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Israel-Gaza live updates: Hamas to send a delegation to Cairo for hostage and cease-fire negotiations

Hamas will send a delegation to Cairo for hostage and cease-fire negotiations.

As the Israel-Hamas war approaches the seven-month mark, renewed negotiations are underway to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, as Israeli forces continue to prepare for an apparent invasion of the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a phone call over the weekend, discussing increasing the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and plans for a possible military operation in Rafah, according to the White House.


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State Department considers Gaza a 'severe humanitarian crisis'

The State Department has released its annual assessment of human rights across the globe.

The U.S. assessed that Israelis have killed or injured nearly 80,000 Palestinians in Gaza -- accounting for 3% of the population.

The State Department stressed that Israel "must conduct military operations in accordance with international law and take every feasible precaution to protect civilians."

"We continue to urgently raise concerns surrounding the deaths of and injuries to tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable persons," the U.S. said. "We repeatedly have pressed concerns about Palestinian civilians’ access to humanitarian assistance, displacement of the majority of the population of Gaza, and the unprecedented number of journalists killed."

The U.S. continues to review allegations that Israel violated international laws of war in Gaza and the West Bank, and part of that review will look into whether U.S. weapons were involved, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference Monday.

Blinken said the process will be fair, whether a country is "an adversary or competitor, a friend or an ally."

-ABC News’ Chris Boccia


Israeli intelligence chief resigns over Oct. 7

Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, has submitted his resignation in the wake of the Oct. 7 surprise terror attack, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday.

"The Chief of the General Staff thanked Major General Aharon Haliva for his 38 years of service in the IDF, during which he made significant contributions to the security of the State of Israel as both a combat soldier and commander," IDF officials said in a post on social media.

-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian and Kevin Shalvey


US drops 50,000 meals over Northern Gaza

The U.S. military on Sunday dropped 50,688 ready-to-eat meals into northern Gaza, Central Command said.

The humanitarian aid, which was dropped from four Air Force aircraft, brings the total U.S. assistance supplied by air to about 1,001 tons, CENTCOM said.

"The DoD humanitarian airdrops contribute to ongoing U.S. and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering," CENTCOM said on social media. "These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries."

-ABC News' Lauren Minore and Kevin Shalvey


3 injured in 'ramming terror attack' in Jerusalem, police say

Three people were "lightly" injured after being struck by a vehicle in a "ramming terror attack," Israeli police said on Monday morning. The two suspects allegedly fled the scene.

The pedestrians were struck at about 8 a.m. on Mordechai Tekhelet Street, police said.

"Immediately afterward, two terrorists emerged from the vehicle armed with 'Carlo' type weapon, and attempted to open fire, unsuccessfully," police said.

Investigators recovered a weapon from the area following the incident, police said.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller, Guy Davies and Kevin Shalvey


World Central Kitchen will resume operations in Gaza on Monday, it says

The World Central Kitchen said it will resume operations in Gaza on Monday.

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire," CEO Erin Gore said Sunday in a press release. "We are restarting our operation with the same energy, dignity and focus on feeding as many people as possible. To date, we have distributed more than 43 million meals, and we are eager to deliver millions more."

"We will continue to get as much food into Gaza, including northern Gaza, as possible -- by land, air or sea," Gore added, in part.

Chef José Andrés' aid group had paused operations on April 2, when seven workers were killed in Gaza during an Israel Defense Forces drone strike, the food-relief organization has said.

Andrés, in an exclusive sit-down interview with "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz earlier this month, said the strike is "unforgivable" and that Israel is committing a "war against humanity itself."

An investigation by the Israeli military into how the WCK strike occurred found that the decision to hit the aid convoy was a "serious violation" of their rules. It noted in its report the team that carried it out lacked sufficient evidence to do so, twice violating operating rules. In response, the IDF said it dismissed two officers, suspended two commanders and reprimanded three others. An Israeli military spokesman said it was "a terrible chain of errors, and it should never have happened."

Israeli officials have repeatedly defended their military operations in Gaza, insisting they take steps to curb civilian deaths while allowing aid to flow in that cannot benefit Hamas.