'Never seen anything like this': Clarissa Ward near the Gaza border02:21
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Israel at war with Hamas after unprecedented attacks
By Jessie Yeung and Adam Renton, CNN

Updated 12:38 a.m. ET, October 9, 2023
What we're covering
Fighting in Israel is raging a day after Hamas fighters breached the border from Gaza in an unprecedented surprise attack. Officials say the death toll in Israel has passed 700.
Videos show the horror on the ground, including an attack on a music festival where Israeli rescuers say they found 260 people dead. Other clips show Israeli civilians taken hostage. Hamas claims it is holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers.
Israel has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes and formally declared war on Hamas Sunday. More than 400 Palestinians have died, according to the health ministry in Gaza, and medical care has been complicated by Israel cutting power to the territory.
The full scale of the Israeli response remains unclear, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has predicted a "long and difficult war," and a military spokesperson hinted the country may try to take full control of Gaza.

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21 min ago
IDF says Israel is not in full control along the Gaza border as troops go "door to door"
From CNN's Yong Xiong
Israel is not in full control of its territory along the border with Gaza, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson told CNN on Sunday.

"We are still hunting down the last terrorist inside Israeli territory," Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said. "Our troops are going door to door and house to house, looking for, and in many cases, engaging with last terrorists inside Israel."
Conricus said there are still openings in the border, but they have been "temporarily patched up and guarded."

The IDF's assessment is that most of the remaining militants likely "crossed into Israel first, and then simply were not able to get back and were stuck in Israeli terrain and are now probably choosing to go out fighting and are trying to kill Israeli civilians or engaging with the Israeli troops," Conricus said.
The IDF's goal now is to rid Hamas of its "military capabilities to fight and to harm Israeli civilians, and also achieve the situation where Hamas no longer has the ability to govern the Gaza Strip," he said.

"Tomorrow morning, they will see a lot of their military infrastructure destroyed. And I think that there will be significant losses for Hamas," he said.

27 min ago
Families of missing Israelis ask government for answers
From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey
Families of some Israelis feared to have been taken hostage by Hamas militants on Sunday urged the government to provide answers about their loved ones.

In a news conference broadcast by Israel's Channel 12, father Uri David said he had been on the phone with his two daughters for half an hour before they were believed to have been captured.

"I heard heavy breathing and then no more answers to my phone. I want the whole world to see what I'm going through," David said.
A mother at the news conference in the city of Ramat Gan, Meirav Leshem Gonen, said she was on the phone with her daughter as gunmen shot at the car she was in.

Gonen said her daughter had begged for help as the militants approached. Gonen heard more shots fired — then the call ended.

David and Gonen said they do not know the status of their children.

Hostages taken: Hamas militants claimed Sunday to be holding more than 100 hostages in Gaza, including high-ranking Israeli army officers.

Israeli authorities have said that dozens of hostages are being held in Gaza, but have not confirmed a precise number.

42 min ago
Video shows Gaza militants shooting music festival attendees at point-blank range
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy and Teele Rebane
A gunman is seen in dashcam footage from a car at a music festival in southern Israel.
A gunman is seen in dashcam footage from a car at a music festival in southern Israel. Obtained by CNN
Hamas militants who attacked a music festival in southern Israel Saturday shot and killed people at point-blank range then looted their belongings, according to dashcam footage authenticated and geolocated by CNN.

It's unclear whose car the video came from, or who salvaged the footage, which began circulating on social media on Sunday. But the clips are shedding new light on the attack at the festival site, where Israeli rescuers say they found 260 people dead.

The first video begins at 9:23 a.m., according to its timecode — several hours after attendees told CNN they heard the first explosions.

A militant is seen yelling, then pointing his machine gun at a person taking cover next to the car. Empty shells rocket out of the gun; it's unclear if he was firing warning shots, or if he had shot the civilian.

The man, covered in blood, is led away by the gunman. It's unknown what happened to him afterward.

A second individual is seen lying on the ground at the back of another car. The person begins to move, when another militant appears on screen. The gunman runs up to them, fires at the person, and walks away.

A second video from the dashcam, timestamped 12:09 p.m., shows two militants approach the body of the second individual.

After rifling through their pockets, a militant picks something off the body and puts it in his own back pocket.

