Israel-Gaza updates: Blinken tells Israel onus is on Hamas to accept cease-fire

The 26-year-old was kidnapped from the Nova music festival.

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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Israel strike hits fuel tank, causing large fire: US official

The U.S. received information from the Israelis overnight that they believe shrapnel or something else from the strike ignited a fuel tank 100 meters away, which engulfed a tent, creating a massive fire, according to a U.S. official.

The U.S. does not have information to confirm or dispute that information. The U.S. is in the process of understanding what has happened, waiting for Israel to conduct its own investigation and determining what action to take next, according to the official.

The U.S. maintains that while they’ve warned about a major ground offensive in Rafah, that’s not what’s happening, according to the official.

-ABC News' Selina Wang


Hamas leader says Rafah strike shows Israel is defying international law

Commenting on the Rafah strike that killed 50 people, Hamas released a statement saying Israel’s attack on Rafah is like "the announcement of Netanyahu’s government’s defiance of international justice decisions," referring to the International Court of Justice’s decision last week ordering Israel to stop its operation in Rafah.

"The massacre committed in the areas where its considered safe area," Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said. "The timing of these murders during the last two days is like the announcement of Netanyahu's government's defiance of international justice decisions."


Netanyahu calls strike on Rafah a 'tragic mishap'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike on Rafah which killed at least 50 Palestinians Sunday, a “tragic mishap,” in a speech to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, Monday.

"We are fighting with force in the north of the Gaza Strip, in its center, its south and in Rafah. In Rafah we have already evacuated about a million uninvolved residents and despite our best efforts not to harm the un-involved, unfortunately a tragic mishap happened last night. We are investigating the case and will draw the conclusions because this is our policy," Netanyahu said.

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman


Death toll from Israeli strike rises to 50

At least 50 people have been confirmed dead in Israel's strike on Rafah, with a number of victims are still under the rubble, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement Monday. Ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them the victims, the statement noted.

Since Oct. 7, 36,050 people have been killed in Gaza and 81,026 others have been injured.

"Never before in history has such a large number of mass killing tools been amassed and employed together in front of the world as is happening now in Gaza, where the population is deprived of water, food, medicine, electricity, and fuel, crushing the infrastructure, destroying all institutions, disrupting sanitation, spreading epidemics, crushing the health system, implementing the siege, closing crossings, and preventing the entry of medical supplies and delegations," the Gaza Health Ministry said.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky


Biden pitches 3-phase cease-fire deal to end Israel-Hamas war

President Joe Biden gave remarks from the White House on Friday, presenting an Israeli proposal to draw the war in Gaza to a close.

Biden said the deal had been transmitted to Israel and Hamas, through Qatar.

The president said the first phase would last for six weeks and include a "full and complete cease-fire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza [and] release of a number of hostages." Palestinians would also be able to return to their homes and 600 trucks of humanitarian aid would be delivered to Gaza every day.

The second phase would include a release of all remaining living hostages and the temporary cease-fire would become a permanent cease-fire with Israel withdrawing all forces from Gaza "as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments," Biden said.

In phase three, there would be a major reconstruction of Gaza.

"At this point Hamas no longer is capable of carrying out another Oct. 7, which was one of the Israelis' main objectives in this war, and, quite frankly, a righteous one," Biden said.

Biden continued, "We can’t lose this moment. Indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory ... will only bog down Israel in Gaza -- draining the economic, military and human resources and furthering Israel's isolation in the world. That will not bring hostages home."