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


US sanctions 16 people, 2 groups after Iran attacks

The U.S. is sanctioning two groups and 16 people it says enabled Iran's drone production following Iran's attack on Israel last weekend.

"Today, in coordination with the United Kingdom and in consultation with partners and allies, we are taking swift and decisive action to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. "We’re using Treasury’s economic tools to degrade and disrupt key aspects of Iran’s malign activity, including its UAV program and the revenue the regime generates to support its terrorism."

The Treasury Department said it’s sanctioning Khuzestan Steel Company, Iran's largest steel producer. The Treasury Department said Iran's metals sector generates "several billion dollars in revenue annually."

The U.S. is also targeting the Iranian carmaker Bahman Group for its role in making vehicles used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for military operations.

The sanctions also target people who work for Iran-based drone manufacturers, including executives of the Mado Company, which the U.S. says produced drone engines used in Iran's Shahed UAVs. The U.S. also sanctioned members of the IRGC who it says help supply proxy groups, like the Houthis in Yemen, with drones that have attacked U.S. service members in the Red Sea.

Yellen added that the U.S. would "continue to deploy" sanctions to counter any further action by Iran, with the goal of making it harder and more expensive for Iran to undertake destabilizing actions.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that these sanctions are "holding Iran accountable."

Biden emphasized that the sanctions are in coordination with the international community, and he said the other G7 countries are committed to increasing "economic pressure" on Iran alongside the U.S.

Biden said he has instructed his team to continue to impose sanctions that will degrade Iran's military capabilities.

Biden also reiterated his ironclad support for Israel, and issued a warning to Iran and those who "enable" Iran's attacks.

"We are committed to the security of our personnel and partners in the region," Biden said. "And we will not hesitate to take all necessary action to hold you accountable."

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Justin Gomez