A few minutes later, they grab a woman out of the back of the car, and she is led off-screen. The militants then empty a suitcase from another car's trunk, going through the contents.

Shortly afterward, the captured woman is seen running and waving toward the festival grounds, with bullets hitting the ground around her. She takes cover again next to the emptied suitcase and open trunk. Her fate is unknown.

50 min ago
Oil rises, US stock futures drop on turmoil in the Middle East
From CNN's David Goldman and Michelle Toh
Oil prices surged and US stock futures fell on Sunday night in their first reaction to Israel's war with Hamas.

Although Israel is not a major oil producer, escalating tensions in the oil-rich Middle East spooked investors who have already been selling off oil in recent weeks.

On Sunday night, US oil prices surged 4% higher above $86 a barrel. Brent crude, the global benchmark, was also about 4% higher, trading around $88 a barrel.

Stephen Innes, managing partner of SPI Asset Management, said the surge was likely due to a tendency among traders to take "a buy-first-ask-questions-later response to Middle East geopolitical escalations."

"Historical analysis suggests that oil prices tend to experience sustained gains after the Middle East crises," he wrote in a note to clients Monday.
In the equity markets, US stock futures, which rose Friday on a surprisingly strong American job market report, fell sharply Sunday night.

Dow futures were down 200 points, or 0.6%. S&P 500 futures were down 0.7%. And Nasdaq futures were 0.7% lower.

Global investors fear prolonged tensions in the Middle East could hurt the fragile global economic recovery.

Read more here.

1 hr ago
It's morning in Israel and Gaza. Catch up on the latest here
From CNN staff
A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Sunday.
A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Sunday. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
The death toll is rising in Israel and Gaza as fighting rages between Israeli forces and Hamas militants and as more details emerge of the dead and those taken hostage.

Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Sunday after the Islamist militant group launched its deadly surprise assault on Saturday. Israel also cut power to Gaza — complicating medical care efforts as the densely-populated territory is pounded by Israeli airstrikes.

If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know:

Rising toll: More than 700 people have been killed in Israel, while more than 400 Palestinians have been killed, according to authorities. Some 2,300 others have been wounded in Gaza, with power cuts threatening "lives of hundreds of injuries and patients," said the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Music festival: Among the dead are at least 260 people whose bodies were found at the site of an Israeli music festival, according to rescue teams. Hamas gunmen shot at fleeing attendees and took others hostage during the event Saturday near the Israel-Gaza border.
Hostages taken: Hamas is holding more than 100 Israeli hostages in Gaza, including high-ranking army officers, a spokesperson for the militant group claimed Sunday. In addition to Israeli captives, there are also other nationalities believed to be taken hostage, including Mexican and Brazilian nationals — complicating Israel's response to the Hamas attack.
Fighting ongoing: Israel has "severely degraded the capabilities" of Hamas as airstrikes on Gaza continued into early Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Hamas claimed on Sunday that their forces are still present and conducting operations in Mavki'im in southern Israel, just north of Gaza. Hamas also said it had launched "a major missile attack" on the southern coastal city of Ashkelon, close to the Gaza border. CNN is unable to verify Hamas' claims. A spokesperson from Israel's military neither confirmed nor denied Hamas' claims, but said: "We're still fighting down south."
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv: Loud explosions could be heard across central Israel and the suburbs of the city late Sunday, according to CNN teams on the ground. Hamas has claimed it is targeting Ben Gurion airport, Israel's international hub, which is located just outside Tel Aviv.
US sending jets: The US is sending a Navy carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including guided missile destroyers and guided missile cruisers. The US is also positioning more fighter jets to the Middle East, as a deterrent to Hezbollah in Lebanon and other militant groups aligned against Israel, officials say. In response, Hamas accused the US of taking part in "aggression against Palestinian people."
Washington support: US lawmakers and Biden administration officials discussed increasing support for Israel at a briefing with House leadership on Sunday night, three people familiar with the call told CNN. Senior officials from the State and Defense Departments told lawmakers they are moving as quickly as they can to deliver weapons to Israel as part of already existing contracts, the sources said.
No UN action: The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday — but no action was taken afterward. The Deputy US Ambassador to the UN said "not all" the member nations had condemned Hamas' attacks, but did not specify which. All 15 members need to vote unanimously for the UNSC to release a statement.

