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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Sirens sound in Tel Aviv as Hamas fighters launch rocket attack on Israel

Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on Sunday for the first time in months as Hamas' armed wing confirmed it launched a rocket attack on Israel's largest city.

Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, released a statement saying it had launched a rocket attack on Tel Aviv from Rafah.

"We bombed Tel Aviv with a large rocket barrage in response to the massacres against civilians," the statement said.

The Hamas fighters also posted an accompanying video showing what appeared to be rocket trails in the sky.

Israel Defense Forces said sirens sounded across central Israel Sunday after "eight projectiles were identified crossing from the area of Rafah into Israeli territory.

"A number of the projectiles were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array," the IDF statement said.

Israel's National Emergency Medical Service (MDA) said it received no reports of serious injuries.

"Following the Red Alert sirens heard in the center of the country: MDA teams did not locate casualties at any of the scenes, except for a patient who was lightly injured on the way to the protected space, and a number of victims with stress symptoms," the MDA said in a statement.

The IDF said later Sunday that it conducted an airstrike on the area where rocket launchers were used to direct rockets toward Tel Aviv, which the IDF said in a statement was "situated near two mosques in the area of Rafah."

Hamas has launched rocket attacks toward the areas around Gaza throughout the war but has not launched longer-range rockets in months. Sirens had not sounded in Tel Aviv in four months from Gaza-related rocket attacks.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule


Hamas claims to have captured and killed Israeli soldiers, IDF denies

A Hamas spokesperson alleged an unknown number of Israeli soldiers were captured and killed Saturday, however, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has denied the claim.

The spokesperson claimed Hamas fighters "lured" Israeli soldiers into a tunnel in Jabalia camp in the north of Gaza, subsequently "killing, capturing, and wounding" all of the soldiers involved.

In a short video, posted by Hamas' armed wing the Al Qassam brigades, an unmoving soldier is filmed being dragged along the floor. Images of weapons and gear are also shown.

The IDF denied the claim in an updated on X Saturday, saying, "The IDF clarifies that there is no incident in which a soldier was abducted."

ABC News has not been able to independently verify the video.

-ABC News' Nasser Atta, Anna Burd and Samy Zyara


Rough seas force 4 US vessels to break free near JLOTS pier

Four U.S. Army vessels that were part of the JLOTS temporary pier mission bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza broke free Saturday from their moorings because of rough seas and ended up beached near the pier in Gaza and near Ashkelon, Israel, U.S. Central Command said.

"Efforts to recover the vessels are under way with assistance from the Israeli Navy," Central Command said in a statement.

No injuries were reported and no U.S. personnel will enter Gaza during the recovery efforts, according to Central Command.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez


Biden says Egypt will reopen Kerem Shalom crossing to aid deliveries

President Joe Biden secured a commitment from Egypt in a discussion Friday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to resume deliveries of U.N. aid into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to a White House readout of their call.

Biden also expressed his support to reopen the Rafah crossing with "arrangements acceptable to both Egypt and Israel and agreed to send a senior team to Cairo next week for further discussions."

"The two leaders agreed to deliver quantities of humanitarian aid and fuel to the United Nations at the Kerem Shalom crossing. This is temporary until a legal mechanism is reached to reopen the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side," the Egyptian presidency said.

Aid delivery through the Rafah crossing stopped after Israel stepped up its military offensive in southern Gaza and took control of the crossing on the Palestinian side on May 7.

The leaders also discussed "new initiatives" to reach a deal to secure the release of hostages being held by Hamas and a cease-fire in Gaza. No specifics were provided.

"President Biden and President Al-Sisi affirmed their commitment to work together to set the conditions for a durable and sustainable peace in the Middle East region," the White House said. "They agreed to remain in regular contact both directly and through their senior national security teams."

-ABC News' Justin Ryan Gomez and Ayat Al-Tawy


IDF releases footage of young Israeli hostages it says were forced to film Hamas video under duress

Israel Defense Forces released Sunday raw video footage it says its troops recovered in Gaza that shows former Israeli hostages 8-year-old Ela Elyakim and her 15-year-old sister Dafna Elyakim being forced by Hamas terrorists to film repeatedly.

"The video, which is being released today for the first time was intended to be used by Hamas for psychological terror," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, said in a statement. "But Ela’s family asked us to share it with the world to expose Hamas's terror, to expose Hamas's cruelty, to expose Hamas's barbarism."

Hagari said the raw footage of the girls recording the video was recovered by IDF troops during Israel's ground operations in Gaza.

The Elyakim sisters were kidnapped on Oct. 7 from their father's house in Nahal Oz, according to the IDF. Their father was killed in the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, according to the IDF.

Ela and Dafana Elyakim were held hostage for 51 days before Hamas released them in a previous hostage deal, the IDF said.

Ela Elyakim told IDF officials that Hamas terrorists forced her to read from a script and made her change clothes multiple times as they refilmed the video over and over, according to Hagari.

"We will continue doing everything in our power to bring our hostages back home," said Hagari.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule