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At least 30 killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah camp for displaced people, Gaza officials say
From CNN's Sarah El Sirgany, Abeer Salman and Hamdi Alkhshali
At least 30 people were killed by Israeli strikes on a camp for displaced people in the southernmost city of Rafah on Sunday, the Gaza government media office said.
Videos shared on social media show a large fire at the site, with paramedics and firefighters struggling to manage the aftermath. The area targeted included a large container used as a shelter for dozens of families, surrounded by hundreds of tents.
"The Israeli occupation army had designated these areas as safe zones, calling on citizens and displaced persons to head to these safe areas," the government office said, adding that when displaced people sought refuge, they came under attack.
That echoed criticism from the Palestinian Emergency Committee in Rafah, which said the Israel Defense Forces had claimed the area struck was a "safe zone."
What the IDF has said: The Israeli military claimed in a statement that it struck "a compound in Rafah in which significant Hamas terrorists were operating," and said it is aware of reports of civilian harm following the strike and fire.
It said one of its aircraft used "precise munitions" to strike the target based on "intelligence that indicated Hamas' use of the area."
It said the strikes, including the harm to civilians, are now under review.
Earlier Sunday, Hamas fired rockets at Tel Aviv for the first time in months. The Israeli military said the rockets were fired from Rafah.
Hamas response: Hamas issued a statement holding the US administration and President Joe Biden personally accountable for the attack.
It said Israel would not have carried out the strikes "without American support and the green light for it to invade Rafah, despite its overcrowding with displaced citizens."
Hamas called for immediate international intervention, urging the swift implementation of decisions by the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.
Remember: Over a million Palestinians — many already displaced by Israel's offensive in other parts of the enclave — had been sheltering in Rafah before Israel began its operations there. Many have now fled, but say they have nowhere safe to go.
Israel's actions in Rafah have served as a flashpoint for the unprecedented level of diplomatic pressure it is now facing over the war in Gaza.
Israeli strike kills at least 4 and leaves rescuers digging for others beneath rubble, Gaza medics say
From Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah in Gaza and Sarah El Sirgany in Jerusalem
An Israeliairstrike in the northern Gaza city of Jabalya killed at least four people Sunday, medics at the scene told a journalist working for CNN.
Four others were injured and many are still unaccounted for after the strike hit a residential building in the Al-Nazla neighborhood, according to the medics.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
The journalist said Jabalya witnessed an intense night of airstrikes and shelling, and that during the day, many fires were raging throughout the area.
Video obtained by CNN shows people digging through rubble and removing debris near a collapsed building. The group appears to pull a toddler from beneath the rubble, but it is unclear whether the child is alive.
Video shows aftermath of the strike:
"We are working with very limited resources," said HusseinMehisen, the director of Gaza Ambulance Services. "We call upon the international community and humanitarian agencies to salvage the health sector in Gaza."
Mehisen said the wounded had to be taken to other medical centers while nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital remains under Israeli siege.
Ibrahim Abdel Khaleq Khella, the brother of the owner of the house that was struck, said there are still women and children under the rubble that the Palestinian Civil Defence is trying to rescue.
"There were at least 20 people in that building. Manywere retrieved from the rubble," he said. "This is not the first time our family is targeted. My own house was hit. My brother Mahmoud’s house was hit, killing 20 and injuring 10. My cousins’ place at the back — which were two houses on the same street — were hit. To this day, their bodies are still under the rubble, we couldn’t get them out."
At a news conference on Sunday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the military is fighting "against terrorist targets" in Jabalya, and claimed they had found many weapons and relevant documents stored inside buildings there.
Netanyahu rejects Hamas leader's demand to end the war for hostage release
From CNN's Michael Schwartz and Hamdi Alkhshali
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed strong opposition to the demands made by YahyaSinwar, the Hamas leader, in the ongoing negotiations for the release of hostages.
"While Prime Minister Netanyahu time and again gave the negotiating team an extensive mandate to release our hostages, Sinwar continues to demand the end of the war, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and leaving Hamas intact, so that it can carry out the atrocities of October 7 over and over again," the Israeli prime minister's office stated.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly opposes this. The briefings from the negotiating team only harden Hamas's position, harm families and delay the release of our hostages."
Netanyahu's comments came ahead of the Sunday's war cabinetmeeting which is currently underway.
Israeli defense minister visits troops in Rafah
From CNN's Michael Schwartz and Hamdi Alkhshali
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant met with Israeli military officials in Rafah on Sunday for an update on the troops' operations above and below ground in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Gallant addressed the IDF troops, telling them efforts were ongoing to dismantle Hamas and return the hostages still held in Gaza, according to the statement. Gallant also praised the troops for their dedication and sacrifices since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas,the military said.
Some background: Gallant's visit comes as Israel's war cabinet is expected to meet Sunday to discuss hostage and ceasefire deal negotiations, according to an Israeli official.
The IDF's offensive in Rafah has contributed to the unprecedented level of diplomatic pressure Israel is currently facing over the toll to civilians of its widespread bombardment and siege on Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel's government faces widespread protests at home over its handling of the war.
Hamas fires rockets at Tel Aviv as hostage talks are set to resume: Here's everything you need to know
From CNN staff
The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that eight rockets have been fired from the Rafah area of southern Gaza and had crossed into Israel. "A number of projectiles" were intercepted, it said.