1 hr 4 min ago
Hamas says US sending carrier strike group is "aggression against Palestinian people"
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi
Islamist militant group Hamas on Sunday accused the United States of taking part in "aggression against Palestinian people" by sending a Navy carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

"These movements do not frighten our people nor their resistance, which will continue to defend our people and our holy places," Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem said in a statement.
The Navy carrier strike group includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, accompanied by guided missile destroyers and guided missile cruisers.

The US is also positioning more fighter jets to the Middle East, as a deterrent to Hezbollah in Lebanon and other militant groups aligned against Israel, officials say.

2 hr 8 min ago
Hamas capabilities "severely degraded" in airstrikes, Israeli forces say
From CNN's Hadas Gold in Jerusalem
Israel has "severely degraded the capabilities" of Palestinian militant group Hamas as airstrikes on Gaza continued into early Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The IDF said it targeted a structure that housed Hamas operatives and several of the group's operational command centers, including a three-floor command center.

The IDF also said it targeted:

A command center belonging to a senior Hamas naval forces operative, named as Mahmad Kashta
A Hamas operational asset in a mosque in the city of Jabalia
An intelligence asset and an additional asset used by Hamas
Israel has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes and formally declared war on Hamas Sunday following an unprecedented surprise attack by the militant group that began on Saturday. More than 400 Palestinians have died, according to the health ministry in Gaza, and medical care has been complicated by Israel cutting power to the territory.

Officials say the death toll in Israel has passed 700.

3 hr 12 min ago
Hamas claims to be holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi and Jonny Hallam
Hamas fighters are holding more than 100 Israeli hostages in Gaza, including high-ranking army officers, a spokesperson for the militant group claimed Sunday.

In an interview with Arabic news outlet al-Ghad TV, Mousa Abu Marzouk, chief deputy of Hamas' political bureau, said the number of Israeli hostages "hasn't been counted yet but they are over a hundred."
Asked about the presence of Israeli army officers among the hostages, Marzouk said: "There are high-ranking officers."

Another Palestinian armed group, Islamic Jihad, on Sunday said it is holding at least 30 hostages in Gaza.

CNN is unable to verify the claims of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Israel authorities have said that dozens of Israelis are being held hostage in Gaza but have not confirmed exact numbers.

In addition to Israeli captives, there are several other nationalities believed to be taken hostage. Two Mexican nationals, a woman and a man, have "presumably" been taken hostage by Hamas, Mexico's Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said on Sunday. At least three Brazilian nationals are also missing, according to Brazilian authorities.

1 hr 49 min ago
No UN Security Council action taken after emergency meeting
From CNN's Richard Roth and Samantha Beech in New York
Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, arrives to speak to reporters during a press conference before the UN Security Council meeting on Sunday.
Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, arrives to speak to reporters during a press conference before the UN Security Council meeting on Sunday. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images
No action was taken following the United Nations Security Council emergency meeting on the situation in the Middle East, according to several Security Council members who spoke Sunday afternoon.

"I don't want to get into what was really discussed in the briefing, but there are a good number of countries that condemned Hamas' attacks," Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told reporters following the meeting. "They're obviously not all (condemning the attacks), and I don't really want to get into that. I think you can probably figure out one of them without me saying anything."

Some context: The Security Council consists of 10 elected members, and five permanent members — China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation. All 15 members would have needed to vote unanimously for any statement to emerge following the Security Council meeting.

More from the council: "The situation is still fluid and very dangerous," Wood said.

He added officials are working hard to try to prevent the conflict from spreading through the region.

"It's important that the global community condemn, strongly condemn, this unprovoked invasion and the terrorist attacks and activities that have taken place and are taking place," Wood said.
When asked about the plight of Palestinians in the region, Wood said, "We condemn civilians who are hurt or killed anywhere in the world. That goes without saying. What's important now is that the international community to show its solidarity with Israel."

Hamas should be condemned until they end their violent terrorist activity, he added.

1 hr 50 min ago
Hamas says it launched a "major missile attack" on Ashkelon in southern Israel
From CNN's Jonny Hallam
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza, as seen from Ashkelon, on Sunday.
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza, as seen from Ashkelon, on Sunday. Amir Cohen/Reuters
Hamas, which earlier said it was targeting Ben Gurion International Airport, also said it had launched "a major missile attack with 100 rockets" on Ashkelon in southern Israel.

