October 9, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

The US is offering Israel special operations planning and intelligence support as part of the effort to rescue hostages taken by Hamas, a US defense official tells CNN.

The support would not entail US troops on the ground in Israel. Instead, the assistance would come in the form of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. 

The support would include help from US Central Command and US Special Operations Command, the official said, as well as Joint Special Operations Command, which is the command within the military that develops special operations tactics and plans. 

The topic also came up on a call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, over the weekend, the official said. Afterward, Austin directed the JSOC team to “lean forward” with planning and intel support to the Israeli military.

Israel has not publicly stated how many hostages were taken in Hamas’s cross-border surprise attack from Gaza, but officials have acknowledged the number is significant. 

US authorities have been scrambling to establish how many Americans have been killed or taken hostage in the conflict.

Israel will overcome the sorrow unleashed by Hamas but "difficult days are still ahead of us," the country's leader said Monday.

"We lost entire families, sons and daughters, young and old," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised speech. "Together we will overcome and together we will win — only together."

He said the Israeli military is going on the offense against Hamas with a force "like never before" and said the images of the destruction of Hamas strongholds in Gaza are "just the beginning."

"We grieve for our brothers and sisters whose blood was shed, and we are determined to win this war, to bring life, blessing and light to our people and our country," he added. 

An American living in Israel is pleading for the return of five family members who were taken hostage Saturday.

Abbey Onn, who has been living in Israel for eight years, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday she woke up to sirens Saturday morning only to find out her “worst nightmare” when she learned five family members were abducted by Hamas militants.

"We started getting messages via WhatsApp that Hamas was in the kibbutz, that they were in their homes," Onn said. She said her family members sent messages saying they could hear gunfire and were scared for their lives.

Onn's 80-year-old cousin, Carmela Dan, a dual US-Israeli citizen; Dan’s son-in-law Ofer Kalderon, 50; and Carmela’s grandchildren, Sahar Kalderon, 16; Erez Kalderon, 12; and Noya Dan, 13, were abducted from the kibbutz near the Gaza border.

Asked what she would say to those holding her family members, Onn said would urge them: “Think about your own mother, to think about your child and to know that all you ever want for them is peace and safety – and this is not the way to solve anything.”

Onn believes the attacks weren't politically motivated and called the situation a humanitarian issue. “These are people's grandparents and children," she said.

She noted the difference between the Palestinian people and Hamas, saying, "You can care for the Palestinian people, and you can still be against terror and against Hamas." 

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said Israeli forces killed five medical staff and injured 10 others in what it described as targeted attacks.

The emergency response community has been working nonstop to monitor and respond to the ongoing situation under immense risk and challenges, spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said in a news conference on Monday. 

“The Israeli occupation has expanded its targeting parameters to medical service clinics, hospitals, and ambulances, which resulted in the killing of five medical crew members and injuring 10 others. Additionally, Israeli strikes have targeted hospitals, rendering Beit Hanoun hospital inoperable. Medical crews have been hindered from entering or exiting the hospital, depriving the injured of its services,” he said. 

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told CNN the military was adhering to international law.

Conricus said the responsibility for the situation lies on Hamas, not Israel.

“What we are doing is defending ourselves against the worst attack ever against Israeli civilians in history,” he said.

The White House said it was bracing for news that more Americans were killed in Israel over the weekend.

“It's hard to say but, sadly, yes,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CNN, getting visibly emotional. “I think we are bracing here at the White House for the possibility that more Americans could end up having been killed in these terrible, reprehensible attacks.” 

There were still a number of Americans who were unaccounted for and whose whereabouts were unknown, he said, adding that the Biden administration is “deeply concerned about the possibility — the likelihood — that some of those Americans could also now be held hostage by Hamas.”

While Kirby was speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, the White House raised the number of confirmed Americans killed in the terror attacks to 11 from nine. Asked about the horrific images of murder that were circulating, Kirby seemed to struggle to keep composure. 

