Summary

  • US President Joe Biden has described Hamas' attack on Israel as an "act of sheer evil", accusing the group of "butchering" people

  • Details of a massacre in an Israeli village where fighting continued until Tuesday morning have emerged

  • Babies were killed in their bedrooms, according to an Israeli general who has been removing bodies of adults and children from the kibbutz

  • Israeli soldiers also told BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen that some of the dead had been beheaded

  • Hamas earlier launched a fresh rocket attack on southern Israel after warning people to leave the city of Ashkelon

  • Israel has also continued to heavily bomb Gaza; a BBC reporter there said it was the worst bombing he had seen in 20 years, with neighbourhoods flattened

  • The death toll in Israel has reached 1,000 and more than 900 people have been killed in Gaza

  1. Israeli music festival toll now at 260 - rescue agencypublished at 05:20 British Summer Time 9 October 2023
    Breaking

    The death toll from the Supernova music festival has gone up to 260, Israeli media reported, citing local rescue agency Zaka.

    About 3,000 people attended the all-night rave which was targeted by Hamas as part of a huge surprise attack on Israel. The festival was held in the Negev desert, near Kibbutz Re'im - not far from the Gaza Strip.

  2. US Senator Cory Booker describes sheltering during Hamas attackpublished at 05:12 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    US Senator Cory Booker says he was in Israel during Saturday's attack by Hamas militants, and that he sought refuge in a "bomb shelter".

    He said there were "many Americans" with him at the time.

    On Sunday, the US Ambassador to the UN also warned of reports that several Americans may have been taken hostage or killed, before expressing concern for the safety of US citizens throughout the region.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  3. Death toll in Israel expected to rise: Militarypublished at 04:56 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Mourners gather around the grave of an Israeli killed in the attacksImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Mourners gather around the grave of an Israeli killed in the attacks

    The death toll in Israel will continue to rise as a large number of people have been critically wounded, the Israeli military said.

    Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said in a video late on Sunday, external that it is "by far the worst day in Israeli history". Here's more on what he said:

    • "Never before have so many Israelis been killed by one single thing, let alone enemy activity on one day," he said
    • He compared the scale of the destruction from Hamas' attack to "a 9/11 and a Pearl Harbor wrapped into one"
    • The IDF says it has dealt a "fatal blow" to Hamas capabilities as airstrikes on Gaza continued overnight into Monday
    • The military has rounded up some 110,000 reserve troops who are currently in southern Israel in preparation for further combat

  4. How have other countries responded?published at 04:43 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    World leaders have reacted in different ways to Hamas' attack and Israel's retaliation. Here's a round-up.

    United States: President Joe Biden says his country's support for Israel is "rock solid and unwavering". The US has deployed ships and aircraft to the region and said it will send additional munitions to Israel.

    UK: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged "steadfast support" to Benjamin Netanyahu. "We will do everything that we can to help. Terrorism will not prevail," he said.

    Iran: President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran supported the Palestinians' right to self-defence and warned that Israel must be held accountable for endangering the region over the years. Hamas is backed by Iran.

    Lebanon: Hezbollah, a powerful armed group also backed by Iran, exchanged artillery and rocket fire with Israel on Sunday. This has sparked fears of a wider conflict between Israel and its opponent states.

    China: Beijing has called on both sides to "exercise restraint" and "cease fire immediately". State media has reiterated the "two-state solution", external, which includes establishing an independent State of Palestine.

    Russia: The foreign ministry called for an "immediate ceasefire" and negotiations towards "a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace".

  5. Iran denies any direct involvement in Hamas attackpublished at 04:27 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Iran was "not involved" in the attack carried out by Hamas militants in southern Israel, its mission to the United Nations has said.

    "We emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine's response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself," it said in a statement on Sunday, according to Reuters.

    Hamas had previously said that assistance from Iran helped it carry out its dawn attack over the weekend.

    Iran has backed Hamas for years and provides its fighters with weapons and training - and the militant group has said that assistance helped it to carry out its co-ordinated assault.

    But Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Sunday that the US government has "not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack".

  6. Here's the latest from Israel and Gazapublished at 04:11 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Fire and smoke rise above buildings in Gaza during an Israeli air strikeImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    More than 1,100 are dead on both sides following Hamas' surprise attack and Israel's repsonse

    We're approaching dawn in Israel and fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas has continued overnight. If you are just joining us, here's the latest:

