencing society and elections.
This may be where Israel finds itself now. The Jewish state is no stranger to rocket attacks from Gaza or Lebanon or bus and suicide bombings. But the Hamas invaders just shattered Israelis’ illusions of their own security more deeply than at any time since the Yom Kippur war in 1973 when Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked. This sense of emotional violation will condition Israel’s response in the days ahead and will influence how the rest of the world reacts to its fight-back.
Netanyahu says Israel will respond "like never before" after Hamas assault. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address on Monday.
GPO
The Israeli military would attack Hamas with a force “like never before,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed, as the conflict enters a fourth day following the Islamist militants’ devastating surprise attack in Israeli territory.
“As the Prime Minister of Israel, I tell you frankly, difficult days are still ahead of us,” he said in a televised address Monday.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza and said he would halt the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel to the Palestinian enclave.
Hours later, a spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing said it would begin killing civilian hostages and broadcasting the act if Israel targets Gaza without warning.
These are the key details you need to know:
Stunning attack: Hamas launched a surprise assault early Saturday, firing thousands of rockets and sending armed fighters into Israel. At least 900 people died — including more than 260 attending a music festival near the Gaza border. Thousands were wounded and dozens were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.
Americans killed: At least 11 US citizens have been confirmed killed in the Hamas attack, President Joe Biden said Monday, and White House officials are bracing for that number to grow. Twelve Thai citizens, 10 Nepalis, two Ukrainians, two French nationals and one British citizen are also among the dead, according to officials.
War declaration: Israel on Sunday formally declared war on Hamas in response to the attack and Israeli jets bombarded Gaza with airstrikes. Gaza’s health ministry said Monday the death toll has reached 687 people, including 140 children.
Hostages in Gaza: Israeli authorities believe up to 150 hostages are being held in Gaza as it lays siege to the enclave in an effort to “obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities,” Israel’s ambassador to the UN said late Monday. Hamas said Sunday more than 100 hostages are being held in Gaza, including high-ranking Israeli army officers. Videos on social media appeared to show militants capturing multiple civilians, including children. A White House official said the US believes Americans may be among those in captivity. On Monday, Hamas warned civilian hostages would be executed if Israel targets people in Gaza without warning.
Gaza under siege: More than 137,000 people are taking cover from Israeli strikes at UN emergency shelters in Gaza. The shelters are at 90% capacity, the UN relief agency said.
Security lapse? Questions remain over how the Israeli military and intelligence apparatus appeared to be caught off guard in one of the country’s worst security failures. Fighting between the two sides has surged in the past two years. The violence has been driven by frequent Israeli military raids in Palestinian towns and cities, which Israel has said are a necessary response to a rising number of attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis.
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Israeli officer dies in militant attack near Lebanon border
From CNN's Amir Tal
An Israel Defense Force (IDF) officer has died after being injured in an “encounter” with militants near the northern border with Lebanon, Israeli hospital officials said.
The 40-year-old officer from the northern Yanoach-Jat district was brought to the hospital in critical condition, the Galilee Medical Center said in a statement.
The IDF said the officer died after militants had infiltrated from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
The IDF later said there were “a number of launches from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory.”
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Up to 150 hostages in Gaza as Israel aims to "obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities," UN envoy says
From CNN's Alex Stambaugh
Israeli authorities believe up to 150 hostages are being held in Gaza as it lays siege to the enclave in an effort to “obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said late Monday.
Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said while authorities hoped those held captive would return home safely, their situation would not “prevent us from doing what we need to do in order to secure the future of Israel.”
Hamas has said civilian hostages would be executed and the killings broadcast if Israel targets people in Gaza without warning. The group claims to be holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers.
Erdan, the Israeli ambassador, told CNN Monday “we cannot restore security for the citizens of Israel if Hamas continues with its military buildup.”
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More than 137,000 people are taking cover at UN shelters in Gaza, relief agency says
From CNN's Hilary Whiteman
Palestinians fleeing Israeli airstrikes take refuge in a school run by the United Nations in Gaza City on Sunday.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said late Monday its emergency shelters in Gaza are at 90% capacity with more than 137,000 people taking cover from Israeli strikes.
The agency said 83 UNRWA schools have been turned into shelters.
It said that one UN school housing displaced families was “directly hit,” without giving further details. It’s unknown how many people were in the shelter at the time of the attack.
