Israel attacks Gaza with counterstrikes; Death toll nearly 1,000
Airstrikes by both Israeli and Palestinian militants left destruction and death on both sides as Israeli officials declared war on the Gaza Strip.
The rapidly intensifying war between Israel and Palestinian militants entered its second day on Sunday as Israel’s security cabinet officially declared war and the death toll passed 1,100 – a toll that may also include some Americans.
More than 600 Israelis have been killed since Hamas militants began their attack on nearly two dozen Israeli cities and military bases on Saturday, ZAKA, a volunteer group that deals with human remains after terror attacks, told Israeli media. ZAKA said 250 bodies were found at a music festival near the Gaza border. According to the United Nations, more than 123,000 people in Gaza were displaced as of Sunday evening due to fear and concern that their homes would be destroyed.
Dozens of Israelis and apparently some Americans were taken hostage, officials on both sides said. Palestinian authorities said more than 300 fighters and civilians were killed in Israeli counterattacks in Gaza. Each side reported thousands of wounded.
The violence began on Saturday when the first of thousands of rockets fired from Gaza struck parts of southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Hamas militants entered Israeli areas near the Gaza border, killing and wounding civilians and Israeli security forces and taking hostages, prompting the Israeli military to retaliate.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said U.S. officials were working to verify reports that several Americans had been killed and others taken hostage.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh blamed Israel for the war, accusing it of “creating a climate of hatred, violence, incitement and violations of international law.”
“We are at war:” This is what Netanyahu says from Israel as Hamas launches a surprise multi-front attack
Developments:
∎ Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader says militants are holding dozens of Israeli prisoners in Gaza. Ziad Nakhaleh said no hostages will be released until all Palestinian prisoners are freed from Israeli prisons. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer confirmed to CNN that the prisoners included American citizens.
∎ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, all of whom expressed their “unreserved support” for Israel’s right to self-defense, Netanyahu said.
∎Germany and Britain said they would reassess aid packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for Palestinian areas.
President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday and discussed the hostages, which include entire families, the elderly and young children, the White House said. Biden stressed that there is no justification for terrorism and that all countries must “stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities.”
Biden briefed Netanyahu on intensive U.S. diplomatic efforts in the past 24 hours to support Israel and assured the prime minister that “additional assistance” to Israeli forces was on the way to Israel and more would follow in the coming days.
In a message on X Sunday afternoon, Biden reiterated his “full support“for the people of Israel and said the U.S. would “remain in close contact in the coming days.”
Also on Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Harris expressed her condolences to the victims of the attacks and all those affected on behalf of herself and her husband.
− Francesca Chambers
The Pentagon sent warships, fighter jets and ammunition to the Middle East and Israel, the Defense Department said Sunday. The USS Gerald Ford Strike Group, including its namesake aircraft carrier, as well as several destroyers and cruisers have been sent to the eastern Mediterranean, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. In addition, squadrons of F-35, F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter aircraft are being strengthened in the region.
The Pentagon will also begin delivering equipment and ammunition to the Israeli armed forces starting Sunday.
“My thoughts continue to be with the people of Israel and the many families who lost loved ones as a result of Hamas’ heinous terrorist attack,” Austin said.
−Tom Vanden Brook
Blinken, making the rounds on talk shows Sunday, said U.S. officials were working to verify reports that Americans had died and others may be being held hostage.
“Any American who is detained or held hostage anywhere will be a priority for this administration, for this administration and for me, but I don’t want to go beyond where we are now,” Blinken continued NBC’s Meet the Press. “We have reports; We need to check them out.”
On Sunday evening, U.S. defense officials said in a private briefing for House representatives that at least four American citizens were killed in the attacks in Israel and that the number was expected to rise. according to CNN.
Israel will do “everything possible” to free hostages held in Gaza, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman told CNN.
Twelve Tennesseans in Israel have been reported safe after arriving on a church mission just a day before a surprise attack by Hamas militants.
According to the church and its twelve travelers in Jerusalem, members of the First Baptist Church Knoxville live safely within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
“We plan to continue with our travel plans and thank those who have reached out to us with concern and prayers,” senior pastor Brent McDougal said in a Facebook post around 1 a.m. ET on Sunday. “We are deeply saddened by the violence not far from us, but it has been eye-opening to be so close to the tension and war that has characterized this area for millennia.”
The missionaries arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday and have since been on their way to Jerusalem. Their original plan was to stay until Oct. 21, but the group is monitoring the situation hourly, The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
—Liam Anderson, Nashville Tennessee
Michele Naideck, 27, was frustrated, worried and scared when she woke up to news of the attacks. Naideck is an Israeli-American student in her fourth year of medical school at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, 25 miles from Gaza.
The 27-year-old has lived in Israel for three years, but moved back to the USA to study. But many of Naideck’s relatives live in the Middle Eastern country, including her family and her boyfriend and his family.
Noting the complexity of the conflict, Naideck said she spent her time in Israel “really trying to understand the Palestinian perspective,” adding that she had voiced “a lot of criticism of this government and the occupation.” .
However, with her loved ones in potential danger and learning of the violence, Naideck was forced to “question her morality” over the weekend as the conflict unfolded.