    • More than 1,100 people have been killed on both sides after a massive attack by Hamas that started early Saturday
    • Thirty-six hours after the latest hostilities began, rockets were still being fired from Gaza into southern Israel
    • Israel's retaliatory air strikes have displaced 123,000 Palestinians in Gaza with close to 74,000 seeking shelter in schools, the UN says
    • Hospitals in Gaza are deluged and struggling under power cuts. The UN says Gaza's last power source - its only power plant - could run out of fuel in days
    • Several other nations have said their own citizens have been killed or abducted by Hamas
    • The US has moved its aircraft carrier closer to Israel and said it will send more weapons - a move denounced as "aggression" by Hamas.
    • US officials expect Israel to launch a ground incursion into Gaza within the next 48 hours
    • Oil prices jumped on Monday over concerns that the latest events could disrupt output from the Middle East
    The Israeli army is moving artillery units toward GazaImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    The Israeli army is moving artillery units toward Gaza

  7. Explained: Israel's Iron Dome air defence systempublished at 03:52 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza StripImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system became operational in 2011

    The surprise attack on Saturday morning began with a barrage of rockets being fired out of Gaza into Israel.

    Some of those missiles managed to make their way through Israel’s sophisticated air defence system known as the Iron Dome.

    Speaking to CNN on Saturday, the Israel Defense Force international spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht said that, while Iron Dome has been doing “quite a good job", the system was never airtight.

    He confirmed at least one direct hit in the southern coastal city of Ashkelon on Saturday, but with Hamas reportedly firing thousands of rockets, the Iron Dome appears to have been largely effective at doing its job.

    The system became operational in 2011, developed in response to the war Israel fought with Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah movement in 2006, when thousands of rockets were launched into Israel - causing huge damage, mass evacuations and dozens of deaths.

    Considered among the most advanced defence systems in the world, it uses radar to identify and destroy incoming threats before they can cause damage.

    The technology it uses also differentiates between missiles likely to hit built-up areas and those that won’t. Static and mobile units only launch interceptor missiles to shoot-down anything interpreted as dangerous.

    A BBC graphic titled "How Israel's Iron Dome defence system works". The details are as follows: 1) Enemy rockets fired. 2) Radar system detects rocket and tracks. 3) Control system estimates impact point. 4) Launcher fires missile to intercept. 5) Missile explodes near rocket, destroying it. Additional text clarifies that the Iron Dome system ignores incoming threats that it determines will land in uninhabited areas. Information is sourced from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
  8. The US is concerned the Israel - Hamas conflict could broadenpublished at 03:40 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Barbara Plett Usher
    US State Department correspondent, BBC News

    The large US deployment underscores American concerns that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could draw in other parts of the region.

    They’re sending an aircraft carrier with a deck of warplanes, accompanied by cruisers and destroyers – also extra military assistance such as munitions.

    In particular they want to prevent Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah movement from joining the fight. It’s backed by Iran, which also funds and arms Hamas.

    There are reports that Iran helped organise the unprecedented attack, although the Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US hasn’t seen evidence to confirm that.

    But he did suggest that Hamas may have been trying to derail an emerging diplomatic deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is at the heart of President Biden’s Middle East policy.

    Some Hamas leaders have said Israel’s normalization agreements with Arab states were among the factors that drove the attack -- that there wouldn’t be peace if Palestinians were left out of the equation.

  9. What is Hamas and what is happening in Gaza?published at 03:19 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    What is Hamas?

    Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist militant group which has ruled the Gaza strip since 2007.

    What is the Gaza Strip?

    Home to about 2.3 million people, the Gaza Strip is a 41km-(25-mile) long and 10km-wide territory surrounded by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

    Why are Israel and Hamas fighting?

    Following years of tensions and a punishing blockade on Gaza, Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel on Saturday while dozens of fighters entered Israeli territory.

  10. Israel strikes key Hamas infrastructurepublished at 03:05 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has launched multiple airstrikes targeting Hamas' key infrasructure. This includes a mosque in the Jabaliya region which the group supposedly used as an "operational asset".

    A building associated with Muhammad Kashta, a senior official with the Hamas naval force, was among the targets, the IDF said in an X post, external.

  11. Iran doubles down on support for Hamaspublished at 02:47 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Iran's senior leadership have reiterated their support for Saturday's assault on southern Israel by Hamas militants.

    Foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian described the violence as a "legitimate response to years of killings [and] crimes", in a tweet on Sunday.

    President Ebrahim Raisi, meanwhile, called it a "victory" for "Palestinian soldiers [and] all Palestinian groups" in a televised speech carried by Wana News Agency.

    Hamas has claimed assistance from Iran helped it carry out its dawn attack over the weekend, which involved rockets and drones, and saw hundreds of its fighters break through Israeli border fortifications around the Gaza Strip.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US had not seen evidence of direct Iranian involvement yet.

  12. Gaza's last power source could run out of fuel in days - UNpublished at 02:31 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Gaza's only power plant, currently the only source of power in the enclave, could run out of fuel in days, the UN said in a statement on Sunday night, external.

    A complete blackout could put many lives at risk - the Gaza Strip is home to about 2.3 million people.

