Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel Defense Forces says its preparing for ‘wide range’ offensive

The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, said it was “preparing to implement a wide range of offensive operative plans” which will include “an integrated and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land” against Hamas.

The IDF added that it had already completed its mobilization of hundreds of thousands of servicemen for the counteroffensive, according to a statement translated by NBC News.

“IDF battalions and soldiers are deployed all over the country and are prepared to increase readiness for the next stages of the war — with an emphasis on a significant ground operation,” the statement added.

— Amanda Macias

People looking to help those affected by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict can consider donating to the following charities listed here.

— Amanda Macias

A United Nations human rights expert warned that Palestinians are in grave danger of mass ethnic cleansing and called on global powers to mediate a ceasefire as the Israel-Hamas conflict drags into its second week.

“The international community has the responsibility to prevent and protect populations from atrocity crimes. Accountability for international crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces and Hamas must also be immediately pursued,” wrote Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory, in a statement.

Time is of the essence. Palestinians and Israelis both deserve to live in peace, equality of rights, dignity and freedom,” Albanese added.

— Amanda Macias

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer spoke with senior United Nations officials on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza triggered by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Biden administration conveyed U.S. efforts with regional partners to “enable safe movement for civilians seeking protection in Gaza and to facilitate humanitarian access and assistance, including water, food, and medical care.”

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties to allow “immediate humanitarian access” as the Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies.

“We need immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza, so that we can get fuel, food and water to everyone in need,” Guterres told reporters at the United Nations in New York.

“Even wars have rules,” he added.

— Amanda Macias

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited with troops on the frontlines ahead of a looming Israeli counteroffensive into Gaza.

Netanyahu received visits from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Binken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin earlier in the week. Both Biden administration officials reiterated U.S. support for Israel as the conflict with Hamas enters its second week.

— Amanda Macias

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will lead a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Israel over the weekend.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisana, Democrat Senator Jackie Rosen of Nevada, Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah and Democrat Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona are also traveling in the delegation.

The lawmakers are slated to discuss U.S. humanitarian and security assistance with Israeli officials.

The congressional delegation’s visit to Israel comes on the heels of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s trip.

— Amanda Macias

Supporters and family members of Israeli hostages snatched by the Palestinian militant group Hamas last week in a surprise attack into Israel, plaster their images on a wall during a rally outside of the Israeli military base of HaKirya in central Tel Aviv on Oct. 14, 2023. Nine people captured by Hamas in an attack on Israel a week ago have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza in the past 24 hours, the Islamist group’s armed wing said on Oct. 14.

— Gil Cohen-Magen | AFP | Getty Images

The Louvre Museum in Paris and Versailles Palace were evacuated on Saturday after separate bomb threats, the Associated Press reported. France is on high-security alert after a fatal school stabbing on Friday by a former student who is suspected of Islamic radicalization.

France has deployed 7,000 troops to increase security after Friday’s school attack.

The French government is also wary of the fallout from the war between Israel and Hamas, AP said.

— Terri Cullen

Hamas’ military arm, the Al-Qassam Brigades, on Saturday announced that nine hostages, including four foreigners, were killed “as a result of” Israel’s counterattack bombing of the Gaza Strip, adding to the death toll that Hamas reported yesterday.

On Friday, Hamas said 13 hostages had been killed when Israel bombed areas in the North and Gaza. The military group said six were killed in the North and seven in Gaza.

CNBC has not independently verified this claim.

It is estimated that Hamas took 150 hostages following its deadly attack on Israel last weekend.

— Rebecca Picciotto

In an act of solidarity with Israel, Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida attended a GOP caucus meeting on Friday dressed in the military uniform from his time serving in the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF.

“As the only member to serve with both the United States Army and the Israel Defense Forces, I will always stand with Israel,” Mast wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He likened his uniform to Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who is Palestinian-American, having a Palestinian flag outside of her office. Tlaib has displayed the flag since at least January. Some congress members have given her heat for keeping it up after the deadly attack by Hamas last Saturday.

“Tlaib’s got her flag. I got my uniform,” Mast said in the X post.

— Rebecca Picciotto

The Tel Aviv Open tennis tournament scheduled for next month has been canceled because of the Israel-Hamas war.

The ATP men’s tour said the decision was made after consultation with security experts and with the safety of players and fans in mind.

“The violence and acts of terror witnessed in Israel are beyond comprehension,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said. “We strongly condemn any form of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives across this conflict. We hope and pray for peace in the region.”

The event was scheduled for early November.

In last year’s final, Novak Djokovic defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets to take the title.

— Associated Press

The U.S. State Department updated the travel advisory to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Saturday, asking American citizens not to travel to Gaza “due to terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict” and to reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank due to “terrorism and civil unrest.”

 “Terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza,” the advisory said. “Terrorists and violent extremists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Violence can occur in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza without warning.”

