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.
Latest headlines:
'Outraged': Macron calls for immediate cease-fire after Rafah attack
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israel's attack on Rafah that left at least 45 people dead, saying he was “outraged" and called for “respect for international law” and an "immediate cease-fire."
“Outraged by the Israeli strikes which caused numerous victims among the displaced in Rafah. These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire,” Macron said in a post on X.
The Israel Defense Forces claimed it took several measures to protect civilians. The strike is now under investigation.
"The General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism is investigating the circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of the strike. The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians during combat," the IDF said in a statement.
The White House has not commented on the attack yet, and the Israeli prime minister’s office has not released a statement.
-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman
Dozens killed, hundreds injured in Sunday Rafah strike, Gaza ministry says
Forty-five people were killed and 249 were injured in an IDF strike on Rafah on Sunday, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Monday.
Action Aid UK had on Sunday placed the death toll higher, saying at least 50 people were killed.
IDF officials said the strike had targeted "significant Hamas terrorists" who were operating in a Hamas compound.
"The IDF is aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed," IDF officials said on social media. "The incident is under review."
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey
IDF claims 2 top Hamas officials killed in Rafah airstrike
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed two top Hamas officials were killed in the deadly airstrike in western Rafah Sunday night.
The IDF said Hamas' Chief of Staff in the Judea and Samaria wing, Yassin Rabia, and an additional senior Hamas official, Khaled Nagar, were both killed.
"Hamas' Judea and Samaria wing is responsible for the planning, funding, and carrying out of terror attacks throughout Judea and Samaria and within Israel," the IDF said in a statement Sunday.
The IDF claimed Rabia was responsible for "numerous murderous terror attacks, including in 2001 and 2002, in which IDF soldiers were killed."
The IDF also claimed Nagar "directed shooting attacks and other terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria, and transferred funds intended for Hamas' terrorist activities in the Gaza Strip."
"Previously, Khaled Nagar carried out several deadly terror attacks between 2001-2003 which led to the deaths of several Israeli civilians and the injury and death of several Israeli soldiers," the IDF claimed.
The airstrike in Rafah on Sunday also resulted in the deaths of at least 50 individuals, including civilians, according to Action Aid UK.
Death toll in Rafah airstrike rises to 50: Action Aid UK
The death toll in the IDF airstrike that hit western Rafah Sunday night has risen to at least 50 individuals, including civilians, according to Action Aid UK.
The organization said Israeli fighter jets launched eight missiles at makeshift shelters housing internally displaced persons next to UNRWA warehouses stocking vital aid.
"We are outraged and heartbroken by the recent attacks in West Rafah," Action Aid UK said in a statement Sunday.
"These shelters were supposed to be safe havens for innocent civilians, yet they became targets of brutal violence," the organization continued. "Children, women, and men are being burned alive under their tents and shelters."
Action Aid UK expects the number of casualties to rise.
-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule
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