NPR News

Photos: Israel Hamas War

By Nicole Werbeck,

Grace Widyatmadja, Aya Batrawy, Peter Kenyon, Estefania Mitre

Published October 7, 2023 at 3:44 PM EDT

Fri., Oct. 13: A Palestinian child watches as smoke billows on the horizon after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City.

Updated October 11, 2023 at 6:58 PM ET

Editor's note: This report contains some graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

The war raging since Saturday's attack on Israel by Hamas entered a seventh day Friday. Palestinians fled in a mass exodus from northern Gaza after Israel's military told some 1 million people to evacuate toward the southern part of the besieged Gaza Strip. The evacuation order affects about half of the population in the territory.

All of Gaza's border crossings are currently closed, leaving civilians largely trapped inside. Within hours of the order, many Palestinians had begun to evacuate to the south of Gaza — some making the exit from Gaza City on foot.

The evacuation order has drawn outcry from humanitarian groups. The United Nations said it would be "impossible" to move so many people without "devastating humanitarian consequences."

Wed., Oct. 13:

Fri., Oct. 13: Citizens are seen on their way to leave the city to the southern safer parts by whatever vehicles they can find with their belongings after the United Nations (UN) reported that the Israeli army wanted 1.1 million civilians in Gaza to leave their homes and move to the south of the region in Gaza City.

Fri., Oct. 13: Palestinians fleeing from northern Gaza to the south after the Israeli army issued an unprecedented evacuation warning to a population of over 1 million people in northern Gaza and Gaza City.

Fri., Oct. 13: Palestinians carrying their belongings flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes,.

Fri., Oct. 13: Citizens of Gaza are on their way to leave the city to the southern safer parts by whatever vehicles they can find with their belongings after the United Nations (UN) reported that the Israeli army wanted 1.1 million civilians in Gaza to leave their homes and move to the south of the region in Gaza City.

Fri., Oct. 13: Israeli army planes drop leaflets over Gaza City residents, asking them to flee to the south of the Strip immediately.

Fri., Oct. 13: A family riding a donkey drawn cart along with hundreds of other Palestinian carrying their belongings flee following the Israeli army's warning to leave their homes and move south before an expected ground offensive.

Fri., Oct. 13: Israeli soldiers inspect the site of a music festival near the border of the Gaza Strip in southern Israel.

Fri., Oct. 13: Israeli security forces walk during clashes with Palestinian protesters in the Wadi Joz neighbourhood in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Fri., Oct. 13: A Palestinian man slings a rock at Israeli forces as local Palestinians protest Israeli occupation in the West Bank, and are met with tear gas, flash bang and live fire from Israeli forces, in Beit El area of Ramallah, Israel.

Fri., Oct. 13: Palestinian protesters push a dumpster to be used for cover during clashes with Israeli forces following a rally in solidarity with Gaza by supporters of the Fatah and Hamas movements, in the city of Hebron.

Fri., Oct. 13: Palestinian demonstrators clash with Israeli forces following a demonstration in support of the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Thu., Oct. 12:

Thu., Oct. 12: Palestinian citizens inspect damage to their homes caused by Israeli airstrikes.

Thu., Oct. 12: Israeli tanks move near Gaza border as Israeli army deploys military vehicles around the Gaza Strip.

Thu., Oct. 12: Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building leveled in an Israeli airstrike, Al Shati Refugee Camp.

Thu., Oct. 12: Palestinians fill containers with drinking water from a water distribution vehicle, amid the water crisis caused by the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.

Thu., Oct. 12: Palestinians sit outside their house following Israeli airstrikes in Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip.

Thu., Oct. 12: Palestinians drive amid the rubble of buildings destroyed in an Israeli air strike in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip.

Thu., Oct. 12: Comrades of French-Israeli soldier Eli Valentin Ghenassia, who was killed in combat at Kibbutz Beeri during an infiltration by Hamas militants.