 The State Department also authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members.

 — Jessica Dickler

Palestinians struggle to survive in an area without electricity, water, food and fuel after Israel cut off supply lines into the Gaza Strip. Fighting between Israel and the Hamas continues for the eighth consecutive day and Israel has ordered mass evacuations for civilians to move to the south of Gaza as the IDF prepare for a ground offensive.

-Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called for protection for civilians in both the Gaza Strip and Israel as the Israeli military ordered half of the Palestinian territory’s population to evacuate in advance of an expected ground assault.

Blinken met his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Riyadh as he began a third day of intense Middle East diplomacy aimed at preventing the Israel-Hamas war from expanding into a regional conflict and fueling a humanitarian crisis.

Both stressed the importance of minimizing the harm to civilians as Israel prepared for an anticipated incursion against Hamas a week after the militant group’s unprecedented attack in Israel.

“As Israel pursues its legitimate right, to defending its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Blinken said before heading to the United Arab Emirates for similar discussions.

“None of us want to see suffering by civilians on any side, whether it’s in Israel, whether it’s in Gaza, whether it’s anywhere else.”

— Associated Press

Qatar issued a statement Saturday, saying it rejects attempts to forcibly displace Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

A statement from the Qatari foreign ministry was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which it said “Qatar declares its categorical rejection of attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip.”

It called for the lifting of the siege on the Gaza Strip, and demanded the “full protection for … Palestinian civilians according to the international and humanitarian laws.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Israel’s military said on Saturday it killed two Hamas commanders who were behind the cross-border deadly rampage into Israel a week ago.

The military said it killed Merad Abu Merad, who was the head of the Hamas aerial system, and Ali Qadi, a company commander of a commando force.

— Reuters

The U.S. is working to get the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Saturday to allow U.S. citizens to leave, several news agencies reported Saturday.

AFP and Reuters reported earlier that the U.S. had been working with Israel, Qatar and Egypt to have the crossing point open from midday to 5pm local time, citing an un-named senior State Department official.

“We have been trying to facilitate access for it to be open from 12 to five today. The Egyptians, the Israelis and the Qataris have been working with us on that,” the official told reporters travelling with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Reuters reported.

NBC News has not yet been able to confirm the reports.

The reports follow a comment made by the IDF’s international spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht in a briefing this morning, advising that he was aware of talk of a humanitarian exit for U.S. citizens and that he expected an update on the situation this morning.

Blinken has conducted a flurry of diplomatic meetings in the Middle East this week, trying to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading in the wider region.

 — Holly Ellyatt

The Israeli army said on Saturday it was aware of the incident in southern Lebanon in which a Reuters journalist was killed and that it was being investigated.

“We are aware of the incident with the Reuters journalist. We are looking into it. We already have visuals. We’re doing cross examination. It’s a tragic thing,” a military spokesperson told reporters.

Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six other journalists injured in southern Lebanon on Friday when missiles fired from the direction of Israel struck them, according to a Reuters videographer who was at the scene.

— Reuters

EDITORS NOTE-Graphic Content: This post contains an image of death in Gaza.

Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours have so far killed at least 324 Palestinians and wounded 1,000 others, Gaza’s health ministry reported on Saturday, Reuters noted.

According to the report, the dead included at least 126 children and 88 women.

In total, 2,215 citizens in the Gaza Strip and West Bank have been killed, the ministry said Saturday, with the majority of those killed being in Gaza.

— Holly Ellyatt

The head of the World Health Organization said a plane carrying medical supplies has landed in Egypt, with its cargo ready to be deployed to Gaza as soon as possible.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the plane had landed in Al Arish, close to the Rafah crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza.

“We’re ready to deploy the supplies as soon as humanitarian access through the crossing is established. We continue our plea to Israel to reconsider the decision to evacuate 1.1 million people,” he said, adding: “It will be a human tragedy.”

Tens of thousands of Palestinians are trying to leave northern Gaza after the Israeli military ordered over a million civilians to leave the area ahead of an expected ground offensive.

Humanitarian agencies say the 24-hour deadline given by Israeli authorities is not enough and have warned of disaster, saying civilians do not have enough time to evacuate.

All water, food, electricity, fuel and medical supplies to Gaza were cut by Israeli forces following Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack a week ago. The World Health Organization is a specialized UN agency responsible for international public health.

— Holly Ellyatt

The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell warned that Israel’s call to evacuate the roughly 1.1 million residents of Gaza City south of the Wadi Gaza river is “virtually impossible,” echoing earlier comments from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

“I fully endorse @antonioguterres warning that Israel’s request that 1 million civilians evacuate from the North of Gaza across a densely populated warzone to a place with no food, water, or shelter into a territory under siege is extremely dangerous and virtually impossible,” Borrell said on social media. He has been on a three-day visit to China, as the EU attempts to navigate de-risking, but not fully decoupling its trade relationship from Beijing.

