Israel-Gaza updates: Death toll in Rafah airstrike rises to 50: Action Aid UK
The area is densely populated with tents, the sources said.
As the Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, negotiations are apparently stalled to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, and Israeli forces continue to launch incursions in the southern Gazan town of Rafah ahead of a possible large-scale invasion.
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UNRWA suspends food distribution in Rafah
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
Netanyahu calls ICC arrest warrant 'absurd,' 'outrageous'
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.
Biden: What's happening in Gaza 'is not genocide'
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
Bodies of 4 hostages recovered last week found in tunnel in Jabaliya: IDF
The bodies of four Israeli hostages recovered last week were found in a tunnel in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday.
The bodies of Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, Ron Benjamin and Yitzchak Gelernter -- who were killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and taken into Gaza -- were recovered following a monthslong operation, the IDF said.
Israeli forces also "located intelligence materials and large quantities of weapons" during the night operation, the IDF said.
Over 500 metric tons of aid delivered to Gaza through pier since Friday, officials say
U.S. officials shared an update Thursday on efforts to bring aid into Gaza through the Army's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) system, a floating pier built to transport aid to the region.
Since Friday, over 506 metric tons of aid have been transported via the pier, according to officials.
Officials from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) held an audio-only briefing with reporters on continued aid efforts.
"Since the first shipments of this aid arrived through the humanitarian maritime corridor on Friday, the UN has been distributing more than 506 metric tons of humanitarian supplies to people in need," Daniel Dieckhaus, Director for USAID’s Levant Response Management Team, said Thursday.
"To put it into perspective, more than two thirds of the supplies entering through this new corridor have already been distributed, or are in the process of being distributed by humanitarian partners directly to people in need," he added.
Humanitarian aid has also been delivered through land-crossing distribution via 70 trucks that crossed the border into Gaza, according to Dieckhaus.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of CENTCOM, noted that, "In the last several days, we've delivered over a million pounds of aid into the hands of Palestinians," adding, "We can all feel good about that."