Thu., Oct. 12: Palestinians inspect the rubble of buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike at Al Shati Refugee Camp.

Wed., Oct. 11:

Wed., Oct. 11: Palestinians run away from Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis, Gaza.

Wed., Oct. 11: Israelis take cover from the incoming rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel.

Wed., Oct. 11: An Israeli mobile artillery unit fired a shell from southern Israel towards the Gaza Strip, in a position a near the Israel Gaza border.

Wed., Oct. 11: Women console another woman mourning for loved ones killed in an Israeli air strike outside a morgue in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Wed., Oct. 11: An aerial view of buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City.

Wed., Oct. 11: A Palestinian woman sits on the ruins of her destroyed home following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City.

Wed., Oct. 11: Mourners attend the funeral of May Naim, 24, during her funeral in Gan Haim, central Israel.

Wed., Oct. 11: Smoke plumes billow following Israeli bombardment in Gaza City.

Wed., Oct. 11: Israelis look at the damage caused by rocket fire from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon.

Wed., Oct. 11: Shells from Israeli bombardment land in the water in the Gaza City seaport.

Wed., Oct. 11: Palestinians evacuate a neighborhood in Gaza City during Israeli airstrikes.

Wed., Oct. 11: Palestinians look for survivors under the rubble of a building following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.

Wed., Oct. 11: A general view shows the destruction as people inspect the damage following overnight Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City.

Wed., Oct. 11: A man carrying his dog as he leaves a bombed area following overnight Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City.

Wed., Oct. 11: Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Tues., Oct. 10:

Tues., Oct. 10: A man carries a wounded child into at al-Shifa hospital following Israeli strikes in Gaza City.

Tues., Oct. 10: A view of destroyed buildings and debris at the al-Rimal neighborhood after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza Strip.

Tues., Oct. 10: Israeli soldiers take positions near Kibbutz Kfar Azza.

Tues., Oct. 10: A salvo of rockets is fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza towards Israel.

Tues., Oct. 10: A man holds his child while taking cover behind a vehicle amid a rocket attack from Gaza.

Tues., Oct. 10: Palestinian civilians and rescuers help clear the rubble in the heavily bombarded city center of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip following overnight Israeli shelling.

Tues., Oct. 10: Smoke billows after a strike by Israel on the port of Gaza City.

Tues., Oct. 10: A view of debris of a municipality building after Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis, Gaza.

Tues., Oct. 10: Palestinian children inspect a damaged car following Israeli shelling in the city center of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Tues., Oct. 10: People mourn during the funeral of Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli shelling in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Tues., Oct. 10: A window pierced by bullets is seen from inside a house in kibbutz Kfar Azza.

Tues., Oct. 10: Palestinians mourn next to the body of a victim killed in Israeli shelling, during a mass funeral in Gaza City.

Tues., Oct. 10: A young man looks at bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli shelling during a mass funeral in Gaza City.

Tues., Oct. 10: Palestinians inspect the massive destruction from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's al-Rimal district.

Tues., Oct. 10: Mourners react during the funeral of Israeli soldier Benjamin Loeb, a dual Israeli-French citizen, in Jerusalem.

Tues., Oct. 10: A view of a building destroyed by an Israeli missile strike in Gaza, Palestine.

Tues., Oct. 10: A shell from Israeli artillery explodes over Bastra Farms in the disputed Shebaa Farms territory, south Lebanon.

Mon., Oct. 9:

Mon., Oct. 9: Israelis evacuate a site struck by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel.

Mon., Oct. 9: Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on buildings in the refugee camp of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip.

Mon., Oct. 9: Israelis inspect a damaged residential building after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel.

An Israeli firefighter kneels to compose himself after he and his colleagues extinguished cars set on fire by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, Israel, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023.

Mon., Oct. 9: Palestinians inspect the destruction in a neighborhood heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City's Shati refugee camp.

