October 12, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

By Kathleen Magramo, Adam Renton, Christian Edwards, Ed Upright, Aditi Sangal, Dakin Andone, Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury, Christina Maxouris, Kaanita Iyer and Tori B. Powell, CNN

Updated 12:14 a.m. ET, October 13, 2023

What we covered here

Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepened Thursday with warnings people are at risk of starvation as Israel maintained a siege and bombarded targets in response to the Hamas terror attacks that killed more than 1,200 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said Hamas should be “crushed” and “spat out from the community of nations.”
Blinken vowed US support for Israel and likened Hamas’ crimes to ISIS. At least 25 Americans have been killed in Israel, he said. As part of the intensive shuttle diplomacy to prevent the conflict from expanding, the top US diplomat will meet with Palestinian and Jordanian leaders Friday.
At least 1,537 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The airstrikes have also displaced 338,000 people, the UN said. More than 2 million Palestinians live in the Hamas-run enclave, which has been under a land, sea and air blockade by Israel since 2007.
Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza.

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1:33 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

Gaza hospitals "risk turning into morgues," Red Cross warns

From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan

Palestinians rescue a young girl from the rubble of a destroyed residential building, following an Israeli airstrike, on October 10, 2023. Fatima Shbair/AP

Hospitals in Gaza "risk turning into morgues" as they lose power during Israel's bombardment of the enclave, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned on Thursday.

A humanitarian crisis is rapidly spiraling in Gaza, where aid agencies and health officials report hundreds of thousands have been displaced amid shortages of food, water and electricity — putting extra strain on medical facilities.

"As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk," ICRC regional director for the Near and Middle East, Fabrizio Carboni, said in a statement.

Gaza’s only power station has stopped working after running out of fuel, the head of the Gaza power authority told CNN on Wednesday. People in the enclave can still use power generators for electricity but with a blockade on all sides of the border, the fuel needed for the generators to work is running out, the official said.

Nearly 1,200 people have been killed in airstrikes in Gaza since Saturday, according to Palestinian health officials.

Hostages: Islamist militants are holding as many as 150 hostages in Gaza and Carboni said the Red Cross is in contact with Hamas and Israeli officials to address their release.

"As a neutral intermediary we stand ready to conduct humanitarian visits; facilitate communication between hostages and family members; and to facilitate any eventual release," Carboni said.

12:57 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

Trump criticizes Netanyahu and says Israel needs to "straighten it out" after Hamas attack

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Former US President Donald Trump speaks at Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on October 11, 2023. Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said Israel needed to "straighten it out" following attacks by Hamas militants.

Speaking at a campaign event in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump expressed sympathy for Israel, calling the country "a blessing to the world" and urging Israeli leaders to organize against Hamas.

“When I see sometimes the intelligence, you talk about the intelligence, or you talk about some of the things that went wrong over the last week, they've got to straighten it out because they're fighting potentially a very big force,” Trump said.

Trump also spoke at length about a 2020 US drone strike he ordered that killed a top Iranian military commander and claimed Netanyahu "let us down" by not assisting the US with that mission.

“I’ll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down. That was a very terrible thing, I will say that,” Trump said, claiming the Israeli leader "tried to take credit" for the operation after the fact.

Trump, the GOP front-runner for the 2024 US presidential election, also blamed the war in Israel on his political opponent President Joe Biden.

Biden on Saturday said his administration’s support of Israel’s security is "rock solid and unwavering."

12:48 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

Canada sends military aircraft to evacuate citizens from Israel

From CNN's Dave Alsup

Canada has sent military aircraft to assist in evacuating Canadians from Israel, authorities said Wednesday.

In a media briefing, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said two CC-150 Airbus aircraft were heading to Athens and authorities were working to shuttle Canadians from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport to the Greek capital.

At the same briefing, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said the flights are available to Canadian citizens, their spouses, and their children as well as to Canadian permanent residents, their spouses and their children. This includes those with dual citizenship.

At least two Canadian citizens were killed and a third is “presumed” dead in Israel amid the ongoing conflict, authorities said. At least three Canadians are missing.

Joly declined to say whether any of the three missing were considered hostages.

More than 4,200 Canadians are registered in Israel and an additional 475 Canadians are registered in Gaza and the West Bank, according to CNN Canadian news partner CTV News.