The rockets were fired at the coastal city in response to Israel Defense Forces "targeting of their safe houses," said the Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian militant group.

Ashkelon is not far north of the border with the Gaza Strip.

4 hr 51 min ago
Explosions heard in central Israel as Hamas claims to target Ben Gurion Airport
From CNN's Jonny Hallam and Eyad Kourdi
Loud explosions could be heard across central Israel and the suburbs of Tel Aviv late Sunday, according to CNN teams on the ground.

Hamas has claimed it is targeting the Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's international hub, which is located just outside Tel Aviv.

The Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a statement that the "missile barrage was in response to the continuing crimes and targeting of civilian homes."

Remember: Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack from Gaza on Saturday, leading Israel to declare war on the Palestinian militant group. Since then, Israel has bombarded Gaza with airstrikes, and Hamas has launched further attacks from the territory.

5 hr 4 min ago
At least 260 bodies found at music festival site in Israel after Hamas attack, rescue organization says
From CNN's Amir Tal in Jerusalem
At least 260 bodies have been found at the site of an Israeli music festival following Saturday's attack by Hamas, according to Israeli rescue service Zaka.

Hamas gunmen shot at fleeing attendees and took others hostage at the festival in a rural farmland area near the Gaza-Israel border, according to social media videos and accounts from festivalgoers.

The terrifying attack was just one of multiple locations hit on Saturday morning by the most sustained and coordinated assault inside Israel ever carried out by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group designated as a terror organization by the United States, European Union and Israel.

The outdoor Nova Festival event was supposed to be an all-night dance party, celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Read more about the festival attack here.

CNN's Paul P. Murphy, Allegra Goodwin, Benjamin Brown and Sharif Paget contributed reporting to this post.

5 hr 8 min ago
US Navy moves carrier strike group to eastern Mediterranean Sea with Israel at war
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
A US Navy carrier strike group is headed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as Israel prepares for a large-scale campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was sailing with the Italian Navy earlier this week, according to the ship's social media, putting it close to Israel.

The carrier will be accompanied by guided missile destroyers and guided missile cruisers, which are two other classes of Navy warship.

The US is also taking steps to bolster its presence of fighter jets in the region, including F-35, F-15, F-16 and A-10 squadrons. It sent several of these aircraft to the Middle East in recent months in response to aggression from Iranian forces across the region, including in Syria and in the Gulf of Oman.

Why it matters: The strike group's presence is intended as a deterrent to Hezbollah in Lebanon and other militant groups aligned against Israel, the officials said.

US President Joe Biden warned Saturday that "this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage."

Remember: Hamas, like Hezbollah, has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Israel.

Israel accuses its archenemy Iran of backing Hamas.

An official in US President Joe Biden's administration said Saturday that it's not yet clear whether Iran played a direct role in this weekend's attacks on Israel, but that there is no question Hamas is funded, equipped and armed by Iran.

October 11, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news
By Kathleen Magramo, Adam Renton, Christian Edwards, Peter Wilkinson, Aditi Sangal, Dakin Andone, Leinz Vales, Steve Almasy, Elise Hammond, Tori B. Powell, Kaanita Iyer and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 12:00 AM ET, Thu October 12, 2023
What we're covering
Israel is "conducting a large-scale strike on terror targets belonging to the Hamas," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement early Thursday local time.
Israel on Wednesday formed an emergency government and war cabinet in the wake of Hamas' surprise attacks on border communities that killed at least 1,200 people and injured thousands more.
A humanitarian crisis is swiftly unfolding in Gaza, where at least 1,100 people have died, according to health officials. The only power station stopped working Wednesday after running out of fuel, an official said.
At least 22 US citizens have died in Israel, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. Separately, US President Joe Biden confirmed that there are Americans among the hostages taken by Hamas.
Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza.

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12 min ago
More than 330,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment, UN says
From CNN's Abeer Salman & Kareem El Damanhoury
More than 330,000 people have been displaced in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment of the strip, according to a statement by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) early Thursday (local time).