“This issue is not black and white,” Naideck told USA TODAY. “People who are not directly involved in the (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict do not understand that it is not a black and white conflict.”
“I’m pretty negative about the whole thing,” Naideck added. “This will not help any long-term solution at all. This is really destroying me. I feel like there is a chance for hope and peace in the near future.”
Haneen Shaath, 25, said the situation between Gaza and Israel was “not a conflict and not a war.”
Shaath is a master’s student at Pennsylvania State University studying international affairs. But the 25-year-old grew up in Gaza and has been experiencing aggression in her homeland for years.
Shaath told USA TODAY that there is unequal power between Palestinians and Israel. And the current situation worries her. Over the weekend, Shaath said she lost communication with her family for over 12 hours after electricity was cut in various parts of the Gaza Strip.
— Thao Nguyen
Three British men are believed to be either dead or missing following the Hamas surprise attack on Israel, The Associated Press reported.
Nathanel Young, 20, was killed while serving in the Israel Defense Forces, his sister Gaby Shalev said on Facebook. The Israeli embassy in London later confirmed his death, the news agency reported.
Berlin-based British photographer Danny Darlington and his German girlfriend Carolin Bohl have not been heard from after they hid in a bunker at Kibbutz Nir Oz, Bohl’s brother-in-law Sam Pasquesi told the AP. On Sunday, his family was informed that the couple’s bodies had been identified.
Jake Marlow, 26, was working security at a music festival near Kibbutz Re’im when rockets flew overhead just before dawn. He called his mother Lisa and texted her an hour later, but that was the last she heard from her son. The Israeli embassy in London was unaware of Marlow’s condition, the AP said.
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was quoted by Palestinian media outlet Al Ayyam as saying Israel “bears full responsibility for what is happening by creating a climate of hatred (and violence)” and violating international law. Shtayyeh said the international focus behind Israel encouraged the Israeli government and military to commit more crimes “against our people” in Gaza.
“We have always warned of the serious repercussions that will result from the continued siege of our people in the Gaza Strip and the continued storming of towns, villages and camps, the violation of sanctity rules and the attack on Muslim and Christian believers,” Shtayyeh said .
Despite several reports linking Iran to Hamas’s surprise attack against Israel on Saturday, US officials cannot confirm that the country was involved in its planning and execution, CNN reported Sunday evening.
U.S. officials told the news agency that it was too early to determine Iran’s role in the conflict, but the leaders acknowledged Iran’s ties to Hamas and its long history of supporting Hamas.
On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that senior members of Hamas and other militant groups said Iranian security officials helped plan the attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said praised the attacks on X, formerly TwitterHe wrote that “the Zionist regime will be eradicated by the Palestinian people and resistance forces throughout the region.”
The U.S. Embassy in Israel tried to provide information to concerned Americans in the country. A statement said the situation remained “unpredictable” and people should follow advice from local governments to increase security awareness and safety. The statement added that “mortar and rocket fire can occur without warning.”
US citizens in Israel who need assistance have been asked to contact the nearest US embassy or consulate using the Crisis Intake Form. Family members can also submit information on behalf of a U.S. citizen.
“U.S. citizens who wish to leave and can do so safely are advised to check the status of border crossings or ensure that flights have not been canceled before departing for Ben-Gurion Airport,” the statement said.
For more information on what to do in the event of mortar and rocket fire, US citizens can refer to the country information for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was in Israel when the attacks began Saturday. Booker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday for meetings ahead of the Abraham Accords summit, where he was scheduled to speak on Tuesday. According to a statement from his office, Booker and his staff were in Jerusalem for security reasons when Hamas launched its attacks.
“We are grateful that Senator Booker and our colleagues were able to safely depart Israel earlier today,” Booker spokeswoman Maya Krishna-Rogers said in a statement Sunday.
−Candy Woodall
Israel carried out dozens of airstrikes overnight on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. An attack hit three houses in the crowded Shaboura refugee camp and killed 19 members of the same family, according to a family member who posted the names on his social media. The Associated Press reported that surviving family members and neighbors filled the Al-Farouk mosque and prayed over the bodies of those killed before marching to the nearby cemetery for burial, some carrying the bodies.
The Israeli Defense Forces also announced this on social media that it hit two “operational situation rooms” that were located in mosques used by Hamas in Gaza. The IDF also attacked Hamas’s intelligence headquarters, a military compound used by Hamas’ air forces, and an air weapons production facility. The IDF said it had killed at least 400 Palestinian terrorists both in Israel and in attacks in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 370 Palestinians were killed and another 2,200 injured in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian media outlet Al Ayyam described what it called an “Israeli massacre” in Gaza.
It said the Health Ministry in Gaza was appealing to citizens to go to hospitals and blood banks to donate blood for the more than 2,000 injured reported there. Many people were reported missing in Gaza, some of whom apparently died at a border crossing bombed by Israel after large numbers of Palestinians arrived there, Al Ayyam reported.
Others were arrested by the occupying forces, the media said.