UNRWA also said they had been forced to close all 14 food distribution centers, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that “as a result half a million people have stopped receiving vital food aid.”
Israel has launched retaliatory strikes in Gaza after Hamas’ surprise attack over the weekend, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordering a “complete siege” of Gaza.
Governed by Hamas since 2007, the enclave is under strict siege by Egypt and Israel, which also maintains an air and naval blockade. It has been described by Human Rights Watch as the “world’s largest open-air prison.”
Gazans have seen Israeli strikes ravage the strip on several occasions since Israeli forces withdrew from the territory in 2005. Fighting regularly takes place between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
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CNN teams in southern Israel report hearing heavy explosions from Gaza
From CNN's Nic Robertson in Sderot, Israel and Clarissa Ward in Ashkelon, Israel
CNN teams on the ground in Israel have heard explosions in Gaza and heavy rumbles in the past hour, appearing to indicate further strikes.
Fighter jets were also heard flying above close to the border, according to CNN’s Nic Robertson in Sderot and Clarissa Ward in Ashkelon.
Robertson saw “big flashes in the sky” and “heard the sound of very, very heavy impact” coming from Gaza.
CNN teams could also hear drone activity and a helicopter flying near the border with Gaza.
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"Massacre" in Gaza as Israeli defense minister orders "complete siege" of enclave
From CNN's Hadas Gold, Eyad Kourdi, Jonny Hallam, Ibrahim Dahman, Helen Regan and Tara John
A ball of fire is seen over a buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday.
Sameh Rahmi/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the Israeli military would attack Hamas with a force “like never before,” as the militant group threatened to kill civilian hostages if airstrikes target Gaza without warning.
Following Hamas’ devastating surprise attack in Israeli territory over the weekend, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant on Monday also ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, and said he would halt the supply of electricity, food, water and fuel to the Palestinian enclave.
Gaza strikes: Airstrikes have beenIsrael’s primary retaliation measure within Gaza itself, with jets repeatedly pounding the heavily populated 140 square mile coastal strip, turning multiple buildings to rubble, displacing tens of thousands of people and sending waves of injured Palestinians to overwhelmed hospitals.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said it had been hitting Hamas, destroying around 800 targets and killing “hundreds” of fighters, wounding thousands and capturing scores of others.
Most of those arriving at hospitals in Gaza have sustained second- and third-degree burns and amputations, a spokesperson for the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza told Palestinian news outlet Shihab Agency on Monday. Many have also sustained shrapnel injuries, Ashraf al-Qidra said.
Those seeking hospital care are mainly women and children, al-Qidra said, adding that this is a “result of Israelis directly targeting residential houses and buildings.”
Access to medical care has been complicated by Israel cutting power to the territory, threatening the “lives of hundreds”of those injured, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said.
The ministry said later that all services at the only functioning hospital in Gaza’s Beit Hanoun neighborhood were suspended due to continuous Israeli airstrikes, blocking medical teams’ ability to enter or exit the building. Nine ambulances have been targeted since Saturday, the ministry added.
“Massacre” in refugee camps: Israeli airstrikes targeted the Shati and Jabalia refugee camps in Gaza on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry said, describing the assault as a “massacre against the entire neighborhood.”
The ministry said bodies were still being recovered after the strikes killed a “large number” of people. No death toll has been provided.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila urged the international community to stop “the aggression” against medical facilities and teams in Gaza.
Palestinian president urges UN to intervene against "Israeli aggression" in Gaza
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during the United Nations General Assembly on September 21.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images/FILE
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations to take immediate action against the continued “Israeli aggression” toward Palestinians.
Abbas made the remarks on a phone call with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, according to state news agency WAFA.
The Palestinian president emphasized the urgent need for medical and relief aid in Gaza, drawing attention to the looming humanitarian crisis. He urged the UN to “uphold its responsibilities as recognized by international legitimacy and ensure protection for the Palestinian people.”
In response to Abbas’s concerns, Guterres acknowledged the UN’s continued efforts to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza residents. He also said the UN is working with international stakeholders to curb the current escalation, WAFA reported.
The PA was established in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 1993 through the Oslo Accords, a peace pact between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). It stipulated the PLO give up armed resistance against Israel in return for promises of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
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"Difficult days" are still ahead for Israel, Netanyahu says
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Israel will overcome the sorrow unleashed by Hamas but “difficult days are still ahead of us,” the country’s leader said Monday.