12:32 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

Here's how Hamas militants get their weapons

From CNN's Brad Lendon

The Hamas-ruled enclave of Gaza is a poor, densely populated area, with few resources.

The coastal enclave has been almost completely cut off from the rest of the world for nearly 17 years, when Hamas seized control, prompting Israel and Egypt to impose a strict siege on the territory, which is ongoing.

Israel also maintains an air and naval blockade on Gaza as well as a vast array of surveillance.

Which begs the question: How did Hamas amass the sheer amount of weaponry that enabled the group to pull off coordinated attacks that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and injured thousands more — while continuing to rain rocket fire down on Israel?

The answer, according to experts, is through a combination of guile, improvisation, tenacity and an important overseas benefactor.

Iran factor: “Hamas acquires its weapons through smuggling or local construction and receives some military support from Iran,” the CIA’s World Factbook says.

While the Israeli and US governments have yet to find any direct role by Iran in last weekend’s raids, experts say the Islamic Republic has long been Hamas’ main military supporter, smuggling weapons into the enclave through clandestine cross-border tunnels or boats that have escaped the Mediterranean blockade.

Recycling munitions: Gaza has none of the heavy industry that would support weapons production in most of the world. But among its main exports are scrap iron, which can provide material to make weapons in the tunnel network below the enclave.

When Gaza infrastructure has been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes, what’s left — sheet metal and metal pipes, rebar, electrical wiring — has found its way into Hamas’ weapon workshops, emerging as rocket tubes or other explosive devices, according to Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib in the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Fikra Forum in 2021.

Recycling unexploded Israel munitions for their explosive material and other parts adds to Hamas’ supply chain, Alkhatib wrote. “The IDF’s operation indirectly provided Hamas with materials that are otherwise strictly monitored or forbidden altogether in Gaza,” he wrote.

2:22 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

It's morning in Israel and Gaza. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Israel is "conducting a large-scale strike" on Hamas targets in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a social media post early Thursday, as the conflict enters a sixth day.

A humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding in Gaza as the enclave faces relentless Israeli airstrikes. The UN said Thursday more than 330,000 people have been displaced there since Israel began its bombardment.

Meantime, talks are underway to allow US and Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza through Egypt as a potential land invasion looms, a senior Israeli official said. Several other countries are sending flights to evacuate their citizens.

Nearly 1,200 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began airstrikes Saturday in response to Hamas' attacks on Israel, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said. Israel has reported at least 1,200 people have been killed since Saturday.

Here's what else you should know:

Troops gather: IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Wednesday Israel has amassed more than 300,000 reservists along its southern border — roughly the same number of reservists as the combined number across the entire US military. Asked whether an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza was imminent, Conricus told CNN he would not telegraph Israel’s intentions, adding: "All of Hamas' military capabilities need to be taken off the map."
Hostages latest: Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq told CNN it's too early to exchange Israeli hostages while Israel continues to strike Gaza. "We will only discuss this issue when the Israeli aggression against our people ends," he said. Hamas is holding as many as 150 people captive in Gaza, Israel’s UN ambassador said Monday. The US is working closely with Israel to get American hostages home safely, with FBI and Pentagon personnel on the ground providing support to Israeli special operators. Conricus, the IDF spokesperson, told CNN Israeli authorities think the hostages are being held underground.
Wartime cabinet: Israel has formed an emergency government in the wake of Hamas' surprise attacks on border communities. Former defense minister Benny Gantz will join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a wartime cabinet. "There is time for war and time for peace. This, now, is the time for war," Gantz said.
Hamas preparations: Islamist militants spent two years preparing the attack on Israel, a senior Hamas official based in Lebanon said. Ali Baraka, head of Hamas National Relations Abroad, said the group manufactured rockets, ammunition and firearms, according to an edited interview with Russia Today’s Arabic news channel RTArabic. Read more about where Hamas gets its arms.
Doubts over Iran involvement: Intelligence collected by the United States casts doubt on the idea that Tehran was directly involved in the planning, sourcing and approving of Hamas' attack on Israel, sources said. Though the intelligence community is not ready to reach a full conclusion, officials have pointed to Tehran's support for Hamas that would have helped them, even if not directly.
Saudi diplomacy: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia "is making unremitting efforts" to stop the escalation in the conflict, according to state-run SPA news. The prince also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a phone call with Iran’s President Ebrahim Rais — their first call since the countries renewed diplomatic ties, an Iranian presidential aide said.