"The cumulative number of displaced people increased by 30 percent over the past 24 hours, now totaling 338,934, of whom over two thirds are taking shelter in UNRWA schools," the statement read.
OCHA further expressed its concerns over the damage of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Israel began a blockade of the densely populated enclave, cutting electricity, fuel, and water supplies.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza earlier on Thursday said 600,000 people have no access to water and that some hospitals are relying on water from wells. The ministry added that the death toll in Gaza is nearing 1,200 since Saturday.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) says it is aiming to provide "a critical food lifeline to over 800,000 people."

1 hr 32 min ago
Biden administration official clarifies president, admin have not seen pictures or verified reports of children beheaded by Hamas
From CNN's DJ Judd and Kayla Tausche
After President Biden's remarks earlier today, an administration official told CNN neither Biden nor the administration have seen pictures or confirmed reports of children or infants beheaded by Hamas.

The official clarified that the president's remarks were referring to public comments from media outlets and Israeli officials.

Biden, speaking from the Indian Treaty Room Wednesday, told Jewish leaders, "It matters that Americans see what's happening — I mean, I have been doing this a long time, I never really thought that I would see, have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children."

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that babies and toddlers were found "decapitated" in Kfar Aza, Tal Heinrich. CNN could not independently verify that report, and Hamas said media reports about attacking children were false.

22 min ago
US State Department exploring alternative options for citizens wanting to leave Israel due to limited flights
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
Passengers look at a departure board at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023, as flights are canceled because of the Hamas surprise attacks.
Passengers look at a departure board at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 7, 2023, as flights are canceled because of the Hamas surprise attacks. Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
The US State Department said it's aware of the limited commercial flights available to citizens wanting to leave Israel and is "exploring other contract options by air, land, and sea to nearby countries," a spokesperson said Wednesday.

"The State Department has teams communicating 24/7 with US citizens and providing them assistance through phone calls, an online form and the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program," the spokesperson said. "Our goal is to assist US citizens who want to leave Israel with a safe means of doing so." 
The spokesperson said US citizens are encouraged to take advantage of commercial flights "that involve transiting a third country if they are unable to book a direct flight to the United States." In order to meet high demand for flights, the spokesperson said "we are also exploring other contract options by air, land and sea to nearby countries."

The spokesperson said the department "will continue to provide updates to US citizens who have registered via our online form as information becomes available."

On Wednesday, the department raised the travel advisory level for Israel to Level 3:Reconsider Travel.

1 hr 11 min ago
Israel currently conducting "large-scale strike" on Hamas in Gaza, IDF says
From CNN's Elliott Gotkine
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 11, 2023.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 11, 2023. Fatima Shbair/AP
The Israel Defense Forces are "currently conducting a large-scale strike on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," according to an IDF social media post early Thursday local time.

2 hr 18 min ago
Here's a brief history of the US support for Israel over the last 75 years
From CNN's Zachary B. Wolf
Biden speaks during a roundtable with Jewish community at the White House on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
Biden speaks during a roundtable with Jewish community at the White House on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Susan Walsh/AP
President Joe Biden's promise for the US to "stand with Israel" continues a special relationship that dates back to 1948, when President Harry Truman became the first world leader to recognize the Jewish state, moments after its creation.

There's now a kibbutz named after Truman in Israel, and the US provides billions in military support to Israel each year.

Israel has played an outsized role in US policy, and not just because most recent presidents have tried to play the role of peace maker between Israel and Palestinians and move toward a two-state solution.

Three presidential historians provided context about the US and its relationship with Israel. Douglas Brinkley is CNN's presidential historian and a professor at Rice University, Julian Zelizer is a CNN contributor and a professor at Princeton University and Mark Updegrove is president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation.

Here's what they had to say about the US relationship with Israel.

President Dwight Eisenhower became infuriated at Israel: Along with France and the United Kingdom, Israel attacked Egypt in 1956 in an attempt to seize the Suez Canal and overthrow Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Eisenhower pressured the countries to remove their troops — which they eventually did.

President John F. Kennedy was concerned about Israel's nuclear ambitions: Kennedy engaged in a quiet pressure campaign to let US inspectors into its nuclear sites and halt an Israeli nuclear program. Israel is thought to have developed nuclear weapons in the 1960s, although it has never formally acknowledged them.

