Israel-Gaza updates: Death toll in Rafah airstrike rises to 50: Action Aid UK

After widespread condemnation, Israel has reversed course and returned equipment seized from The Associated Press. The equipment was seized and they took down their AP's live shot of northern Gaza from Israel Tuesday, citing a controversial new media law.

Israel had accused the AP of violating the new law by allowing Al Jazeera to access their live feed, according to the AP. Al Jazeera is one of the AP’s thousands of international clients.

"The Communications Ministry acted today to confiscate equipment that, despite repeated warnings, transmitted to Al-Gazira about the positions of our forces in the northern Gaza Strip while putting them at risk in accordance with security opinions and the government's decision," Israeli Minister of Communication Shlomo Karai said in a statement. "Since the Ministry of Defense wishes to examine the matter of the broadcasts from these locations in Sderot regarding the risk to our forces, I have now ordered to cancel the operation and return the equipment to the AP agency, until a different decision is made by the Ministry of Defense."

"The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment," said Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications at the AP earlier Tuesday. "The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law. We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world."

The AP refused a verbal order issued earlier to take down the transmission, and said it complies with Israeli military censorship rules.

In 2021, Israel destroyed the AP office inside Gaza, saying Hamas operated from the building, which the AP has denied. The office offered a live position from inside Gaza throughout many of the conflicts there.

-ABC News' Guy Davies

Food distributions in Rafah have been suspended due to lack of supplies and insecurity, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Only seven of the UNRWA's 24 health centers are operational, with the centers not receiving any medical supplies in the last 10 days due to Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossing closures and disruptions.

Due to Israel's ongoing military operation in eastern Rafah, the UNRWA distribution center and World Food Programme warehouse are inaccessible, according to the UNRWA.

"The current Israeli military operation in Rafah is directly impacting the ability of aid agencies to bring critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza. During this reporting period, the border crossing was only open for two days and only 48 trucks entered the Gaza Strip via Kerem Shalom and Rafah land crossings," according to the UNRWA.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against him "absurd" and "outrageous," saying it is not leaving him concerned about traveling.

Netanyahu also denied allegations of Israel using starvation as a weapon of war. Aid organizations have criticized Israel for months saying it has not allowed enough aid in, leading to a famine in Northern Gaza that is moving its way to the south, according to World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain.

Netanyahu also laid out his plan for Gaza after the war saying his No. 1 goal is to destroy Hamas "otherwise Gazans don't have a future," he said in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America."

"No. 2, demilitarize Gaza. And the one sustained demilitarization, I think, requires that Israel have the overall responsibility to fight resurgent terrorists," he said

"Three, ensure that Gaza will seek a civilian administration by Gazans who are not affiliated with Hamas and also don't seek the destruction of Israel," Netanyahu said.

"The last thing is we rebuild Gaza in a peaceful way, using the support of moderate Arab states and the international community," he added.

President Joe Biden said Monday that what Israel has carried out in Gaza during the war is "not genocide," while he denounced the application for arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.

"Let me be clear, we reject the ICC's application and arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas," Biden said, in part. "But let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that."

Biden made the comments during an event in the Rose Garden celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month where he fiercely defended Israel in the war against Hamas.

"We'll always stand with Israel and the threats against its security," he said.

The president also highlighted efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza "who are suffering greatly because of the war" and working toward a two-state solution.

-ABC News' Justin Ryan Gomez