October 11, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news | CNN

October 11, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

Kathleen Magramo

Dakin Andone

Elise Hammond

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 2:51 PM EDT, Thu October 12, 2023

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Man hides for 8 hours to survive during Israel music festival

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guy danon music festival israel

Man hides for 8 hours to survive during Israel music festival

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What we covered here

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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Our live coverage of the conflict in Israel and Gaza has moved here.

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).

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.”

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Senior Hamas official says it's too early to exchange Israeli hostages

From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and journalist Ali Younes

Izzat al-Risheq, a senior Hamas official, told CNN Wednesday that it’s too early to exchange Israeli hostages while Israel continues to strike Gaza.

He also denied Hamas had any help from Iran or Lebanon’s Hezbollah in executing or planning Hamas’ large-scale surprise assault on Israel.

“I say it very clearly that this operation was a 100 percent Hamas operation without any help from any regional party,” al-Risheq said.

Some background: Hamas fighters are holding as many as 150 people hostage in locations across Gaza following their raids on southern Israel on Saturday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Monday.

Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, said Monday that Hamas would start executing civilian hostages if Israel targeted people in Gaza without warning.

Hostages held by Hamas are likely underground, IDF spokesperson says

From CNN’s Josh Campbell and Larry Register in Atlanta

Israeli authorities think hostages taken by Hamas are being held underground, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Wednesday.

The situation with the hostages is an “extremely sensitive and complex topic,” Conricus said. Even though Israel has had “some experience” with hostage situations, they have never dealt with anything like this, he added.

“Not in the scope, not in the magnitude and not in the complexity of where our hostages are, Conricus said.

When asked whether an Israeli ground invasion was imminent, Conricus said he would not telegraph Israel’s schedule or intentions in this conflict.

Hamas fighters are holding as many as 150 people hostage in locations across Gaza following their raids on southern Israel on Saturday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Monday.

Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, on Monday said Hamas would start executing civilian hostages if Israel targeted people in Gaza without warning.

Wave of Israeli airstrikes have killed 51 and injured scores, Gaza health ministry says

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury

An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City on October 11, 2023.

An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza City on October 11, 2023.

Yahya Hassouna/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have left at least 51 people dead and another 281 injured as of early Thursday local time, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The casualties were in the residential areas of Zeitoun, Sabra, Al-Nafaq, and Tel al-Hawa, it said.

Some of the victims are still under the rubble, according to Deputy Health Minister Yousef Abu Al-Rish, who accused Israeli forces of intending “to cause as much damage and destruction, hence destroying entire residential areas.”

Abu Al-Rish added that the death toll in Gaza is nearing 1,200 after the latest airstrikes.

The minister described the situation as an “imminent humanitarian catastrophe” after Israel began a blockade of the densely populated enclave, cutting electricity, fuel, and water supplies.

Hundreds of thousands of Israeli troops are being mobilized near Gaza. Here's what to know

From CNN staff

Israeli soldiers fire artillery towards Gaza in Netivot, Israel, on October 11.

Israeli soldiers fire artillery towards Gaza in Netivot, Israel, on October 11.

Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

A humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding in Gaza as it faces a relentless Israeli bombardment. Hospitals are overwhelmed and experiencing shortages of drugs, medical supplies and electricity, Médecins Sans Frontières warned.

Israel has formed an emergency government and war management cabinet in the wake of Hamas’ surprise attacks on border communities, and hundreds of thousands of Israeli ground troops have gathered near the Gaza Strip.

Former defense minister Benny Gantz will join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a wartime cabinet. “There is time for war and time for peace. This, now, is the time for war,” Gantz said Wednesday during a televised address.

Meantime, talks are underway to allow US and Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza through Egypt as a land invasion looms, a senior Israeli official said. Several other countries are sending flights to evacuate their citizens.

Here’s what to know:

The latest death toll: At least 1,100 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began airstrikes in response to Hamas’ attacks, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said. Israel has reported at least 1,200 people have been killed since Saturday. Israel amassed more than 300,000 reservists along its southern border, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.