Iran's involvement? Earlier in the interview, Kirby was asked about a report in the Wall Street Journal that Iran played a role in the attack. He said there was “no question that Iran has complicity here.”  

“They've been supporting Hamas now for many, many years: tools, training, capabilities, certainly rhetorically. The Supreme Leader is out there, basically cheering on this attack,” Kirby said. “There's a complicity there. But what we haven't seen — and our Israeli counterparts have said the same thing — we just haven't seen a piece of intel or evidence that directly links Iran to these complex, as you put it, very complicated set of attacks over the last couple of days.” 

Kirby said the US will continue to look into it and "share our perspectives with the Israeli intelligence community." 

As thousands of rockets have rained down on Israel, the country has been relying once again on the Iron Dome system to protect citizens.

The missile defense system is one of the most important tools in Israel’s arsenal and has saved countless civilian lives over various conflicts in the last decade, analysts say. It is highly effective. The Israel Defense Forces said the system boasted a 95.6% success rate during a rocket salvo fired by Islamic Jihad in May.

Development of the Iron Dome first began in 2007. After tests in 2008 and 2009, the first Iron Dome batteries were deployed in 2011. The system has been upgraded several times since.

The Iron Dome is designed to shoot down incoming projectiles. It is equipped with a radar that detects rockets and then uses a command-and-control system that quickly calculates whether an incoming projectile poses a threat or is likely to hit an unpopulated area. If the rocket does pose a threat, it fires missiles to destroy it in the air.

The United States is “surging support” to Israel, including air defense and munitions, a senior defense official said Monday. 

The official said there is “ongoing discussion” about Israel’s air defense needs but declined to specify what those are at this time. CNN previously reported that Israel has asked for additional interceptors for its Iron Dome air defense system. 

The Pentagon is also “contacting US industry to gain expedited shipment of pending Israeli orders for military equipment that otherwise may have been considered routine for movement,” the official said. 

“We’re also working across the (Department of Defense) enterprise, including with US Central Command, to assess what munitions and other equipment are in US inventories that can be made quickly available for Israel. All of these are actions we’re undertaking within our existing authority and appropriations,” the official added. 

The official said the administration currently has the resources, authorities, and funding it needs to continue its support for Israel, but said officials are working with Congress “to ensure that the appropriate authority and appropriations are available to support and respond to crises and contingencies.”

The administration remains “deeply concerned” about Hezbollah entering the conflict and choosing to open a second front in the war, the official said. 

The official added that there are continual conversations across the US government with Israeli counterparts about the hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza but would not elaborate. Asked about a potential US role in recovering hostages there, the official said they would not get into hypotheticals about any potential military role in the future.  

Asked about a potential Iranian role in planning the attack, the official said “of course Iran is in the picture. Iran has provided support for years to Hamas. And Hezbollah. But we have no information corroborating the specifics of the Wall Street Journal story at this time.”  

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Iranian leaders met with Hamas officials several times in recent months to plan out the attack, citing senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.

US President Joe Biden plans to convene a call Monday afternoon with leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom – the so-called “Quint” countries – to discuss the coordinated response to violence unfolding in Israel, two Western officials tell CNN. 

The conversation is expected to focus on how best to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Israel, at war with Hamas militants after surprise attacks that killed hundreds of civilians. 

The five allies, which tout their shared values and close coordination on several fronts, all have issued forceful, public condemnations of the violence in Israel. The “Quint” format has been utilized more frequently in the last two years for the countries to coordinate aid to Ukraine, another country under attack where Western support has bolstered defenses. 

The White House said Biden would speak with “several of our close allies” and have “more to share soon.”

At least 11 American citizens have been confirmed to have been killed in Israel, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

He also says that it is “likely” that American citizens may be among those being held hostage by Hamas, and that his administration is working with Israeli officials on “every aspect of the hostage crisis.”

Biden also notes that there are American citizens whose whereabouts remain unaccounted for.