    Gaza is heavily dependent on Israel for power. Normally, it purchases 120 megawatts of electricity per day from Israel while its lone power plant supplies another 60 megawatts, according to previous reports citing local officials.

    Israel has cut all electricity supplies to Gaza on Sunday following an order from the prime minister's offfice.

    Even before the recent events, Gaza residents have been suffering from a growing electricity crisis.

    Most parts of Gaza were thrown into darkness when Israel cut power suppliesImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Most parts of Gaza were thrown into darkness when Israel cut power supplies

  13. WATCH: Explosion in Gaza halts BBC journalist's live reportpublished at 02:11 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Media caption,

    Loud explosion heard in Gaza halts BBC journalist's on air report

    BBC journalist Rushdi Abu Alouf was broadcasting live from Gaza when he was suddenly interrupted by a loud explosion.

    He was speaking to presenter Maryam Moshiri live on air, telling her the explosion sounded "quite close."

  14. A massive military operation seems certainpublished at 01:53 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Jeremy Bowen
    International editor

    Until now, Israeli prime ministers, including Benjamin Netanyahu, have resisted pressure to send a large force into Gaza to try to break the power of Hamas.

    It’s a daunting military challenge, which would kill many Palestinian civilians and might not work. Instead they tried to contain Hamas by imposing a siege on Gaza – and by relying on intelligence and the deterrent power of Israel’s military.

    That policy is now in tatters. A massive military operation seems certain.

    Even if it achieved its objectives, without spreading the war to other places, it wouldn’t deal with some big challenges.

    How would Gaza be governed? What would happen the day after Israel pulled out? Military force is not enough.

    Longer term the underlying political reasons for this deadly conflict need to be addressed. If not, more generations will be sentenced to bloodshed and pain.

  15. More than 123,000 Palestinians displaced in Gaza - UNpublished at 01:37 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    A young boy walks along a debris-strewn street in GazaImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A young boy walks along a debris-strewn street in Gaza

    More than 123,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza as of 09:00 local time (18:00 GMT), with close to 74,000 seeking shelter in schools, the UN said, external in a statement on Sunday night.

    Israel has responded to Hamas' surprise attack with a series of air strikes in Gaza. The Gaza Strip is home to about 2.3 million people and has one of the highest population densities in the world.

    Palestinian health officials say that more than 400 people have been killed, with more than 2,000 injured.

  16. Oil prices jump on fears of supply disruptionpublished at 01:25 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    Oil prices are rallying over concerns that the latest events could disrupt output from the Middle East.

    West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for US oil, jumped by more than 4% to over $86 a barrel.

    The Israel and Palestinian territories are not oil producers. But the Middle Eastern region accounts for almost a third of global supply.

  17. Israeli resident: Hamas assault 'truly horrific'published at 01:10 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    "The army was overwhelmed. Until the army got to us, it was about eight hours," an Israeli resident in the Re'im kibbutz near the Gaza Strip has told the BBC's Newsday programme. The resident said they were in hiding during Saturday's assault by Hamas militants.

    "We were locked in our safe rooms, on our own. There [was] frantic messaging from people in our messaging group saying we can hear Arabic outside our doors. They're inside our house. We have to have help," the retired teacher said.

    "There was just the first responders from our kibbutz because the army couldn't get there. It was horrific. It was truly horrific."

    Re'im is located near the site of the Supernova music festival in the Negev desert where over 250 bodies have been recovered following the attack, according to rescuers.

  18. Gaza hospitals struggle under power cutspublished at 00:52 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    As we've been reporting, there have been casualties on both sides of this conflict. More than 400 people in the Gaza Strip have died in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes, and some 2,300 more have been injured, according to Palestinian health officials.

    Power cuts in Gaza are posing a major challenge for hospitals, the territory's health ministry has said.

    And the UN refugee agency, UNRWA, said it was sheltering 73,538 displaced people in 64 schools across the Palestinian enclave.

  19. White House confirms US citizens killedpublished at 00:28 British Summer Time 9 October 2023
    Breaking

    The White House says "several" Americans have been killed in Israel, although no specific number has been given.

    A National Security Council spokesman says the US government is monitoring the situation closely and is keeping in contact with local authorities in Israel.

  20. The latest situation in Israel and Gazapublished at 00:06 British Summer Time 9 October 2023

    A night time shot shows a building being hit by a missileImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A missile explodes in Gaza City on Sunday evening

    Thanks for joining our live coverage, which continues from our previous page.

    A short time ago, we received confirmation from the Israeli military that more than 700 people there had been killed in attacks after a massive co-ordinated assault by Hamas militants that started early on Saturday.

    The latest update from the Palestinian side says more than 400 have died after retaliatory strikes by Israel in Gaza. Here are more of the headlines: