Rockets were fired at Tel Aviv and southern Israel overnight, and the Israel Defense Forces attacked targets in and around the northern part of Gaza. It was not immediately clear how much damage, if any, was caused in the rocket attacks.
Israel also acknowledged for the first time that it had intelligence of something happening in Gaza two hours before the attack on Oct. 7.
The U.S. said it would provide a ship for some of its citizens to leave Israel on Oct. 16.
(All timestamps are Israeli time)
U.S. to Ship Out Some Citizens From Israel (8:14 a.m.)
The US government is assisting US nationals and their immediate family members with a valid travel document to depart Haifa via sea for Cyprus on Oct. 16, according to a statement on the US Embassy in Israel website.
Israel Says it Killed Hamas Military Leader (7:36 a.m.)
The Israeli military said on Sunday its fighter jets killed the Hamas military leader responsible for the attack on one of Israel’s communities last Saturday, Kibbutz Nirim. In a statement, the military said this occurred Saturday night during operations that also took out Hamas rocket launchers.
It said the man was commander of the Nukhba forces in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Nukhba are the elite Hamas military unit that Israel says trained and led the October 7 attack. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union.
Rockets Fired at Tel Aviv, Southern Israel (7:00 a.m.)
Rockets were fired at Tel Aviv and southern Israel overnight, Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said in a briefing on X. The IDF is still attacking Hamas targets in and around the northern part of the Gaza Strip, he said.
Israeli forces are deployed along the Gaza Strip and preparing for the next stage of operations, the spokesman said. There will be “significant military activity” in the northern part of the strip, he said, reiterating a call for civilians to move to the south.
“The next stage of operations will be enhanced operations against Hamas,” Conricus said.
US Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier Group (2:17 a.m.)
The US is sending a second aircraft carrier group to the eastern Mediterranean in support of Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. The USS Eisenhower carrier strike group will join the USS Gerald Ford, sent shortly after the Hamas attacks from Gaza last week.
Austin said the deployments “signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war.”
Syria’s Aleppo Airport Out After Airstrike (12:31am)
Israel carried out an airstrike on Saturday targeting Aleppo International Airport at about 11:35pm local time, putting it out of service, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported. Flights through Aleppo airport have been transferred to Latakia airport, Syria’s Ministry of Transport said, according to SANA. On Thursday, the Israeli military fired missiles targeting Damascus and Aleppo airports, damaging their runways and putting them out of service.
US Says 29 Citizens Dead, 15 Missing (12:04 a.m.)
At least 29 Americans are confirmed to have died in the violence in Israel since the Hamas attacks, while the US is aware of 15 citizens and one lawful permanent resident who are unaccounted for, the State Department said in a statement late Saturday.
The US is sharing intelligence with Israel and deploying US government experts “to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts,” the statement said.
Liberman to Join Emergency Government (8:33 p.m.)
Israel’s Likud Party announced that Avigdor Liberman, who heads the opposition party Yisrael Beitenu, agreed to join the emergency war government as a cabinet member. His party has six seats in parliament. Earlier this week, Benny Gantz, leader of a bigger opposition party, helped form the emergency government by joining with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Blinken Urges China to Use Its Influence (8:25 p.m.)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Beijing to use its influence to prevent other state or non-state actors from attacking Israel and widening its war with Hamas, the State Department said.
Blinken spoke with Foreign Minister Wang Yi before departing from Riyadh, where the top US diplomat was attempting to shore up support for Israel among Arab nations, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. He will meet with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the State Department said.
Israel Acknowledges Reports of Gaza Activity (8:18 p.m.)
Israel confirmed for the first time that there were intelligence indications of something happening in Gaza two hours before the attacks last week. The head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, spoke with military personnel about the reports, said Tzachi Hanegbi, head of Israel’s National Security Council.
“Both sides assessed that this is something other than it turned out to be,” he said.
--With assistance from Iain Marlow.