12:19 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

More than 330,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment, UN says

From CNN's Abeer Salman & Kareem El Damanhoury

A man walks with mattresses through destruction in Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp on October 11, 2023. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

More than 330,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment of the enclave, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said early Thursday.

In a statement, OCHA further expressed its concerns over the damage of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Israel began a blockade of the densely populated enclave, cutting electricity, fuel, and water supplies.

"The cumulative number of displaced people increased by 30 percent over the past 24 hours, now totaling 338,934, of whom over two thirds are taking shelter in UNRWA schools," the statement read.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza earlier on Thursday said 600,000 people have no access to water and that some hospitals are relying on water from wells. The ministry added that the death toll in Gaza is nearing 1,200 since Saturday.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it is aiming to provide "a critical food lifeline to over 800,000 people."

10:03 p.m. ET, October 11, 2023

Senior Hamas official says it's too early to exchange Israeli hostages

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and journalist Ali Younes

Izzat al-Risheq, a senior Hamas official, told CNN Wednesday that it's too early to exchange Israeli hostages while Israel continues to strike Gaza.

"We will only discuss this issue when the Israeli aggression against our people ends," al-Risheq said from Doha, Qatar.

He also denied Hamas had any help from Iran or Lebanon's Hezbollah in executing or planning its large-scale surprise assault on Israel.

"I say it very clearly that this operation was a 100% Hamas operation without any help from any regional party," al-Risheq said.

Some background: Hamas fighters are holding as many as 150 people hostage in locations across Gaza following their raids on southern Israel on Saturday, Israel’s ambassador to the UN said Monday.

Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, said Monday that Hamas would start executing civilian hostages if Israel targeted people in Gaza without warning.

9:43 p.m. ET, October 11, 2023

Hostages held by Hamas are likely underground, IDF says

From CNN’s Josh Campbell and Larry Register

Israeli authorities think hostages taken by Hamas are being held underground, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Wednesday.

“Reason dictates that they are underground,” Conricus said. “Reason also dictates that Hamas, since they planned to launch this attack and they planned to take these people hostage, reason dictates that they planned in advance locations to hide these hostages and keep them safe from Israeli intelligence, and efforts to get them out.”

The situation with the hostages is an “extremely sensitive and complex topic,” Conricus said. Even though Israel has had “some experience” with hostage situations, they have never dealt with anything like this, he added.

“Not in the scope, not in the magnitude and not in the complexity of where our hostages are, Conricus said.

Potential ground invasion: When asked whether an Israeli ground invasion was imminent, Conricus said he would not telegraph Israel’s schedule or intentions in this conflict.

“It is clear and understandable that what needs to be done is that all of Hamas’ military capabilities need to be taken off the map. How that will happen, by what means, and what tactics, that is a few days in the future, maybe more than that.”

Hamas fighters are holding as many as 150 people hostage in locations across Gaza following their raids on southern Israel on Saturday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Monday.

Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, on Monday said Hamas would start executing civilian hostages if Israel targeted people in Gaza without warning.

12:22 a.m. ET, October 12, 2023

Israel airstrikes kill more than 50, injure hundreds, Palestinian health ministry says

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury

An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza, in southern Israel, on October 11, 2023. Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed at least 51 people and injured 281 others early Thursday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The casualties were in the residential areas of Zeitoun, Sabra, Al-Nafaq, and Tel al-Haw, it said.

Some of the victims are still under the rubble, according to Deputy Health Minister Yousef Abu Al-Rish, who accused Israeli forces of intending "to cause as much damage and destruction, hence destroying entire residential areas.”

The death toll in Gaza since Israeli strikes began on Saturday is nearing 1,200, Abu Al-Rish said.

The minister described the situation as an “imminent humanitarian catastrophe” after Israel began a blockade of the densely populated enclave, cutting electricity, fuel, and water supplies.

“More than 600,000 of Gaza’s population are deprived from water, and entire hospitals are deprived from water," he added, urging the world to stop the Israeli aggression.