Horrifying details: More gruesome details are emerging from the scenes of Hamas’ assault on border communities. Houses in Israeli kibbutz Kfar Aza were ransacked and set ablaze. Overturned mattresses, destroyed furniture, broken trinkets and unexploded grenades lay strewn across the grounds, along with bodies. Babies and toddlers were found with their “heads decapitated,” a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said — a claim Hamas has denied. US President Joe Biden also weighed in on the atrocities. “I never really thought that I would see it and have confirmed pictures of terrorist beheading children,” he said.

Hamas preparations: Hamas militants had been preparing for the attack for two years, a senior Hamas official based in Lebanon said. Ali Baraka, head of Hamas National Relations Abroad, said the group manufactured rockets, various ammunition and firearms, according to an edited interview with Russia Today’s Arabic news channel RTArabic.

Involvement of Iran?: Intelligence collected by the United States casts doubt on the idea that Tehran was directly involved in the planning, sourcing and approving of Hamas’ attack on Israel, sources said. Though the intelligence community is not ready to reach a full conclusion, government officials have pointed to Iran’s support for Hamas, including weapons and financing, that would have helped them even if not in a direct way.

Saudi diplomacy: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia “is making unremitting efforts” to stop the escalation in fighting in Israel, according to Saudi state-run SPA news. The crown prince held a phone call with Iran’s President Ebrahim Rais — the first call since both countries renewed diplomatic ties, an Iranian presidential aide said. The leaders discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the aide said.

Warnings from the US: The State Department is asking Americans to reconsider traveling to Israel in the wake of the weekend’s deadly Hamas attacks by raising its travel advisory to “Level 3: Reconsider Travel.” Federal agencies are also warning of the potential of attacks in the US, citing the pervasiveness of antisemitism in violent extremist groups.

Working to rescue hostages: The US is working closely with Israel to get American hostages home safely. FBI and Pentagon personnel are on the ground in Israel providing support to Israeli special operators. An interagency team from the State Department, National Security Council, and FBI is also receiving input about people missing or deceased, a US official said.

Note: After President Biden’s remarks Wednesday, 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.

American who hid under bodies as Hamas attacked music festival describes the gruesome horror

From CNN's Sharif Paget

Lee Sasi described her terrifying experience during the Hamas attack at a music festival to CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

Lee Sasi described her terrifying experience during the Hamas attack at a music festival to CNN's Jake Tapper on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

CNN

Warning: This post contains graphic descriptions of violence.

Lee Sasi, 25, hid under bodies in a bomb shelter for seven hours after Hamas attacked a music festival near the Israeli border with Gaza on Saturday.

Sasi, who told CNN’s Jake Tapper she’s a US citizen from California, went to the Nova Festival with some family members to support her cousin who was DJ’ing.

The attack began at 6:30 a.m. and “hell broke loose,” Sasi said.

“We had to run for our lives. We saw rockets shooting in the air so we ran to the car and we went to the nearest bomb shelter that was down the street outside of the festival,” she said.

There were about 35 to 40 people in the bomb shelter huddling for safety, she said, and Hamas terrorists fired weapons and threw grenades into the shelter.

Hours later, when they were rescued, only nine to 10 people came out alive, she said.

Sasi said she witnessed her uncle and a woman in the shelter get hit by grenades.

“I was in shock. I couldn’t even cry. I was in survival mode,” she added.

In a video Sasi recorded in the shelter, people can be seen crammed together and what appear to be bullet piercings are seen in one of the shelter’s walls. Half the people near that wall were dying, she said.

Survivors are heartbroken.

Sasi’s cousin, who hid in a different shelter, was killed when he attempted to flee, she said.

Sasi told CNN that her uncle, Avi Sasi, was killed in the attack.

In one of Sasi’s Instagram stories, she thanked her uncle for protecting her.

“I know the only reason we came out alive was because of you,” she wrote.

Father of American killed at Israeli festival was able to see how Hamas killed his daughter

From CNN’s Erin Burnett and Sara Smart, Yon Pomrenze and Ben Finley

Danielle Waldman was killed during the Hamas attack on a music festival.

Danielle Waldman was killed during the Hamas attack on a music festival.

Courtesy Eyal Waldman

Warning: This post contains graphic descriptions of violence.

The father of a 24-year-old American who was killed during the Hamas attack on a music festival in Israel held out hope that his daughter was only taken hostage and not killed during the attacks.

