Israel-Hamas war: At least 14 Americans among those killed, Biden says

Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Tuesday and kept the area sealed off from food and other supplies as the country’s war with Hamas stretched into its fourth day.

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Editor’s note: This story is no longer being updated. The latest updates can be found here.

Hamas militants killed hundreds of people in surprise attacks Saturday. One day later, Israel declared war.

American Airlines cancels flights through Dec. 4

Update 8:33 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: American Airlines said that it is suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv through Dec. 4, The Washington Post reported.

The company said it would continue to work with its partner airlines to help people attempting to leave Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, adding that “safety and security remain our highest priorities.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

4 US lawmakers meet with Netanyahu

Update 10:46 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Four U.S. lawmakers met on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The New York Times reported.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, led a delegation to Israel and Saudi Arabia. She was accompanied by Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Donald Norcross of New Jersey and Jimmy Panetta of California, according to the newspaper.

In addition to Netanyahu, the delegation met with Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader; Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer; and families affected by Hamas’ attacks, the Times reported.

Ernst said in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that the lawmakers wanted “to show that we stand with Israel.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Biden calls Netanyahu, stresses need to condemn Hamas

Update 10:36 p.m. EDT Oct. 9: During a telephone call on Tuesday, President Joe Biden “underscored the need for all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas’s brutal atrocities,” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden’s comments came from the transcript of a readout from the White House as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Netanyahu.

Biden compared Hamas’ action to “the atrocities of ISIS from many years ago.”

Biden and Netanyahu said they agreed to speak again “in the next few days,” according to the readout.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

TASS: 4 Russian citizens killed

Update 9:36 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: TASS, Russia’s state media outlet, reported that four Russian citizens were killed in the attack by Hamas on Israel, CNN reported. TASS was citing a report from the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv.

The cable news outlet reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian “exchanged views on the current Middle East agenda” over the telephone on Tuesday, according to the statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Mexico evacuates 135 citizens from Israel

Update 9:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Mexico’s foreign ministry said 135 citizens were evacuated on a military flight from Israel, CNN reported.

The flight left Israel on Tuesday night.

A second military flight is en route to Israel to pick up dozens more Mexicans who are seeking to leave the country, the ministry said.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Australian woman killed in attack, government says

Update 8:23 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Officials in Australia confirmed that a Sydney resident was killed in the attacks on Israel, the first casualty verified from the country.

Galit Carbone, 66, was found dead outside her home in Kibbutz Be’eri, a farming community about 3 miles from the Gaza Strip border, according to 7 News.

Carbone was born in Sydney but raised her children in Israel where she worked as a librarian, the news outlet reported.

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, offered condolences to Carbone’s family.

“Australia unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas. There is no excuse for the deliberate killing of innocent civilians,” Wong said in a statement obtained by CNN. ”The loss of life from these attacks has been devastating and unacceptable. Australia has called for the attacks to stop and for the immediate and unconditional release of all those taken hostage.”

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

American Airlines cancels flights to Tel Aviv through Dec. 4

Update 8:33 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: American Airlines said that it is suspending flights to and from Tel Aviv through Dec. 4, The Washington Post reported. The company said it would continue to work with its partner airlines to help people who are looking to leave from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport.

American Airlines said in a statement that they will work to achieve those goals, with “safety and security remaining our highest priorities, the newspaper reported.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Canada will evacuate its citizens from Israel

Update 6:35 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Canada is planning to evacuate its citizens from Israel over the next few days, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has said.

“We are planning to begin the assisted departure of Canadians from Tel Aviv in the coming days,” Joly tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We are also working on additional options for those who cannot reach the airport in Tel Aviv.”

Joly said aircraft from the Canadian Armed Forces will be used in the evacuation.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

First plane carrying US ammunition arrives in Israel

Update 6:28 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: The first plane carrying U.S ammunition has landed in Israel, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.

The plane arrived at Israel’s Nevatim air base, CNN reported.

“The ammunition is designed to enable significant blows and preparation for additional scenarios,” the IDF said in a statement.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

US aircraft carrier arrives in eastern Mediterranean

Update 5:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier arrived Tuesday in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, U.S. Central Command announced in a news release.

“The arrival of these highly capable forces to the region is a strong signal of deterrence should any actor hostile to Israel consider trying to take advantage of this situation,” Gen. Michael Kurilla said in a statement.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

3 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in Ashkelon

Update 5:06 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in an exchange of gunfire in Ashkelon, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The fighting reportedly took place in an industrial area of the port city, Al Jazeera reported.

A helicopter gunship and heavy machine gun fire were used during the exchange, according to CNN.