President Lyndon Johnson used the hotline to calm the Soviets during the Six-Day War: Johnson helped supply Israel in the years preceding the Six-Day War, in which Israel seized land from its neighbors. Egypt, as a result, closed the Suez Canal for years. Johnson agreed to sell some military equipment to the Israelis which was a shift in US policy at the time.

"This was a very much a product of Cold War tension," said Updegrove, the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation. "I think there was a great concern that that would escalate beyond Israel, Egypt and Syria to being a much larger battle."

President Richard Nixon airlifted supplies to Israel and engaged in "shuttle diplomacy": Nixon ultimately supported Israel during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, a key moment that may have saved the country.

"Most historians of that region think that the US munitions support was essential to Israel's survival at that point," Zelizer said.

Henry Kissinger, Nixon's secretary of state, also engaged in so-called "shuttle diplomacy," engineering an end to the war and ultimately reopening the Suez Canal under President Gerald Ford.

President Jimmy Carter brokered peace between Egypt and Israel: Carter brought Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat together for the Camp David Accords, which created a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt, its Arab neighbor to the South.

Today, Israel enforces its borders on the Gaza Strip, but so does Egypt. That more than two million Palestinians live in the 140 square-mile strip without the ability to easily leave is why it is today frequently referred to as the biggest open-air prison on earth.

Read more about the US-Israel relationship throughout the years.

Children found 'butchered' in Israeli kibbutz, IDF says, as horror of Hamas' attacks near border begins to emerge

By Muhammad Darwish, Nic Robertson, Artemis Moshtaghian, Amir Tal, Ivana Kottasová and Sana Noor Haq, CNN
8 minute read
Updated 3:20 PM EDT, Wed October 11, 2023
Kfar Aza, Israel
CNN
—
Bodies of Israeli residents and Hamas attackers lay outside burned-out homes in the Israeli kibbutz Kfar Aza on Tuesday, days after the Palestinian militant group launched a large-scale surprise assault on Israel.

Hamas sent waves of heavily armed fighters pouring across the border from Gaza and rampaging through rural communities – Israel said it found 1,500 bodies of militants in the aftermath of the assault.

Houses in Kfar Aza were ransacked and set ablaze. Overturned mattresses, destroyed furniture, broken trinkets and unexploded grenades lay strewn across the grounds, along with bodies – a window into the scale of devastation wrought by Hamas in this area.

"I've never seen anything like this in my career, never in 40 years of service this something I never imagined," Maj. Gen. Itai Veruv told CNN on Tuesday, just a few hours after Israeli troops secured the kibbutz from Hamas assailants.

In Kfar Aza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was going house to house, collecting the dead in body bags and loading them onto a truck. The IDF told CNN that women, children, toddlers and elderly were "brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action."

Hamas has denied that its militants beheaded children or attacked women. The militant group's spokesman and senior official Izzat al-Risheq on Wednesday described the accusation as "fabricated and baseless allegations."

Kfar Aza is one of the several kibbutzim, small farming enclaves, that bore the brunt of Hamas' ground assault on Saturday. A number of kibbutzim and towns were targeted, including Kfar Aza, Be'eri, Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Mordechai, Yated, Kissufim and Urim. Revelers at a music festival held in the desert outside of Be'eri were also gunned down and taken hostage.