Danielle Waldman, who was born in Palo Alto, California, was attending the music festival with her boyfriend of six years when they both were killed during the Hamas attack, Eyal Waldman told CNN.

Eyal had found out just hours before speaking to CNN’s Erin Burnett that his daughter was among those killed.

By using the tracking feature on her phone and Apple watch, her family was able to find the location where Eyal’s youngest daughter was killed. He explained the scene as a car that looked like it was surrounded and attacked by Hamas.

Eyal explained the last time he spoke with Danielle she mentioned how she and her boyfriend had decided they would get married soon. Now they will be buried together.

The two had just moved into a new apartment about a month ago with a dog they share.

“They had only been there for a few weeks, now we will need to see what to do with all their belongings,” Eyal said.

“Israel will stay strong and be strong for the long term,” He added.

Canadian citizen “brutally taken” and murdered by Hamas, Jewish Federation of Ottawa says

From CNN’s Jared Formanek

A Canadian citizen was “brutally taken” and murdered by Hamas while she was living in a small Israeli community near the Gaza border, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa (JFO) told CNN affiliate CTV.

Adi Vital-Kaploun, a 33-year-old dual Canadian-Israeli citizen, was killed by Hamas in Israel, CTV reported.

JFO CEO Andrea Freedman read a statement from Vital-Kaploun’s family on Wednesday in a news conference.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Wednesday that he was devastated to learn that Vital-Kaploun was killed. Sutcliffe said he had been in contact with her family members to offer his deepest condolences on behalf of Ottawa residents.

JFO said it would not disclose details on the circumstances of her death because it wanted to world to know Vital-Kaploun for “who she was, not for how she was brutally taken from her family, from her friends,” Freedman said.

Iran and Saudi leaders hold first phone conversation since renewing diplomatic ties, Iranian official says

From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan and Tamara Qiblawi

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman held their first phone call since both countries renewed diplomatic ties, an Iranian presidential aide said Wednesday.

During the call, both leaders discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “the need to end war crimes,” as well as Islamic unity, Raisi’s deputy for political affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi, said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Here's what the US is doing to try to rescue Americans taken hostage by Hamas

From CNN's MJ Lee, Zachary Cohen, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler,

The Biden administration is still searching for concrete details about the condition of the handful of Americans believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas, including exactly how many the group may be holding captive in Gaza, or if they are currently being held in one place, a US official told CNN.

As the Biden administration continues its work to support Israel and move military assets into the region, US officials across the government are furiously working behind the scenes to piece together an accurate picture on the ground.

In remarks to a roundtable with members of the Jewish community at the White House Wednesday, President Joe Biden pledged the full force of his administration’s commitment to rescuing hostages, saying that while “we’re working on every aspect of the hostage crisis in Israel,” if he relayed in detail what steps the administration was taking, “I wouldn’t be able to get them home.”

Further complicating the situation, US officials say, is that Hamas consists of numerous and often competing subgroups and militias that all operate in Gaza. Before the US can put together a plan to recover hostages, officials first have to figure out which of those Hamas sub-groups may be holding them, and for what reason.

Here’s what is happening: The US is working closely with Israel, with FBI and Pentagon personnel on the ground in Israel providing support to Israeli special operators.

An interagency team of US officials from the State Department, National Security Council, and FBI is also receiving input about the Americans who are missing or deceased in Israel, a US official said.

FBI hostage negotiators and agents are talking to family members, getting proof of life information that can be used in the investigation and for possible questions to be asked if hostage takers reach out. These include members of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, which has extensive experience in helping to resolve hostage incidents, including in war zones from Afghanistan to Iraq and across the Middle East.

The agents are “prepping family members in case that phone call comes in or text message from the hostage-takers or from their family member who is being held,” one official said. “That’s hugely important, they have to know what to say if they get that call.”

Read more about the efforts to bring home American hostages here.

Biden calls UAE president to discuss situation in Gaza and Israel

From CNN's DJ Judd

US President Joe Biden spoke Wednesday with United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “to discuss the terrorist attacks on Israel,” according to the White House.

“The President stressed his condemnation of Hamas’s terror and his warning against anyone who might seek to exploit the current situation,” the White House said in a readout of the call. “The two leaders also discussed the importance of ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.”

