Israel-Gaza updates: 22, including 18 children, reported dead in Rafah strikes

The IDF says it struck military targets of terrorist organizations in Gaza.

Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran early Friday morning local time, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

The strike followed Iran's attack on Saturday, when Tehran sent a volley of more than 300 drones and missiles toward targets in Israel, according to Israeli military officials. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.

Iran's weekend attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of Gaza.


What to know about Iran's attack on Israel

Israeli officials said the country's Iron Dome defense system endured a big test from Iran's attack on Saturday, intercepting 99% of the 300 "threats of various types" thrown at it.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari, launched 170 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more than 120 ballistic missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles in the attack.

Hagari said "99% of the threats launched towards Israeli territory were intercepted -- a very significant strategic achievement."

Hagari said the attack resulted in only one known Israeli casualty, a 7-year-old girl who was severely injured when she was struck by shrapnel apparently from an intercepted missile.


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Netanyahu says Israel has set a date to enter Rafah

Israel has set a date for its forces to enter Rafah in southern Gaza, though the date has not been announced, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a brief video message in Hebrew on Monday.

"Today I received a detailed report on the [negotiation] talks in Cairo," Netanyahu said. "We are working all the time to achieve our goals, primarily the release of all our hostages and achieving a complete victory over Hamas."

"This victory requires entry into Rafah and the elimination of the terrorist battalions there," he continued. "It will happen -- there is a date."

The U.S. has not been briefed on the date Israel will invade Rafah, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky


White House still reviewing IDF report on WCK strike, Kirby says

The White House is still reviewing the Israel Defense Force’s investigation of the Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza, according to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

Officials are "still working our way through it," Kirby told reporters Monday. He didn’t provide any update on when that assessment will be done.

Kirby also said the postponed visit by the Israeli delegation to the White House to discuss the IDF’s presence in Rafah in southern Gaza will likely be delayed again.

"I'm not sure that it's going to actually happen this week," he said. "I think folks are really sort of circling around sometime next week."

-ABC News’ Justin Gomez


Egypt to dramatically increase number of aid trucks through Rafah crossing

Egypt has decided to increase the number of aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip through its Rafah border crossing to 300 trucks per day, Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt's State Information Service, said Sunday.

The average number of trucks entering the crossing daily since the beginning of April has been 55, Egyptian officials said.

A total of 322 trucks entered North Gaza via Rafah during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Rashwan said.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 19,000 relief trucks have entered the Gaza Strip through Rafah, Rashwan said.

Rashwan also said 66,759 foreign passport holders and dual nationals exited Gaza into Egypt through Rafah since the war began. Some 3,764 wounded Palestinians and patients, along with 6,191 relatives have also left Gaza into Egypt, according to Rashwan.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy


Talks to resume Sunday in Egypt, Israeli source says

An Israeli delegation has arrived in Cairo, Egypt, for a new round of cease-fire and hostage release talks, an Israeli source confirmed Sunday to ABC News.

-ABC News Jordana Miller


Iran seizes Israeli-linked ship in Strait of Hormuz

In a report posted on X, the Iranian Tasnim state news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) said paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commandos seized a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz.

The detained ship, named "MSC Aries," operates under the flag of Portugal and is connected to the London-based company called Zodiac Maritime which is partially owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

“MSC is the manager and commercial operator of the container vessel MSC Aries. MSC is responsible for all vessel activities including cargo operations and maintenance," Zodiac Maritime said in a statement to ABC News on Saturday. "Title to the vessel is held by Gortal Shipping Inc. as financier and she has been leased to MSC on a long term basis. Gortal Shipping Inc. is affiliated with Zodiac Maritime. MSC is also responsible for the vessel’s itinerary, schedule and crew onboard and any queries about the vessel should be directed to MSC”.

Further details regarding the seized vessel are expected to be released shortly.

"We regret to confirm that MSC Aries owned by Zodiac Maritime and chartered to MSC has been boarded by Iranian authorities via helicopter as she passed the Strait of Hormuz," MSC said in a statement. "She has since been diverted from her itinerary towards Iran. She has 25 crew onboard, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure their wellbeing, and safe return of the vessel."

- ABC News' Dana Savir