Israel-Gaza updates: Biden speaks with Netanyahu about hostages' release, Gaza humanitarian assistance
The hostages are two elderly women who are both Israeli nationals.
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 4,629 others have been injured in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. In Gaza, 5,087 people have died and 15,273 have been wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Authority.
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 other 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.
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IDF says it accidentally fired at Egyptian post near border
An Israel Defense Forces tank accidentally fired and hit an Egyptian post adjacent to the border in the area of Kerem Shalom, the IDF said in a statement Sunday.
The incident is being investigated and the details are under review, the IDF added.
"During the ongoing clashes in the Gaza Strip today, Sunday, an Egyptian border watchtower was accidentally hit by fragments of a shell from an Israeli tank, resulting in minor injuries to some border watchmen. The Israeli side has immediately expressed regret over the unintentional incident. An investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway," an Egyptian military spokesperson said in a statement.
An Egyptian security forces source said five military personnel and eight civilians were injured.
-ABC News' Bruno Nota and Ayat Al-Tawy
Security threats prompt order for some government personnel, families to depart Iraq
Eligible family members and non-emergency government personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the consulate general in Erbil, Iraq, have been ordered to depart the country “due to increased security threats against U.S. government personnel and interests," the U.S. State Department said Sunday.
Under the State Department’s travel advisory system, Iraq remains at Level 4, the highest warning level, where it has been for many years. The State Department said the order for non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible family members at the Baghdad Embassy and Consulate General was issued on Friday.
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford
Israel-Hamas conflict prompting jump in US hate crimes: DHS memo
Intensifying Israeli airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza and a possible ground assault “may increase calls for violence in the United States,” according to a new intelligence assessment by the Department of Homeland Security that also noted there has already been a rise in hate crimes against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities.
“Targeted violence attacks may increase as the conflict progresses,” the assessment said.
A separate memo to law enforcement agencies in Washington D.C., said, the escalation in the latest war between Israel and Hamas almost certainly will increase the threat of "terrorism and targeted violence” in the United States.
“While we currently have no intelligence to suggest that homegrown violent extremists and unaffiliated lone actors are planning any attack on the District or U.S. at large, foreign terrorist organizations are likely to increase the production of propaganda compelling U.S.-based actors to conduct attacks,” the memo said.
Likely targets include houses of worship, First Amendment-protected demonstrations and events, or U.S. military assets, the memo said. It mentioned an increase in swatting calls targeting Jewish houses of worship in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island with hoax bomb threats.
The memo adds, "We expect to remain in a heightened threat environment in the near-to-medium term -- even if a diplomatic solution to the crisis is found.”
--ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin
Scott maintains Biden has 'blood on his hands'
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott doubled down on his accusations Sunday that President Joe Biden has "blood on his hands" after the Hamas' terror attack spurred a wider war.
The South Carolina senator has been a vocal critic of the United States agreeing to release some $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue in order to free five American detainees. The deal, arranged before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, prompted the Biden administration to re-freeze the money after the terrorist group's rampage.
"Do not be surprised when the result of that $6 billion leads to more conflict in the Middle East," Scott told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
"I'm saying with great clarity that weakness from the American president, plus the negotiations, leading to terrorist attacks by negotiating with the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world -- yes, it creates complicity," Scott said, repeating claims he made earlier this month.
-ABC News' Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Biden prepares $100B package that includes aid for Israel: Sources
The Biden administration is preparing a foreign aid package for $100 billion that will include assistance for Israel, two people familiar with the details told ABC News.
Details on the spending request were still being finalized ahead of an official request sent to Congress later this week, according to the sources.
The specifics of the aid package are now circulating among U.S. officials, according to sources.
One source told ABC News the "bulk" of the assistance will likely go toward Ukraine, while another person with knowledge of the proposal said the latest draft included $10 billion for Israel, as requested.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty, Ben Siegel, and Allison Pecorin