Al Nahyan and Biden also discussed the importance of coordination among international parties in calling for “restraint and immediate de-escalation” as rising violence gravely threatens regional security and stability, the UAE state-run WAM news agency reported.

Earlier Wednesday, Biden told Jewish community members during a roundtable at the White House that he’d been in touch with a number of his foreign counterparts following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Saturday. “There are countries in the region that are trying to be of some help, including Arab nations trying to do so,” he told participants.

US State Department warns Americans to reconsider travel to Israel

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The US State Department is warning Americans to reconsider travel to Israel in the wake of the weekend’s deadly Hamas attacks.

The agency raised its travel advisory level on Wednesday to “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” due to civil unrest and terrorism, advising that “the situation in Israel remains dynamic; mortar and rocket fire may take place without warning.”

“Individuals should follow the instructions of security and emergency response officials,” an updated travel advisory said.

“While Ben Gurion International Airport remains open, we are aware that several major airlines have announced that they have suspended flights,” the advisory states. “Please check with the airlines on the availability of flights and flight status. U.S. citizens in Gaza who wish to leave and can do so safely are advised to check the status of the Rafah Crossing into Egypt.”

The travel advisory for the West Bank has also been raised to level 3, while the advisory for Gaza remains at the most severe – “Level 4: Do Not Travel.”

Biden offers warning to Iran to "be careful" following Hamas' attack on Israel

From CNN's Donald Judd

Biden speaks at a roundtable with Jewish community leaders in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden speaks at a roundtable with Jewish community leaders in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Iran to “be careful” around its actions in the region following Hamas’ attack on Israel.

During a roundtable roundtable with Jewish community leaders on the administration’s efforts to provide support for Israel, Biden stressed the assistance that the US is providing, adding that he’s been frequently speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In his remarks, Biden also addressed reports of the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Biden pledged the full force of his administration’s commitment to rescuing hostages in Hamas custody, telling the group that while “we’re working on every aspect of the hostage crisis in Israel,” if he relayed in detail what steps the administration was taking, “I wouldn’t be able to get them home.”

Some context on Iran: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by phone on Sunday and later congratulated the Palestinian people for their “victory” over Israel.

On Monday, however, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that the Islamic Republic was “not involved in Palestine’s response,” referring to the Hamas attack. “It is taken solely by Palestine itself,” it said.

Israel says Iran supports Hamas to the tune of some $100 million a year. The US State Department in 2021 said that the group receives funding, weapons, and training from Iran, as well as some funds that are raised in Gulf Arab countries.

The United States has collected specific intelligence that suggests senior Iranian government officials were caught by surprise by Saturday’s attack, according to multiple sources familiar with the intelligence.

The existence of the intelligence has cast doubt on the idea that Iran was directly involved in the planning, resourcing or approving of the operation, the sources said.

Note: After President Biden’s remarks Wednesday, 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.

Federal agencies warn of potential safety concerns in US in wake of attacks in Israel

From CNN's Holmes Lybrand

Federal agencies are warning of the potential of attacks in the US following Hamas’s assault on Israel, citing the pervasiveness of antisemitism in violent extremist groups.

The FBI along with the Department of Homeland Security issued a public service announcement saying that while there is no current intelligence suggesting a planned domestic attack, the potential for such attacks remains a concern.

The FBI and DHS also noted that antisemitism “serves as a primary driver for attacks by a diverse set of violent extremists” who threaten Jewish communities in the US and across the world.

According to the FBI, terrorist organizations abroad have used previous conflicts between Hamas and Israel “to call on their supporters located in the United States to conduct attacks.”

“Some violent extremists have used times of heightened tensions to incite violence against religious minorities, targeting both Jewish and Muslim Americans,” the PSA said.

Gantz says formation of Israel's war cabinet is a "clear message to our enemies"

From CNN's Radina Gigova

Gantz speaks during during a televised address on Wednesday, October 11.

Gantz speaks during during a televised address on Wednesday, October 11.

GPO/Reuters

Benny Gantz, a former defense minister who joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current defense minister Yoav Gallant in a “war management cabinet,” said Wednesday that the three men standing together is a “clear message to our enemies.”

He added that “now is the time for bravery.”

The emergency government and war cabinet were announced earlier Wednesday. The government will not pass any laws or make any decisions that do not concern the conduct of the war, the announcement said.

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