Nearly 3,600 people have been killed in Israel and Gaza, five days after the sudden Hamas strikes triggered a catastrophic war in the region. The United Nations said that more than 3,38,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip as heavy Israeli bombardments continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the complete destruction of the Hamas group. “Every Hamas member is a dead man,” the veteran right-wing Israeli leader said, again likening them to the ISIS group and promising: “We will crush them and destroy them as the world has destroyed Daesh.”

Israel claims that it has regained control of the Gaza border areas from the group. Israel has also reported shelling from Lebanon and Syria which it has responded to with its own air strikes. Lebanese group Hezbollah claimed the strikes were to avenge the deaths of its members by Israeli defence forces.

Here are the Live Updates on the Israel-Hamas war:

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US advises its citizens to reconsider travel to Israel

In the wake of deadly Hamas attacks on Israel, the US State Department has advised Americans to reconsider travelling to Israel.

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.”

“On October 11, 2023, the Department of State raised the Travel Advisory Level for Israel and the West Bank to Level 3 – Reconsider Travel. The Travel Advisory for Gaza remains Level 4 – Do Not Travel. This replaces the previous Travel Advisory issued on October 3, 2023,” the department’s official statement said.

The agency raised its travel advisory to level 3, citing the terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continuing to plot “possible attacks in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza”.

Israel vows Hamas’s destruction after deadly assault

Israel pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip for the fifth straight day since the militants’ audacious attack and the death toll spiralled into the thousands, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the complete destruction of the militant group.

“Every Hamas member is a dead man,” the veteran right-wing Israeli leader said, again likening them to the Islamic State group and promising: “We will crush them and destroy them as the world has destroyed Daesh.”

Netanyahu earlier temporarily settled his political differences and set up an emergency government including centrist former defence minister Benny Gantz for the duration of the crisis.

Saturday’s surprise attack — the worst in Israel’s 75-year history — has seen a total of 1,200 people killed in the Islamist militants’ onslaught, according to Israeli forces. Most were civilians.

Saudi prince, Iran president hold call on Israel-Hamas war

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and Iran’s president spoke by phone about the war between Israel and Hamas, Saudi state media said early Thursday, their first call since a surprise rapprochement in March.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a call on Wednesday from the Iranian leader, Ebrahim Raisi, during which they discussed “the current military situation in Gaza and its environs”, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said.

Prince Mohammed told Raisi that Riyadh is “communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation”, SPA said.

He also stressed “the kingdom’s firm position towards supporting the Palestinian cause”, it said.

More than 3,38,000 people displaced in Gaza: UN

More than 3,38,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said, as heavy Israeli bombardments continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.

The number of displaced in the densely populated territory of 2.3 million people had by late Wednesday “risen by an additional 75,000 people and reached 3,38,934,” the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in an statement sent on Thursday.