It marks the first time rockets have been fired at the city since late January.
Elsewhere, Israel’s war cabinet is expected to meet Sunday at 9 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) and discuss hostage and ceasefire deal negotiations, an Israeli official told CNN, while talks between the warring sides are expected to resume next week.
Below are the latest updates:
- Rockets fired: Sirens sounded inTel Avivand parts of central Israel on Sunday, according to the Israeli military. CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond saw several rocket intercepts from the capital. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, which shows the militants are still capable of firing long-range missiles despite the months-long Israeli offensive in Gaza.
- Hostage talks: Negotiations between Israel and Hamas for aceasefireand hostage swap deal are set toresumein Cairo onTuesday, anEgyptianofficialwith knowledge of the matter has told CNN. An Israeli official also told CNN talks were set to resume next week but did not specify a location.Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled for months, with both parties failing to reach an agreement over differences on key demands.
- Tel Aviv protests: Police and protesters clashed in Tel Aviv on Saturday night after a day of rallies calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and for thereturn of all hostages, according to several videos posted on social media. In the videos, horse-mounted police and water cannons can be seen in Tel Aviv’s Democracy Square attempting to disperse crowds refusing to leave, resulting in violent clashes. The clashes followed anti-government protest marches that took place in several cities across Israel.
- "Real genocide": Spain'sMinister of DefenceMargarita Robles said on Saturday that what is happening in Gaza is a "real genocide." Duringacelebration forSpain’sArmed Forces Day on Saturday, theministertold state-owned public broadcaster TVE,"We cannot ignore whatishappeninginGaza, whichisarealgenocide." Earlier this week, Spain, alongside Norway and Ireland,announced itsplans toformally recognizeaPalestinian statefrom May 28.
- Drone strike: At least 10 people, including children, died in Gaza on Saturday after adrone strike hit a schoolthey were sheltering in, according to local health workers. A total of 81 people have been killed and 223 have been injured as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza in the last 24 hours, the health ministry in Gaza reported Sunday. The toll since October 7, according to the ministry, is now 35,984 killed in Gaza, with 80,643 injured.
Israel’s war cabinet plans to meet Sunday to discuss hostage and ceasefire deal negotiations
From CNN's Benjamin Brown in Berlin
Israel’s war cabinet is expected to meet Sunday at 9 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) and discuss hostage and ceasefire deal negotiations, an Israeli official told CNN.
The cabinet meeting comes as negotiations are set to resume on Tuesday, accordingto an Egyptian official with knowledge of the matter, who spoke to CNN.
An Israeli officialwith knowledgeof the matter had also told CNN on Saturday talks were set toresume next week.
Efforts are continuing to try to find a breakthrough in talks even as fighting rages on the ground.
Israel is battling Hamas across the strip and the militants said they launched missiles at Tel Aviv on Sunday for the first time in months.
Sirens sound in Tel Aviv after first rocket attack in months
From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv and Benjamin Brown in Berlin
Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and parts of central Israel on Sunday, according to the Israeli military, marking the first time rockets have been fired at the city since late January.
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that eight rockets were fired from the Rafah area of southern Gaza and had crossed into Israel. The IDF said “a number of projectiles” had been intercepted.
CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond saw several rocket intercepts from Tel Aviv.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had targeted Tel Aviv with a "large missile barrage" in response to Israeli "massacres against civilians."
The attack shows Hamas retains the ability to launch long-range missiles despite the seven months of an Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reports 81 dead, 223 injured in past 24 hours
From CNN’s Sarah El Sirgany and Martin Goillandeau
Eighty-one people have been killed and 223 have been injured as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza in the last 24 hours, the health ministry in Gaza reported Sunday.
The toll since October 7, according to the ministry, is now 35,984 killed in Gaza, with 80,643 injured.
The Palestinian health ministry alleged that Israeli forces “committed eight massacres against families in the strip,” adding that a number of victims are “still under rubble and on the roads" so "ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.”
CNN cannot independently verify the ministry’s numbers due to the lack of international media access in the war zone.
The ministry does not distinguish between casualties among fighters and civilians. The health ministry also does not include the several thousand people thought to still be missing or buried under rubble in Gaza in its death toll figures.
Analysis: Israel faces unprecedented challenges as legal and diplomatic pressure mounts
Analysis byAbbas Al Lawati
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined the ranks of world leaders branded as international pariahs when he became the target of the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against him and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant for suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s war in Gaza.
The court has previouslysought warrantsagainst the likes of Sudan’s Omar Al Bashir, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi.
And on Friday, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel toimmediately haltits controversial military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying the humanitarian situation there is “disastrous” and expected to “intensify further.”
Seven months after Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, Israel’s retaliatory war has failed to achieve its goals. Top Hamas leaders remain at large and 125 hostages remain captive in the enclave. Gaza is now in ruins and more than 35,000 Palestinians have died during Israel’s onslaught, according to the the enclave's health ministry.
Pressure on Israel to end the war is mounting from all sides:US college campuses, international courts,American celebrities, Israel’s Western allies, and even the families of the Israeli hostages.
Israeli officials are scrambling to contain the fallout. They have accused criticsof antisemitismand vowed not to relent in the face of international pressure. “Even if Israel is forced to stand alone,we will stand alone, and we will continue to strike our enemies powerfully until victory,” Netanyahu declared in a fiery speech this month.
Read more on the mounting pressure Israel faces.