Mon., Oct. 9: Israeli soldiers in an armoured vehicles drive along a street near northern town of Kiryat Shmona close to the border with Lebanon.

Mon., Oct. 9: Israeli emergency responders take cover during a rocket attack near the border with Gaza.

Mon., Oct. 9: Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Yassin Mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.

Sun., Oct. 8:

Sun. Oct. 8: A destroyed mosque following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip.

Sun., Oct. 8: A relative of an Israeli missing since a surprise attack by Hamas militants near the Gaza border, is overcome by emotion during a press conference in Ramat Gan, Israel.

Sun., Oct. 8: Rockets fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza City are intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome defense missile system.

Sun., Oct. 8: Israeli forces cross a main road in their self-propelled howitzer as additional troops are deployed near the southern city of Sderot.

Sun., Oct. 8: Residents check the damage following Israeli air strikes in Gaza City.

Sun., Oct. 8: Israelis inspect the rubble of a building a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israe. — Sun., Oct. 8: Israelis inspect the rubble of a building a day after it was hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike.

Sun., Oct. 8: People inspect the ruins of a building destroyed in Israeli strikes.

Sun., Oct. 8: An Israeli sodleir prays standing in front of a Merkava tank on the outskirts of the northern town of Kiryat Shmona near the border with Lebanon.

Sun., Oct. 8: Israelis run to take cover in a shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets fired from the Gaza strip, in Ashkelon, Israe

Sun., Oct. 8: People gather at a mosque to pray over the bodies of the Abu Quta family and their neighbours, killed in Israeli strikes on the Palestinian city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. — Sun., Oct. 8: People gather at a mosque to pray over the bodies of the Abu Quta family and their neighbors, killed in Israeli strikes on the Palestinian city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Sun., Oct. 8: Trucks carry heavy armored vehicles and tanks of Israeli army as Israel tightens measures by the army, police and other security forces.

Sun. Oct. 8: An Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome defense missile system attempts to intercept a rocket, fired from the Gaza Strip, over the city of Netivot in southern Israel.

Sat., Oct. 7:

Sat., Oct. 7: An ambulance takes away a person injured from a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Sat., Oct. 7: A young woman reacts as she speaks to Israeli rescuers in Tel Aviv.

Sat., Oct. 7: Journalists take cover behind cars as Israeli soldiers take position during clashes with Palestinian fighters near the Gevim Kibbutz, close to the border with Gaza.

Sat., Oct. 7: Israeli fire brigade teams douse the blaze in a partking lot outside a residential building following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon.

Sat., Oct. 7: Palestinians and militants from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades run towards the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip.

Sat., Oct. 7: A man stands in front of a damaged shop in Tel Aviv.

Sat., Oct. 7: People standing on a rooftop watch as a ball of fire and smoke rises above a building in Gaza City.

Sat., Oct. 7: Children are seen in a destroyed house after Israeli attacks in Gaza City, Gaza.

Sat., Oct. 7: Members of the Israeli frorces take cover on the side of a street in Ashkelon as sirens wail while barrages of rockets are fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

Sat., Oct. 7: Smoke rises as the clashes between Palestinian groups and Israeli forces continue on the streets of Beit Hanun.

Sat., Oct. 7: Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Sat., Oct. 7: Relatives of Palestinians, killed by Israeli forces during airstrike clashes, mourn after they were taken to the morgue of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza.

Sat., Oct. 7: Palestinians inspect the destroyed buildings after a rocket attack by Israeli air forces targeting a shopping center in the Gaza Strip, Gaza.

Sat., Oct. 7: A salvo of rockets is fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza City toward Israel.

Sat., Oct. 7: Cars burn after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a parking lot and a residential building in Ashkelon, southern Israel.

Sat., Oct. 7: Palestinians groups break over a fence with the help of a digger. — Sat., Oct. 7: Palestinians break over a fence with the help of a digger.