Ashkelon is located just north of the Gaza Strip.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Rockets launched from Syria into Israel

Update 4:29 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: According to a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said it detected several rocket launches from Syria into Israeli territory, The New York Times reported.

The agency said the rockets landed in open areas, according to CNN.

It was the first time since fighting began on Saturday that fire has been exchanged along the Israel-Syria border, the Times reported.

-- Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Malala Yousafzai calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’

Update 3:55 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Pakistani activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai joined people in calling for an “immediate ceasefire” as fighting between Israel and Hamas militants continues.

In a post Tuesday on social media, Yousafzai said her focus has been on the children caught in the middle of the violence.

“I was only 11 years old when I witnessed violence and terrorism,” she said. “We woke up to the sounds of mortar shells, saw our schools and mosques destroyed by bombs. Peace became something we could only dream about.

“War never spares children — not those kidnapped from their homes in Israel, not those hiding from airstrikes or without food and water in Gaza.”

Biden: US ‘surging additional military assistance’ to Israel

Update 3:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: The United States is “surging additional military assistance” to Israel amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, President Joe Biden said Tuesday.

Among the supplies to be sent to Israel are ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome defense system.

“We’re going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens,” Biden said.

He added that the U.S. “has also 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.

Blinken to travel to Israel

Update 3:20 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to leave Wednesday for a trip to Israel, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news conference Tuesday.

“Secretary Blinken will be traveling to Israel in the coming days to engage our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground and how we can continue to best support them in the fight against the terrorists who launched these horrific attacks,” he said.

“Our support for Israel is unwavering and the secretary looks forward to meeting with senior leaders in the Israeli government and continue the discussions he and the president have been having with them since the initial attacks on Saturday.”

Miller said the trip was still being planned Tuesday, but that officials expect Blinken to arrive in Israel on Thursday.

900 killed in Gaza Strip, health officials say

Update 3:15 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: The death toll in the Gaza Strip rose to 900 on Tuesday, including 260 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Officials said 4,500 people have been wounded as the fighting continues. In Israel, officials earlier said that more than 1,000 people have died.

20 or more Americans missing in Israel-Hamas conflict, White House official says

Update 3:05 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: At least 20 U.S. citizens are believed to be missing after Hamas launched surprise attacks on Israel over the weekend, sparking a war.

“We know that U.S. citizens are among the missing, and we know that U.S. citizens, as the president just said, are among the hostages,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a news conference Tuesday.

“We are working with the Israeli government and with our regional partners on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the U.S. government to advise the Israeli government and coordinate with them on hostage recovery efforts.”

Sullivan said authorities did not have an exact number of missing Americans and did not know about their conditions on Tuesday.

“We believe that there are 20 or more Americans who at this point are missing, but I want to underscore and stress, that does not mean necessarily that there are 20 or more American hostages, just that is the number who are currently unaccounted for,” he said.

“We will work hour-by-hour both to determine whether we can account for any of those Americans or to confirm the exactly what the number of Americans are being held hostage.”

Hamas attack on Israel ‘an act of sheer evil,’ Biden says

Update 2:55 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: On Tuesday, President Joe Biden condemned the attacks launched on Israel by Hamas four days earlier as “an act of sheer evil” perpetrated by the “bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, a group whose stated purpose for being is to kill Jews.”

“There’s no justification for terrorism. There’s no excuse,” he said. “Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination. It’s stated purpose is the annihilation of the state of Israel on the murder of Jewish people.

“They used Palestinian civilians as human shields. Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed, with no regard who pays the price.”

Americans confirmed among those taken amid Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden says

Update 2:50 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden said officials have confirmed that Americans are among the people taken hostage by Hamas militants during the ongoing conflict with Israel.

He did not immediately specify how many Americans were believed to have been taken.

“We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas,” the president said during a news conference at the White House on Tuesday.

“I’ve directed my 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 because as president, I have no higher priority to the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”

Biden: ‘We stand with Israel’

Update 2:40 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden emphasized U.S. support for Israel on Tuesday following a call with the country’s prime minister amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

“In this moment we must be crystal clear: we stand with Israel,” the president said during a news conference at the White House. “We stand with Israel, and we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens and respond to this attack.”

Earlier Tuesday, Biden had his third call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following unexpected attacks by Hamas on Saturday. He said that if the U.S.

“I told him (that if) the United States was experiencing what Israel is experiencing, our response would be swift, decisive and overwhelming,” he said. He added that Israel as the “right to respond — indeed, (it) has a duty to respond.”

At least 14 Americans killed in Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden says

Update 2:30 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden said Tuesday that at least 14 Americans have been killed as fighting between Israel and Hamas militants continues.