Gal Gadot, Kylie Jenner, Nina Dobrev and more celebrities have shown solidarity with Israel amid the country’s escalated conflict with Palestinian militants. “I stand with Israel, you should too. The world cannot stand idly by while these terrible terrorist attacks happen!” Gadot posted on Instagram on Saturday. The “Wonder Woman 1984” star is Israeli.
Bruno Mars planned two nights in Israel as part of his ongoing world tour. His first concert in Tel Aviv went smoothly on Wednesday, but his performance on Saturday was canceled. The organizer promised refunds to all ticket holders, adding: “We stand with the residents of Israel, the IDF fighters and the security forces in these difficult moments.”
− Naledi Ushe
The conflict could result in the return of $5 a gallon of gasoline to the United States
Oil prices could rise on Monday, the first day of trading after the outbreak of violence in Israel. However, experts do not expect any long-term impact on oil and gas prices unless the conflict itself escalates. The crisis is playing out in a key oil-producing region – neighboring Saudi Arabia is a leader in oil exports – but Israel and Palestine are not major oil producers.
According to the AAA automobile club, a gallon of regular gasoline costs an average of $3.71 in the United States. Gas prices were down this time last week, last month and last year.
“It’s an evolving situation,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at gas price tracker GasBuddy, told USA TODAY by email. The conflict “does not pose too much of a problem unless the fighting spreads to other countries that produce significant amounts of oil, as has sometimes happened in the past.”
-Daniel de Visé
Major American airlines, including Delta, United and American, are offering limited or canceled flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv. The Federal Aviation Administration urged pilots to exercise caution when flying in Israeli airspace. United said in a statement to USA TODAY that flights to Tel Aviv will be suspended “until conditions permit resumption.”
It’s not just US-based airlines that are canceling or delaying flights: Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Ryanair and Aegean Airlines have also canceled flights. Swiss Airlines announced that it has canceled all flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport until Monday.
“We fully understand the situation of the passengers affected by the flight cancellations. SWISS is closely monitoring the development of the situation and is in close contact with the authorities. “On this basis, we will decide whether to resume flights between Switzerland and Israel,” the airline said.
The American Airlines pilots union instructed its members in an email Sunday evening to refuse flights to Israel due to the ongoing conflict, The Associated Press reported.
“It is neither wise nor appropriate to knowingly put our flight crews and passengers at risk by maintaining flights to a war zone,” union President Ed Sicher said in the message.
− Sarah Al-Arshani
The war stems from a dispute that has its roots in pre-biblical times. Although borders have shifted over the years, the Palestinian territories formerly included what is now Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
The history, culture and identity of both Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs are tied to the Palestinian territories and the ancient city of Jerusalem, “one of the most hotly contested cities in the world,” according to The Associated Press.
Britain was given control of Palestine by the League of Nations in 1920 under an order called the British Mandate. In 1917, the British government signaled its support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel with the Balfour Declaration. Read more.
− George Petras and Janet Loehrke
The attack occurred on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah and brought back memories of the 1973 war that began with a surprise attack on Yom Kippur.
Simchat Torah, meaning “the joy of the Torah,” is intended to be “a day of joy when Jews celebrate that the Torah cycle has ended and begun again,” said Ruth Franklin, a Jewish writer and finalist for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.
Simchat Torah is part of the holiday of Shemini Atzeret. In Israel they are celebrated on the same day and are often referred to interchangeably. For Jews outside Israel, Shemini Atzeret is typically a two-day celebration, with Simchat Torah occurring on the second day.
At a synagogue about 90 minutes north of the epicenter of the attacks, half the people celebrated and danced with the Torah while the other half arrived in uniform and left their neighborhood to serve, said Yael Eckstein, president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
– Jeanine Santucci and Krystal Nurse
Jewish communities across the US on alertS
Jewish communities in the US are on guard in the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict, as local institutions report a rise in anti-Semitic threats and concerns.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued notices of “public safety concerns” to state and local law enforcement agencies on Saturday as the conflict erupted, saying they were keeping an eye on domestic threats to the United States, according to CNN.
In Utah, Salt Lake City police on Sunday acknowledged “unspecified threats” against several Jewish community centers across the state, a local CBS station reported. Local law enforcement responded to at least three fake bomb threats against synagogues and other institutions.
For security reasons, law enforcement agencies across the country are increasing patrols.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told CNN that there were no specific or credible threats against the Jewish community in the city, which is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, but that police were on alert.
In Pennsylvania, the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg issued a statement urging greater security and vigilance in the region. The organization said local police will increase law enforcement presence in the community.
In California it is The Los Angeles Police Department announced this on Twitter that there would be an increase in patrols due to the overseas conflict.
According to a 2022 report by the Anti-Defamation League, fighting between Israel and Hamas has contributed to a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the country in the past. Following a conflict between both parties in May 2021, when anti-Israel protests broke out in several American cities, there was a 148% increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the United States.
“While we have always seen an increase in anti-Semitic activity during times of increasing hostilities between Israel and terrorist groups, the violence we saw during the conflict in America last May was shocking,” Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, said in the Report. “It seemed as if the working assumption was that if you were a Jew you were to blame for what was happening on the other side of the world.”
Contribution: The Associated Press