People take cover in a bomb shelter in Rishon Lezion, Israel, as rockets are launched from Gaza on October 7.
Rockets are fired toward Israel from Gaza on October 7.
People carry bodies of Palestinians killed during an Israeli airstrike prior to their burial in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Wednesday, October 11.
People carry bodies of Palestinians killed during an Israeli airstrike prior to their burial in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Wednesday, October 11.
Abed Rahim Khatib/Picture-Alliance/Getty Images
An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City on October 11.
Mourners react beside the body of Mapal Adam during her funeral in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 11.
Palestinians run from Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.
Israeli soldiers load donated food into the back of a military vehicle in Sderot, Israel, on October 11.
Bullet holes are seen in a cracked window at the entrance of a kindergarten in Be'eri, Israel, on October 11. The self-sustaining farming community near Gaza was <a>one of the first places targeted by Hamas militants</a> on October 7.
A mourner reacts while burying a child from the al-Agha family, who were killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.
Israeli soldiers fire artillery towards Gaza in Netivot, Israel, on October 11.
Itzik and Miriam Shafir, center, mourn during their son's funeral at a cemetery in Modiin Maccabim, Israel, on Wednesday, October 11. Their son, Dor Shafir, and his girlfriend, Savion Kiper, were killed during <a>Hamas' attack on a music festival</a> on Saturday.
A boy carries salvaged belongings from the wreckage of his family's home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City on Tuesday, October 10.
Israeli soldiers carry a body on October 10 in Kfar Aza, a village in Israel just across the border from Gaza. Hamas militants carried out a "massacre" in Kfar Aza during their attacks over the weekend, <a>the Israel Defense Forces told CNN</a>.
Palestinians mourn during the funeral of a relative killed in an Israeli strike, in Gaza City on October 10.
People mourn at the grave of Eden Guez during her funeral in Ashkelon, Israel, on October 10. She was killed as she attended a music festival that was <a>attacked by terrorists from Gaza</a>. Israeli officials counted at least 260 bodies at the Nova Festival.
Israeli soldiers take position in Kfar Aza near the border with Gaza on October 10.
Palestinians rescue a young girl from the rubble of a destroyed residential building following an Israeli airstrike on October 10.
Stranded travelers wait to be booked on a flight at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv on October 10.
Palestinians walk amid the rubble following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 10.
Israelis in Ashkelon take cover in a shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets on October 10.
People gather around the bodies of two Palestinian reporters, Mohammed Soboh and Said al-Tawil, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 10.
Israelis mourn as they attend the funeral of Israel Defense Forces soldier Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg at Mount Herzel Cemetery in Jerusalem, on October 10.
A Palestinian man reacts as he carries the body of his cousin who was pulled from the rubble after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on Monday, October 9.
A family takes shelter at a neighbor's house after their home was damaged in an Israeli airstrike in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.
Children run for cover as bombs fall near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 9.
A photo from a wedding is seen on the ground of a building in Ashkelon that was hit by rockets from Gaza on October 9.
People take shelter in Jerusalem on October 9.
The ruins of the Yassin mosque are seen in the Shati refugee camp just outside Gaza City on October 9.
Friends and relatives of Ilai Bar Sade mourn next to his grave during his funeral at a military cemetery in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 9.
Six-month-old Sama Alwadia is rescued from the rubble in Gaza City on October 9. Though the child had survived the initial strike, she died later while being treated for her injuries.
Lightning strikes over Gaza City following an Israeli bombardment on October 9.
Israeli soldiers take position near the border between Gaza and Israel on October 9.
A Palestinian man mourns over the body of his nephew killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9.
Israeli security and emergency officials respond after a rocket landed in the Israeli settlement of Beitar Ilit, in the occupied West Bank, on October 9.
Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City on October 9.
Israeli soldiers work on a tank at the border between Israel and Gaza on October 9.
Palestinians remove a body from the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike on the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.
A plume of smoke rises in the sky over Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9.
The mother of Israeli Col. Roi Levy cries during her son's funeral at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem on October 9.
Palestinians inspect damage from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's Shati refugee camp on October 9.
An injured Palestinian child is pictured in the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes at al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza on October 9.
Israelis view a damaged residential building in Ashkelon after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza on October 9.
Tali Touito reacts as she describes how Hamas gunmen attacked and took over the police station on her street, in Sderot, Israel, on Sunday, October 8.
Fire and smoke rise from Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike on October 8.
A relative of an Israeli missing since the attacks is overcome by emotion during a press conference in Ramat Gan, Israel, on October 8.
Palestinians inspect a mosque destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 8.
An Israeli soldier prays standing in front of a tank on the outskirts of the northern town of Kiryat Shmona on October 8.
Israelis inspect the rubble of a building in Tel Aviv on October 8, a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza.
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza on October 8.
Palestinians search the rubble of a home in Khan Younis that was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on October 8.
Palestinian citizens inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City on October 8.
Rockets launched from Gaza are intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system on October 8.
Palestinian children look toward the sky at the sound of airstrikes at a United Nations-run school in Gaza on Saturday, October 7.
A woman runs to her family's reinforced concrete shelter moments after rocket sirens sounded in Ashkelon on October 7.
From the window of his family's apartment, a man surveys damage from a rocket that struck a parking lot in Ashkelon on October 7.
Palestinians gather around an Israeli army vehicle that Palestinian militants drove from Israel into Gaza on October 7.
Palestinians break into the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, after gunmen infiltrated parts of southern Israel on October 7.
Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket in Ashkelon on October 7.
Israeli police take cover in Ashkelon as sirens wail while rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel on October 7.
Smoke rises over Gaza during Israeli airstrikes on October 7.
An Israeli woman reacts over the body of her relative who was killed in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on October 7.
Children are seen in a damaged house in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes on October 7.
Vehicles in Ashkelon burn as rockets are launched from Gaza on October 7.
A man in Ashkelon runs after rockets were launched from Gaza on October 7.
Israelis donate blood in Jerusalem on October 7.
Palestinians inspect a destroyed building as emergency responders try to contain fires after Israeli jets bombed Gaza on October 7.
Outside of a hospital in Gaza, men sit next to the covered body of a Palestinian militant killed during Saturday's clashes.
Relatives of Palestinians killed on Saturday, October 7, mourn at the morgue of a hospital in Gaza.
An Israeli soldier stands by the bodies of Israelis killed by Palestinian militants in Sderot on October 7.
A woman stands in a room damaged by rockets in Ashkelon on October 7.
A building in Tel Aviv is ablaze Saturday, October 7, following rocket attacks from Gaza.
Smoke rises as the clashes between Palestinian groups and Israeli forces continue on the streets of Beit Hanun in Gaza on October 7.
People take cover in a bomb shelter in Rishon Lezion, Israel, as rockets are launched from Gaza on October 7.
Rockets are fired toward Israel from Gaza on October 7.
People carry bodies of Palestinians killed during an Israeli airstrike prior to their burial in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Wednesday, October 11.
An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City on October 11.

