October 10, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said there were at least 14 American citizens among those killed following the attacks by Hamas on Israel.

That's a slight increase from the death toll on Monday, when there were 11 US citizens confirmed dead.

US President Joe Biden condemned Saturday's attacks by Hamas on Israel, calling it "an act of sheer evil."

People in Israel lived suffered "pure unadulterated evil" at the "bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, a group whose stated purpose for being is to kill Jews. This is an act of sheer evil," Biden said Tuesday.

He noted that more than 1,000 people have died in Israel, including at least 14 American citizens. "Parents butchered using their bodies to try to protect their children — stomach-turning reports of babies being killed, entire families slain. Young people massacred while attending a musical festival to celebrate peace."

He added, "Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies. Families hidden in fear for hours and hours, desperately trying to keep their children quiet to avoid drawing attention. And thousands of wounded, alive but carrying with them the bullet holes and the shrapnel wounds and the memory of what they endured."

Watch:

Two senior Hamas members – Minister of Economy Jawad Abu Shammala and senior member of the Hamas political bureau Zachariah Abu Maamar – were killed in overnight strikes, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Abu Shammala was responsible in his role for managing terrorism funding within and outside of the Gaza Strip, the IDF said, while describing Abu Maamar as "a senior Hamas decision-maker and coordinator between terror groups in the Gaza Strip."

Abu Maamar was a "known confidant" to Yahya Sinwar, who is the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said.

Hamas in turn on Tuesday confirmed the deaths in a statement on its Telegram channel, describing them as “Hamas political office members.”

The Canadian government says it is aware of reports that one Canadian was killed and three others are missing in Israel after Hamas launched a devastating attack from Gaza over the weekend.

Canadian government officials in Israel are “in contact with local authorities to confirm and gather additional information," Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Monday evening, noting more than 2,450 Canadians are registered as abroad in Israel, with another 480 Canadians registered in Palestinian territories.

The government said it would “not comment on or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of Canadians," and it has not identified any Canadian victims.

The parents of 33-year-old Canadian Alexandre Look, however, have said their son was killed in the attack on the outdoor music festival near Re’im, Israel.

Raquel Ohnona Look and Alain Haim Look told CNN news partner CBC that they were on the phone with their son as he tried to escape the gunfire. Look and other festival-goers sought shelter in a bunker without a door, his parents said.

The Canadian government has not identified any Canadian victims of the attacks. But Premier François Legault sent his condolences to Look's family on Monday.

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas attacks, but it has to do it in accordance with international law, the European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday.

While the EU considers Hamas a terrorist organization, the Palestinian Authority "is our partner," Borrell said.

"Israel has the right to defend, but it has to be done accordingly with international law, humanitarian law, and some decisions are counter to international law," he added.

Any steps toward peace should be made "with the Palestinians," otherwise "the cycle of violence will restart again," he warned.

"Our will is to continue supporting the Palestinian Authority," he said, discouraging the blockage of funding for Palestinians.

Some background: Hamas, which runs Gaza, presents itself as an alternative to the PA, which has recognized Israel and has engaged in multiple failed peace initiatives with it. The PA, which runs the occupied West Bank, is led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

US President Joe Biden is now speaking to address the fighting between Israel and Hamas that has continued for the fourth day straight since the Islamist militant group carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel's history.

At least 900 people are dead in Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Tel Aviv has responded with an overwhelming number of airstrikes on Gaza, the 140 square-mile densely populated territory controlled by Hamas, leaving at least 830 people dead there and displacing more than 137,000.

This is the second time Biden will address the situation. Sources familiar with his prepared remarks say he will not urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise restraint.

Eight French citizens have been confirmed dead and 20 others remain missing following the Hamas attacks against Israel, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Tuesday.

Those missing include at least one child, Colonna said, but it is possible several children are among the missing.

The numbers are likely to continue to rise — France previously said four citizens were dead and 14 missing — as Israeli authorities continue to identify victims, the foreign minister said.

Separately, the French government is in contact with Air France to organize a special flight Thursday to evacuate French citizens who wish to leave Israel, according to Colonna.

In January 2009, CNN's Ben Wedeman, along with a crew, went on the ground to cover what Israel had dubbed “Operation Cast Lead” — the first in a series of flare-ups of various durations between Israel and Gaza in 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2022.

Here's what he knows about how an Israeli ground assault in Gaza could play out based on what he saw then:

Inside Israel's tactics: Israel’s tactics have always been to move fast, control as much territory as possible, but avoid street-to-street, house-to-house fighting where a weaker opponent can take full advantage of the terrain. Entering urban areas in Gaza, however, would bring in an entire new element to the fight.

Multiple Palestinian groups on ground: At the moment, Israeli forces are engaged with Hamas. But Gaza is home to a myriad of armed Palestinian groups, including Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) to name just a few. They don’t have Hamas’ manpower or weaponry, but they’re numerous enough to put up serious resistance.

A well-prepared Hamas: The Israeli military has now mobilized 300,000 reservists for what is now widely believed to be an unprecedented incursion into Gaza – and perhaps, some speculate, a re-occupation of the enclave – in the aftermath of Hamas’ surprise attack Saturday, which killed more than 1,000 people in Israel. What awaits it is a Hamas that has shown, despite the cruelty vividly displayed in its Saturday attack, a level of military capability far beyond what was previously thought. It is probably well prepared for the next phase in this war.

A bloody ground operation: If it comes, the ground operation will be far bloodier and more destructive than what we saw during the weekend fighting between Hamas and Israel. Israeli forces will also have to be mindful that spread around Gaza are more than a hundred Israelis – soldiers and civilians, including women and children – held captive by Hamas. And although no one outside Hamas knows where they’re being held, it’s likely they’re in the most difficult areas for Israeli forces to access, possibly in crowded refugee camps. As eager as Israel’s leaders may be to deal a fatal blow to Hamas, it will come at a very high price. To all.

Read more here.

At least 1,000 people have been killed following the Hamas attacks on Israel over the weekend, Israel’s Army Radio reported on Tuesday.

Army Radio is operated by the Israel Defense Forces.