“This is an act of sheer evil,” Biden said during a news conference at the White House. “More than 1,000 civilians slaughtered — not just killed, slaughtered — in Israel.”

Officials have said that more than 1,000 people have been killed in Israel and at least 830 have died in Gaza.

Biden shares some details about call with Netanyahu

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden shared some details from the conversation he and Vice President Kamala Harris had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

“We connected with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss coordination to support Israel, deter hostile actors, and protect innocent people,” the president said in a social media post.

See photos from day 4 of the Israel-Hamas war

Update 1:40 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: Photos from Tuesday show damage caused by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants following Saturday’s surprise attacks.

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Biden, Harris speak with Netanyahu

Update 1:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday afternoon as the country’s war with Hamas continues.

Officials did not immediately share details about the call.

Biden is expected to speak Tuesday afternoon about the situation in Israel.

US-Israeli mother and daughter missing

Update 12:45 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: A U.S. citizen who grew up in Israel and traveled to her native country with her daughter are missing following surprise attacks launched Saturday by Hamas militants, according to multiple reports.

Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, 18-year-old Natalie Raanan, have not been heard from since noon Saturday, family members said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Judith Raanan is a member of Chabad of Evanston, and the group said Sunday that she and her daughter had “apparently been abducted from Nachal Oz, Israel.”

Friend and Rabbi Meir Hecht told NBC News that members of the congregation are “praying for the best outcome.” He described Judith Raanan as “a very spiritual woman” who loved to pray and talk about her connection to God.

“She’s an exceedingly warm, kind, giving, generous woman,” Hecht told the Sun-Times. “She was always involved in helping people and being there to show support whenever someone needed a shoulder to lean on. She’s a really kind woman.”

Biden to speak about conflict in Israel

Update 12:10 p.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden will deliver remarks Tuesday afternoon on the attacks that Hamas militants launched on Israel over the weekend.

White House officials said Biden will speak at 1 p.m. in the State Dining Room.

“This is not some distant tragedy -- the ties between Israel and the United States run deep,” the president said earlier Tuesday in a social media post.

“It is personal for so many American families who are feeling the pain of this attack as well as the scars inflicted through millennia of antisemitism and persecution of Jewish people.”

UAE president orders $20M in aid sent to Palestinians

Update 11:40 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: The president of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday ordered that $20 million in urgent aid be sent to Palestinians amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, according to Al Jazeera.

The aid will be sent through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Al Jazeera reported, citing state news agency WAM.

On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the country was imposing a “complete siege” on Gaza, blocking electricity, fuel, water and food.

UN commission: There is ‘clear evidence’ of possible war crimes in Gaza, Israel

Update 11:05 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: A United Nations commission said Tuesday that it has begun to gather evidence of war crimes committed amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas militants and Israel.

In a statement, officials with the U.N. commission monitoring the conflict said, “There is already clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed.”

The group pointed to reports that Hamas militants had shot and killed hundreds of unarmed people and taken civilian hostages. It also pointed to Israel’s announcement of a complete siege on Gaza.

“The Commission is intent on ensuring legal accountability, including individual criminal and command responsibility,” the commission said. “To that end, the Commission is committed to investigating current events and identifying those responsible for violations of international law on all sides, both those directly committing international crimes and those in positions of command responsibility.”

Israeli military: More than 1,000 killed by Palestinian militants

Update 10:55 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: The Israel Defense Forces confirmed a report that Hamas militants have killed more than 1,000 people since launching surprise attacks Saturday, The Guardian reported.

At a briefing Tuesday, IDF Commander Dan Goldfus described the days since the attacks began as “very tough for us.”

“Unfortunately they have succeeded this time to kill over 1,000 people, over 1,000 people,” he said, according to The Guardian. “It’s just... you can’t imagine.”

2 senior Hamas officials killed by Israeli strikes

Update 10:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: A Hamas official told Reuters on Tuesday that two members of the group’s political office have been killed in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of Jawad Abu Shammala and Zakaria Abu Maamar, saying in statements obtained by Reuters that they were killed overnight.

The pair were targeted “for their alleged involvement in attacks against Israel,” The New York Times reported, citing the military.

Death toll rises to 830 in Gaza Strip

Update 10:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: The death toll from fighting between Israel and Hamas rose Tuesday to 830, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Officials said at least 4,250 people have been injured.

In Israel, nearly 1,000 people have died, officials with the Israeli embassy to the U.S. said.

Relatives of US citizens held hostage by Hamas call for action

Update 10:25 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: The families of U.S. citizens believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas called for action from American officials to get their loved ones to safety.

