Brazil calls for emergency meeting of UN Security Council after attack on Israel
From CNN's Mia Alberti in Beirut
Brazil, which holds the current presidency of the United Nations Security Council, said it will call an emergency meeting of the council after the surprise attack on Israel Saturday.
In a statement, Brazil's foreign ministry condemned the unprecedented attack by Hamas and offered "its solidarity with the Israeli people."
"Underlining there is no excuse to the use of violence, especially against civilians, the Brazilian government urges all parts to exert maximum restraint in order to end the escalation of the situation," the ministry statement said.
Brazil also said it continues to support a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
11:30 a.m. ET, October 7, 2023
Emergency officials estimate death toll has reached about 70 people in Israel
From CNN's Hadas Gold
The Israeli Emergency Services estimate about 70 people are now dead in Israel, with hundreds seriously injured, after Gaza militants launched a surprise attack Saturday, firing thousands of rockets and entering Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders.
Additionally, 985 people have been wounded in the attacks in Israel, the Israeli Health Ministry said.
Meanwhile in Gaza, at least 198 Palestinians have been killed, with 1,610 injured, the Palestinian health ministry said. Israel launched air strikes on Gaza in response to the attack, as Netanyahu vowed to "exact a huge price from the enemy."
12:12 p.m. ET, October 7, 2023
BREAKING: Hamas has taken "hostages and prisoners of war," Israel Defense Forces spokesperson says
From CNN's Hadas Gold
Hamas has taken “hostages and prisoners of war,” the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari, said.
“There are hostages and prisoners of war that Hamas took. There are also deaths among IDF soldiers. We don't have an exact number yet - we are at war,” he said.
12:55 p.m. ET, October 7, 2023
US President Biden has spoken with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
From CNN’s Amir Tal and Kevin Liptak
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pictured near Salem military post in the occupied West Bank on July 4. Shir Torem/AFP/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the situation in Israel on Saturday.
In a statement, Biden condemned the attacks by Hamas and said the United States stands by Israel.
"I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. And my Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering," he said in the statement.
Biden added that he and his team are monitoring the situation and will stay in touch with Netanyahu.
Earlier, Netanyahu's office released a statement saying Biden called the prime minister Saturday and voiced his support for Israel.
“The Prime Minister thanked the US President for his unreserved support and made it clear that a prolonged and powerful campaign would be required in which Israel would win,” the statement added.
In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that the US "unequivocally condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities."
"We will remain in close contact with our Israeli partners," Blinken said.
10:43 a.m. ET, October 7, 2023
US embassy in Israel issues "shelter in place" for personnel in response to ongoing violence
From CNN's Andrew Millman
The US embassy complex in Jerusalem, Israel, on September 27. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
The US embassy in Jerusalem issued a “shelter in place” for embassy personnel due to the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza.
“The U.S. Embassy is closely monitoring the security situation as a result of rockets fired from Gaza across southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and the infiltration of Hamas militants,” the statement reads.
The embassy “is aware that there have been casualties as a result of these incidents” and cautions US citizens to “remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness,” it added.
US officials, from the White House to the State Department and the Senate Intelligence Committee, have been monitoring the attacks throughout the morning.
10:31 a.m. ET, October 7, 2023
908 wounded have been taken to Israeli hospitals, Israeli health ministry says
From CNN's Hadas Gold
Israeli rescue teams wait next to ambulances parked just outside the southern city of Sderot, Israel, to evacuate the wounded on October 7. Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
So far, 908 wounded people have been taken to Israeli hospitals, the Israeli health ministry said. Separately, at least 40 people have died in Israel, officials said earlier.
In Gaza, nearly 200 are dead and more than 1,600 are injured, Palestinian health ministry said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his country “at war” Saturday, after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory in a major escalation of the long-running conflict between the two sides.
10:40 a.m. ET, October 7, 2023
Palestinian militants have launched a surprise attack on Israel. Here's what we know so far
From CNN staff
Smoke rises in the aftermath of rocket barrages that were launched from Gaza, in Ashkelon, Israel, on October 7. Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his country “at war” Saturday, after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a deadly barrage of rockets and sent gunmen into Israeli territory in a major escalation of the long-running conflict between the two sides.
Israeli authorities say at least 40 people are dead and nearly 800 more wounded in Israel after the early morning surprise attack. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities say nearly 200 people were killed after Israel launched air strikes. Fighting is still taking place on the ground.
If you're just catching up on the news, here are the key details:
Hamas claims responsibility: Hamas, the Palestinian militant movement that runs Gaza, has claimed responsibility for the incursion. Militants fired more than 2,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, according to the Israeli military, while Hamas fighters entered southern Israel by land, sea and air, using paragliders. Hamas says it captured several Israeli soldiers near the border, but Israel’s military has not officially confirmed the reports.
Israeli military's response: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched strikes against a number of Hamas targets in Gaza and is calling up thousands of reservists, military leaders said. The IDF's forces were fighting on the ground Saturday in at least half a dozen locations, including several villages, two army bases and border crossings, a spokesperson said.
Deaths in Palestinian territories: At least 198 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Saturday, with 1,610 injured, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said. The ministry did not provide a breakdown on where the deaths occurred, and if the deaths included Hamas militants or civilians in Gaza.
What Netanyahu is saying: The Israeli prime minister has vowed that Hamas will “pay a price it has never known” for the attack. “Citizens of Israel, we are at war – not in an operation, not in rounds – at war,” he said in a video message.
Scenes on the ground: Residents of two Israeli communities told the country's Channel 12 television station that assailants from Gaza are trying to break into their homes. They have repeatedly pleaded on TV for assistance from the Israeli military. Meanwhile, photos provide some of our first looks on the ground, and the IDF has released video of what it says are aerial attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza.
A significant date: The surprise attack came on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 War, in which Arab states blitzed Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
Here is a map of where the fighting is taking place:
9:52 a.m. ET, October 7, 2023
BREAKING: 198 Palestinians killed and 1,610 injured, Palestinian health ministry in Gaza says
From CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman, Kareem Khadder and Abeer Salman
Bodies of Palestinians killed in airstrikes are taken to the morgue at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza, on October 7. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
At least 198 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Saturday, with 1,610 injured, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said.
The ministry did not provide a breakdown on where the deaths occurred, and if the deaths included Hamas militants or civilians in Gaza.
The deaths come after the Israel Defense Forces carried out strikes in response to a barrage of thousands of rockets from Hamas into Israel and an incursion by Hamas fighters that left at least 40 people dead in Israel and nearly 800 wounded.
10:05 a.m. ET, October 7, 2023
Hamas has "opened the gates of hell," Israeli military leader says
From CNN's Hadas Gold in Jerusalem
The Israel Defense Forces top official in charge of activities in the Palestinian territories, Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, said that Hamas had "opened the gates of hell" with its surprise attack.
Here was Alian's message:
”I want to say one thing — Hamas has opened the gates of hell into the Gaza Strip. Hamas made the decision, and Hamas will bear the responsibility and pay for its deeds."
Alian's bellicose rhetoric echoed earlier comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the country would "return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known." He added that "the enemy will pay an unprecedented price."
The IDF previously said that Hamas will "face the consequences and responsibility for these events.”