The U.N. has previously condemned the terrorist attacks of Palestinian group Hamas, which killed and abducted Israeli civilians and nationals. U.N. officials have simultaneously expressed concern over the impact of Israel’s complete siege of the Gaza Strip, particularly after an Israeli instruction for the roughly 1.1 million people of Gaza City to evacuate southward in the short term.

Several humanitarian agencies have decried the evacuation order, saying it would exacerbate the existing crisis for civilians in the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, Guterres urged all parties to allow “immediate humanitarian access” as the Israel-Hamas conflict deepens. “We need immediate humanitarian access throughout Gaza, so that we can get fuel, food and water to everyone in need.”

— Ruxandra Iordache

Israeli military said it has been responding to Lebanese hostilities in overnight updates on the Telegram social media platform.

In a first post, the Israel Defense Forces said they struck a target in southern Lebanon belonging to Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been exchanging fire with Israel throughout the week. The IDF said it carried out the offensive “in response to infiltration of unidentified aerial objects into Israel” and that it intercepted the object and fired against its forces.

In a later update, the IDF said it thwarted a “terrorist cell” that sought to enter Israeli territory from Lebanon, without identifying its allegiance.

CNBC could not independently verify the reports. The Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar TV, which has previously reported on firing between Hezbollah and Israel, has yet to mention a Hezbollah incursion.

Hezbollah has previously criticized Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip and has exchanged shelling with Israel, citing solidarity with the Palestinian people. On Friday, deputy chief of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said that the Lebanese group is prepared to intervene in the war between Israel and Hamas and “will carry out our duties whenever it is high time.”

Hezbollah leadership on Friday met with the foreign minister of Iran, which supports both the group and Hamas. Iran has praised the deadly multi-pronged Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, but denied involvement.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Israel Defense Forces will allow movement on two streets in Gaza “without any harm” between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time, the military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X, according to a Google translation.

The IDF encouraged civilians to take advantage of the route to move south from Beit Hanoun to Khan Yunis.

— Christine Wang

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus defended the evacuation order, saying it would keep civilians safer and out of an area where Israel is “going to enhance our military operations.” He reiterated that Israel is targeting Hamas and its military infrastructure.

Conricus slammed Hamas for telling civilians to ignore the evacuation order, accusing the Palestinian militant group of using civilians as a human shield.

— Christine Wang

Israel Defense Forces said over 120 civilians are being held captive in Gaza by Hamas. The military previously said it had notified families of at least 120 people who were taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group.

— Christine Wang

A senior U.S. official told NBC News that the U.S. has not asked Israel to delay its ground offensive in Gaza.

The comment strikes down a Fox News report that Washington had asked for the operation to be delayed until after safe passage could be secured for evacuating Palestinians.

A State Department official said Friday the U.S. believes Israel is trying to minimize harm to civilians and that its military has a right to respond with operations it deems necessary.

— Christine Wang

Israel’s deadline for the evacuation of northern Gaza has now passed.

Its military is expected to commence a ground offensive into the area after amassing troops at the border over the past week. While Israel never confirmed such plans, the 24-hour notice for the evacuation of 1.1 million Palestinians raised concerns it would begin a new phase of its efforts to wipe out Hamas’ military capabilities.

— Christine Wang

In the Gaza Strip, a small stretch of land blockaded off with concrete walls and barbed wire fences and whose last remaining border crossings have been shut, survival is increasingly a game of chance.

“It’s insane and brutal — I can’t believe they’re doing this to the whole population. The amount of airstrikes are massive,” Omar, a Gazan development worker with two young children, told CNBC via voice note. “We’re OK for now but it’s very scary, and with each bomb, we feel it’s going to be our turn.” Omar asked that only his first name be used out of concern for his family.

Without bomb shelters, people try to hide in hallways, away from windows, in schools, or even in the street alongside piles of rubble. But those spots aren’t safe either, Palestinians in Gaza say.

Read the full story here.

— Natasha Turak

Entire families could be seen fleeing northern Gaza in cars, trucks, donkey carts and on foot after the Israeli military asked 1.1 million people to evacuate ahead of an expected ground invasion.

The United Nations has demanded that “Israel immediately rescind its order for 1.1 million Palestinians to leave northern Gaza within 24 hours, condemning the evacuation order as a crime against humanity and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

“Forcible population transfers constitute a crime against humanity, and collective punishment is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” said Paula Gaviria Betancur, special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons. “We are horrified at the prospect of an additional 1 million Palestinians joining the over 423,000 people already forcibly driven from their homes by the violence over the past week.”

Israel has not yet said anything about the timing of the invasion.

Three convoys of evacuees in Gaza were hit by strikes, killing 70 people, according to a statement released by Hamas. NCB News reported.

At least 1,300 people have been killed in Israel and 1,900 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of the Israel-Hamas war, according to official estimates from both sides.

— Riya Bhattacharjee