At a news conference Tuesday, the family of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin said he was taken captive after Hamas militants attacked revelers at a music festival on Saturday, killing hundreds of people. His parents said he sent a pair of text messages before they lost contact with him, one that said “I love you.” The other said, “I’m sorry.”

The families of three others believed to be held in Gaza also urged action Tuesday. They were identified as 35-year-old Sagui Dekel-Chen, 19-year-old Itay Chen and 66-year-old Adrienne Neta.

Earlier Tuesday, National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said officials were unaware of any confirmed American hostages taken by Hamas, though he said they were “watching it very, very closely.”

No confirmed American hostages in Gaza, National Security Council says

Update 10 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: As of Tuesday morning, U.S. officials were unaware of any American citizens that had been confirmed taken hostage by Hamas in the group’s ongoing war with Israel, according to CNN.

“Obviously, we’re watching it very, very closely,” John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told the news network. “We have talked to the Israelis about offering them additional intelligence information as well as hostage recovery expertise.”

He said the U.S. will offer its help “with or without Americans being” among the hostages, though he cautioned, “it’s an active warzone — so that complicates options.”

Jordan sending aid to Gaza Strip

Update 9:45 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: King Abdullah II of Jordan has ordered the dispatch of “urgent humanitarian and medical aid” to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing siege and airstrikes by Israel.

In a statement shared on social media, officials said the aid would pass through the Rafah crossing, identified by NBC News as the sole crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, “in full prior coordination with Egypt.”

Biden expected to speak with Netanyahu

Update 9:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: President Joe Biden is expected to speak Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN reported, citing an unidentified administration official.

The call will be the third between Biden and Netanyahu since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel, according to the news network.

IDF: ‘We are prepared for combat on all fronts’

Update 8:50 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that it was “prepared for combat on all fronts and at all borders.”

In a statement, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said that over the past 36 hours, the Israeli Air Force has conducted an air strike every four hours, targeting “thousands of terrorist targets using thousands of munitions.”

“We are using every piece of intelligence to maximize damage to meeting spots for terrorists planning to invade Israel, houses belonging to senior Hamas commanders, terrorist operational centers and headquarters and terrorist infrastructure,” he said.

The Israeli Navy has also been striking from sea to land.

“Hamas terrorists will find no shelter in Gaza, we will find them wherever they are,” Hagari said.

Death toll in Gaza reaches 765

Update 7:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 10: The death toll in Gaza has increased to 765 according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. At least 4,000 people have been injured, The New York Times reported.

The Israeli military said that it has killed about 1,500 Palestinian fighters since the fighting started on Saturday, the newspaper reported. The military said it has regained control over towns near Gaza and expected to have control over the border within hours.

Original report: The death toll from the attacks has increased to at least 900 people in Israel with more than 680 Palestinians killed in the fighting since Saturday, CNN reported.

Bodies are still being found, The Associated Press reported.

At least 11 Americans are among the dead, the AP reported.

The UN ambassador for Israel said that the terrorist group is holding up to 150 hostages, including women and children, in Gaza, while Hamas says it has more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers.

Hamas said that they would kill civilian hostages, broadcasting the murders, if the Israeli airstrikes targeted the stronghold without warning.

Israeli fighter jets hit more than 200 targets overnight into Tuesday, the Israeli Defense Forces said, according to CNN. Some of the targets included a weapons storage site inside a mosque, “operational terror infrastructure used by Hamas terror operatives,” “operational residences” of Hamas operatives and a command center.

The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said that its headquarters in Gaza City have been damaged, but there were no casualties and that all staff are sheltering in a separate building in the same compound, the AP reported.

The UNRWA has suffered damage to at least 18 facilities including schools that shelter displaced civilians. The U.N. said that as of Tuesday, more than 187,500 people had been displaced in Gaza with more than 137,000 people in 80 UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF said it has regained control of the Gaza border fence that had been breached by Hamas on Saturday.

Tomer Shalom’s 20-year-old daughter Noam has been missing. They last spoke at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday while she attended a music festival in southern Israel which had been taken over by Hamas. At least 260 people at the festival were killed, CNN reported.

While they talked, Shalom said he heard gunshots in the background.

“It’s beyond understanding. You cannot imagine this situation that kids are going to dance and you know, have fun, and going to club and they are not coming back home because they have been captured,” Shalom said.

Noam spoke to a friend on the phone about 45 minutes after she spoke to her father. That was the last contact anyone had with her.

CNN reported that it appears that Hamas threw a grenade into a bomb shelter near the festival and shot at civilians who were inside. There were shell casings and bullet holes high in the walls, a weapons expert who accompanied CNN into the shelter said.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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