Luis Diaz Devesa/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Thousands of people have died and thousands more were injured after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip, leaving the region on the verge of all-out war.
At least 1,400 people have died and 4,562 others have been injured in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. Another 3,785 people have died and 12,493 have been wounded in Hamas-ruled Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Aid workers and officials fear that Israel's call for an evacuation of the northern part of Gaza is precipitating a humanitarian disaster as electricity and others supplies have been cut off in preparation for what appears to be an imminent ground offensive.
Humanitarian groups have urged Israel to call off the evacuation and agree to a cease-fire, even as the country has asserted a right to defend itself -- a right the United States endorses.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Oct 21, 11:07 AM EDT Death toll in Gaza rises to 4,385: Palestinian officials
As the Hamas-Israel war continues, the Palestinian death toll has risen to 4,385 deaths -- including 1,756 children and 967 women -- in addition to 13,561 injuries since the start of escalation on Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said fuel being left out of the aid that went into Gaza has dangerous repercussions on the health services. According to the ministry, the convoy that delivered aid to Gaza on Saturday only has 3% of the daily needs.
According to the ministry, seven hospitals and 25 health-care centers are now out of service due to running out of fuel. Bed occupancy in the hospitals have reached more than 150%, which led to tents to absorb the huge number of injuries.
Oct 21, 10:03 AM EDT Blinken applauds international community for passage of aid convoy into Gaza
A 20-truck convoy of humanitarian assistance has been delivered to the people in Gaza after the Rafah border crossing was opened Saturday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the international community for facilitating the safe passage of the convoy.
"With this convoy, the international community is beginning to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has left residents of Gaza without access to sufficient food, water, medical care, and safe shelter," Blinken said in a statement.
"We urge all parties to keep the Rafah crossing open to enable the continued movement of aid that is imperative to the welfare of the people of Gaza. We have been clear: Hamas must not interfere with the provision of this life-saving assistance. Palestinian civilians are not responsible for Hamas’s horrific terrorism, and they should not be made to suffer for its depraved acts," Blinken said in a statement.
Oct 21, 6:14 AM EDT No fuel included in Saturday's aid convoy to Gaza, IDF says
The humanitarian aid that was delivered into the Gaza Strip via Egypt on Saturday morning contained food and medicine but no fuel, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
Oct 21, 6:11 AM EDT Palestinian Civil Defense member injured in Israeli airstrike near Rafah border
The Palestinian Civil Defense said one of its members was injured by an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, only about a mile from the Rafah border crossing where humanitarian aid convoys were arriving from Egypt.
The Palestinian Civil Defense is tasked with emergency and rescue services under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
Oct 21, 5:38 AM EDT Egypt reaches agreement with US on sustainable operation of Rafah crossing
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told the ongoing Gaza summit in Cairo he has "agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden to [allow] the Rafah border crossing to operate in a sustained manner" and to ensure "the safe, full, rapid and sustainable flow of humanitarian aid" into Gaza.
Oct 21, 5:09 AM EDT Rafah border crossing opens briefly, allowing 20 aid trucks into Gaza
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the besieged Gaza Strip opened briefly on Saturday morning, allowing the first wave of humanitarian aid to be delivered.
The border closed again after 20 trucks carrying much-needed supplies -- mostly medicine -- crossed into Gaza from the Egyptian side, according to an aid worker there and Egyptian state media.
Oct 21, 3:14 AM EDT Rafah border crossing between Egypt, Gaza to open Saturday
The U.S. Embassy in Israel said it has received information that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the besieged Gaza Strip will open on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time.
"If the border is opened, we do not know how long it will remain open for foreign citizens to depart Gaza," the embassy said in a statement. "We anticipate that many people would attempt to cross should the border open, and U.S. citizens attempting to enter Egypt should expect a potentially chaotic and disorderly environment on both sides of the crossing."
"The situation remains dynamic and fluid and the security environment is unpredictable," the embassy added. "You should assess your personal safety and security before choosing to move toward the border or trying to cross."
A source involved in the discussions about opening the border told ABC News on Saturday morning that the opening of the border crossing was delayed due to "security concerns." More than 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid have been parked in a long queue on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, waiting to enter Gaza. When it does open, the plan is to allow entry for an initial 20 trucks led by the Egyptian Red Crescent before scaling that number up over the coming days, according to the source.
Oct 20, 9:44 PM EDT Father of freed American hostage gives update: 'She looks very good'
Uri Raanan, the father of Natalie Raanan, 17, who was released by Hamas along with her mother, Judith Raanan, spoke to the media Friday evening, giving an update on their conditions.
"I spoke with my daughter earlier today, she sounds very good, she looks very good, she was very happy and she’s waiting to come home. Her mother has a little scratch on her hand but she told me it’s nothing, she’s okay," Uri Raanan said.
"Hopefully I’m going to see them next week, next week is Natalie’s birthday," Uri Raanan added.
Oct 20, 6:06 PM EDT Former congressman says relatives were killed in explosion on Gaza church
Former Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan said Friday several of his relatives were killed in the blast at a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza.
Amash, the son of a Palestinian Christian immigrant, shared a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, of two of the relatives who were killed in the blast at the Church of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza.
The church was being used as a shelter for Palestinians.
"The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much. Our family is hurting badly," Amash said in his post.
Oct 20, 4:15 PM EDT More Americans being held hostage, Blinken says
Although two American hostages were released by Hamas on Friday, 10 Americans remain unaccounted for, and some of them are among the estimated 200 people being held by Hamas, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
"When I was in Israel last week, I met the families of U.S. citizens that Hamas has taken hostage," Blinken said. "It's impossible to adequately put into words the agony they're feeling."
"What I shared with the families, as the president did as well, is that the entire United States government will work every minute of every day to secure their release, to bring their loved ones home," he said.
Oct 20, 3:24 PM EDT 2 hostages, mom and daughter from Illinois, released by Hamas
Two American hostages have been released by Hamas -- Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17 -- and are now back in Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said.