In pictures: The deadly clashes in Israel and Gaza

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At least 1,200 people have died in Israel since the conflict erupted, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said in an update on Wednesday.

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Israel has retaliated by pounding Gaza with a relentless aerial campaign that has flattened homes, schools, medical institutions and government buildings in the besieged strip.

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 1,055, with a further 5,184 people injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

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See the devastation in Gaza after Israeli strikes
02:16 - Source: CNN
'Massacre' in Kfar Aza
The kibbutzim go back to the time of the founding of Israel, when small groups of people set up communities based on the idea of communal living. About 125,000 people live across approximately 250 kibbutzim in Israel, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel. For many, they were symbols of good life and safety.

What happened at the weekend destroyed that idyll.

Babies and toddlers were found "decapitated" in Kfar Aza, Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Wednesday. CNN could not independently verify that report, and Hamas said media reports about attacking children were false.

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This comes after the IDF told CNN Tuesday that the killings at Kfar Aza amounted to a "massacre."

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Maj. Gen. Veruv said his soldiers spent "about 48 hours" fighting "waves and waves of terrorists" on roads and in neighboring communities. He said he had started fighting militants in the Yakhini moshav (community) on Saturday, moving then "from battle to battle," on the road to Sderot, before reaaching the Be'eri kibbutz on Monday evening.

"I saw hundreds of terrorists in full armor, full gear, with all the equipment and all the ability to make a massacre, go from apartment to apartment, from room to room and kill babies, mothers, fathers in their bedrooms," Veruv said.

A covered body is seen lying on the ground in Kfar Aza.
A covered body is seen lying on the ground in Kfar Aza.
Muhammad Darwish/CNN
Veruv said he had been retired from the IDF for eight years before rushing to join the counter-offensive efforts on Saturday morning, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

"I have heard during my childhood about the pogroms in Europe, the Holocaust, of course. All my family came from Europe, they are survivors. But I never thought I would see...things like that," he said about the scene in Kfar Aza.

Be'eri
More than 100 bodies were found in Be'eri on Monday. Civilians were killed and taken hostage in the kibbutz, which is home to about 1,000 residents, according to Israeli authorities and videos obtained and authenticated by CNN.

Heavily armed militants arrived in Be'eri on motorbikes around 7 a.m., just half an hour after they breached the typically high-tech, tightly guarded border fence between Gaza and Israel, videos show.