Israel Death Toll Rises to More Than 1,000 in Hamas Attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel’s fierce offensive against the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip has “only started.”

Mr. Netanyahu delivered the pronouncement in a nationally televised address as Israel pressed ahead with a third day of heavy airstrikes in Gaza following Hamas’s unprecedented and deadly bombing of and incursion into Israel.

“We have only started striking Hamas,” he said. “What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.”

Israel urged Palestinians in Gaza to evacuate from Hamas locations on Friday, and formally declared war on Sunday.

Here are the latest updates on the Israel–Hamas war.

Israel Death Toll Rises to More Than 1,000 in Hamas Attacks, Israeli Embassy in US Says

More than 1,000 people were killed in an attack by Hamas on Israel over the weekend, according to the Israeli Embassy in the United States.

The death toll now stands at 1,008, with at least 3,418 injured, the embassy said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Putin Says the Latest Gaza War is Result of US Policy Failures

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday described the latest Israel-Palestinian war as a result of failed U.S. foreign policy.

Speaking at the start of his talks with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, Mr. Putin said in his first comment on the war that “many will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of the U.S. policies in the Middle East.”

He added that the Untied States has “tried to monopolize the settlement, but, regrettably hasn’t bothered to search for compromises that would be acceptable to both parties and, just the opposite, sought to enforce their own view of how it should be done, exerting pressure on both parties.”

Mr. Putin said the United States has failed “to take vital interests of the Palestinian people into account,” ignoring U.N. General Assembly resolutions envisaging the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Iran Rejects Allegations That It Played Role in Hamas Attacks

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected allegations Tuesday about his country’s role in Hamas attacks against Israel, but said Iran will continue supporting Palestinians, media reported. It was the first reaction to the war by Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters in the country.

However, Mr. Khamenei said, “We defend Palestine, we defend the fights.” He praised Palestinian “capable, smart and courageous” young Palestinians. He said the disaster for Israel came because of mistakes by Israel against Palestinians.

Germany Investigating Kidnapping of Its Citizens in Israel

German prosecutors are investigating after German citizens were apparently kidnapped in the attack by Hamas on Israel.
The federal prosecutor’s office said in an emailed statement that the investigation of unknown members of Hamas on suspicion of hostage-taking, murder, and membership in a foreign terrorist organization was opened on Tuesday.

The German Foreign Ministry has said it has to assume that an unspecified number of German-Israeli dual citizens were among those kidnapped by Hamas on Saturday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday that Germany is working closely with Israel to determine how many citizens were kidnapped and how they might be freed.

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Russia Says It Will Talk to Israel and Palestinians in Hopes of Reaching a Settlement

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow has been talking to both Israel and the Palestinians to help search for a settlement.

Asked about a claim by the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will visit Moscow soon, Mr. Peskov said that the visit had been planned before the war. He added that Moscow will announce the date after it’s finally determined.

Mr. Peskov rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Moscow was interested in fueling the war as “totally baseless.”

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4 French Citizens Have Been Killed by Hamas Militant Attacks in Israel

France’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the deaths of another two French citizens killed by Hamas terrorists attacks in Israel, taking the total number of French victims to four.
The ministry said Tuesday that another 13 French citizens are missing and that some of them have “very likely” been kidnapped. The ministry has previously said that a 12-year-old appears to be among those taken captive.

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1,500 Bodies of Hamas Terrorists Found in Israel as It Claims Full Control Over Border

The Israeli military said Tuesday morning it had largely gained control in the south and “restored full control” over the border.
Spokesperson Richard Hecht said that 1,500 bodies of Hamas terrorists have been found in Israeli territory and no Hamas terrorists have crossed into Israel since Monday night, although infiltrations could still be possible.

Mr. Hecht said the military struck hundreds of Hamas targets overnight in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, which is home to many of Hamas’s ministries and institutional buildings. He said that Palestinian residents were being notified over social media before the strikes to evacuate, but did not elaborate further.

He suggested that Palestinians should try to leave through the Rafah crossing to Egypt.

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A Florida Vigil for Israeli Victims Turns to Chaos

A vigil for victims of the attacks in Israel at the University of Florida erupted into chaos over a misunderstanding and at least five people were hurt, officials said.

A crowd gathered at the Gainesville campus for the “United With Israel” candlelight vigil when someone fainted and others began calling for people to call 911, the UF Police Department said in a statement.

“The call was misunderstood by the crowd, which dispersed in a panic,” the police statement said. Five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, campus police said.

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18 Thais Feared Dead as War Enter 4th Day

Based on reports from employers, 18 Thais are feared dead, while the numbers of those injured and abducted stand at 9 and 11 respectively as of the fourth day of the Israel-Hamas war, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke said on Tuesday.

She said more than 3,000 Thais have registered for repatriation. The first batch of 15 evacuees is scheduled to board a flight to arrive in Thailand on Thursday. She said Israel told Thailand’s foreign minister that it will try its best to take care of Thai workers.

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US Military Assistance Is ‘On the Way’ to Israel

U.S. military assistance is “on the way” to Israel, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Oct. 9.
“The first tranche [of security assistance], in the wake of these terrorist attacks, is already on the way,” Mr. Kirby told reporters in a call.

“I don’t believe it’s actually made it to Israel yet, but it’s making its way there.”

He did not specify what kind of equipment was being sent.

The administration, he said, expects that “there’ll be additional requests for security systems from Israel as they continue to expend munitions in this fight, and we will stay in lockstep with them, fulfilling their needs as best as we can and as fast as we can.”

Mr. Kirby said he “knows of no efforts to go to Congress” to request additional assistance to the Jewish state.

The United States gives $3.8 billion annually in assistance to Israel, with all but $500 million of it being for military aid.
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Jackson Richman, CNN, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.