“We lost entire families, sons and daughters, young and old,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised speech. “Together we will overcome and together we will win — only together.”
The Israeli military is going on the offense against Hamas with a force “like never before” and the images of destruction of Hamas strongholds in Gaza are “just the beginning,” he said.
“We grieve for our brothers and sisters whose blood was shed, and we are determined to win this war, to bring life, blessing and light to our people and our country,” he added.
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Hamas says it will not negotiate on the issue of hostages under Israeli fire
From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury
Hamas will not negotiate on the issue of hostages while under Israeli fire, a spokesperson said in a video statement Monday.
Abu Obaida added that al-Qassam Brigades are holding a very large number of hostages in detention sites — and that some had been killed.
At least four civilians were killed while in the custody of Hamas, just feet from where armed militants had been escorting them near the Gaza border, videos obtained and geolocated by CNN show.
“[Al-Aqsa flood] came after the Zionist tyranny reached its peak in the desecration of the blessed Al-Aqsa and the aggression against it and against our people everywhere,” Abu Obaida said, referring to the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, one of the most revered places in Islam and Judaism.
Israel killed hundreds and injured thousands of Palestinians over the past two years, yet still has a seat at the United Nations and receives weapons from the United States to kill children and destroy houses, he added.
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Israel is going on offense against Hamas with a force "like never before," Netanyahu says
From CNN's Radina Gigova
Israeli ammunition is seen in Sderot, Israel on Monday.
Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the Israeli military is going on the offense against Hamas with a force “like never before.”
The prime minister went on to thank US President Joe Biden and other world leaders for their support.
“I am in continuous contact with President Biden, and I would like to thank him again, on behalf of all the citizens of Israel, for the commitment of the US in words and deeds for the security of Israel,” he said. “Also, I want to thank many world leaders for your unprecedented support for Israel.”
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Hamas militants shot revelers at point-blank range, video shows
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Teele Rebane, Hilary Whiteman, Brad Lendon, Amanda Jackson and David Williams
Gaza militants who attacked an all-night music festival in southern Israel shot and killed revelers at point-blank range, then looted their belongings, car dashcam video verified by CNN reveals.
The video began circulating on social media on Sunday and — alongside footage of harrowing kidnappings from the same event — has been scrutinized by horrified families desperate for news of loved ones missing since a series of coordinated attacks triggered Israel’s declaration of war on Sunday.
Israeli officials counted at least 260 bodies near the site of the Nova festival, outside Re’im, where earlier footage showed carefree partygoers from Israel and overseas dancing in the desert soon after sunrise on Saturday.
Some survivors are among more than 100 hostages that the militant group Hamas claims to be holding in Gaza, according to friends and family members who have seen them in videos shared on social platforms.
The dashcam video verified by CNN gives a glimpse of the terror as militants took over the festival, preventing some partygoers from leaving with deadly force.
The first clip, begins at 9:23 a.m. according to its timecode, just under three hours after the first explosions were reported at the Nova festival.
The video has no audio, but a militant is seen yelling, then pointing his machine gun at a man taking cover next to the car. It’s unclear if the gunman is firing a warning shot, or if he’s just shot and injured the civilian, who is then seen being led away. His fate is unknown.
Hezbollah strikes Israel after 3 of its members killed in Israeli raid in southern Lebanon
From CNN's Mia Alberti and Hadas Gold
Hezbollah on Monday said three of its members died during an Israeli air raid in southern Lebanon, shortly before the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said there were “a number of launches from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory.”
Hezbollah — an Iran-backed group that is considered a terrorist organization by the US and much of the West — said in a statement that “groups of the Islamic Resistance” fired guided missiles onto Israel, targeting the Israeli army’s Pranit barracks and Avivim barracks, “as a result of the Israeli attack on Lebanese towns and villages” and the deaths of the group’s members.
Explosions were heard for several hours as Israel’s helicopters carried out an airstrike near its northern border with Lebanon. Several houses and shops were damaged, and some residents have fled to the city of Saida, about 60 kilometers from the border, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
A fire was also seen raging in one of the regions targeted by the raid, according to images broadcast in Lebanese media. The blaze was a result of Israeli phosphorus bombs, the NNA said. However, the IDF said it only used illumination flares and denied using phosphorus bombs.
The Lebanese army said the outskirts of Al-Dhaira and Aita Al-Shaab and other border areas were “subjected to air and artillery bombardment.” The army urged citizens to avoid the areas adjacent to the border.
