May 6, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Our live coverage of Israel’s war in Gaza has moved here.

Israeli airstrikes killed multiple people in Rafah early Tuesday, Palestinian officials said, after Israel reiterated its commitment to an offensive in southern Gaza.

Israel has vowed to “exert military pressure on Hamas” in Rafah after saying the ceasefire terms the Palestinian militant group responded to Monday were “far from” meeting its demands.

International leaders, including the United Nations chief, have urged Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal as tensions escalate on the ground after the Israeli military called on Palestinians in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately.”

Here’s what to know:

 US President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan “discussed the latest developments in Gaza and affirmed their commitment to work together towards an enduring end to the crisis” during their lunch at the White House Monday, the White House said.

“They further underscored the need for an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas and a sustainable ceasefire that allows for a surge of the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza,” a readout of the meeting released by the White House said.
“Both remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting peace to include a pathway to a Palestinian state, with security guarantees for Israel,” the readout said.

Both Biden and Abdullah “reiterated their shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” the White House said. Biden also thanked the king for his “critical leadership and partnership in this effort.”

Abdullah warned Biden in their meeting that an Israeli attack on Rafah, where about 1.4 million Palestinians are internally displaced “threatens to lead to a new massacre,” according to a post on X from Jordan’s Royal Hashemite Court.

Civil defense teams transport several injured people following Israeli attacks in Rafah, southern Gaza.

A number of Palestinians were killed, and others were injured due to multiple airstrikes on Rafah on early Tuesday early, local time, according to a statement published by the Palestinian Civil Defense.

“Civil defense teams have managed to pull out a number of martyrs and transport several injured individuals from under the rubble of several homes which were bombed by Israeli warplanes tonight in various places in the Rafah governorate in southern Gaza Strip,” the Palestinian Civil Defense statement read.

Along with the statement, the Civil Defense published photos showing at least two dead bodies inside body bags.

Eight Palestinians were killed in two attacks on Rafah, although the exact timeframe remains unclear, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

Rafah’s Kuwait hospital said it received 11 dead, according to a post on its Facebook account in the early hours of Tuesday local time.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces regarding Tuesday morning’s strikes in Rafah.

Airstrikes intensified: The strikes in southern Gaza comes after the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Monday that the military operation in Rafah will continue to “exert military pressure on Hamas”. 

The IDF also said on Monday that it is “currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.”

Overnight from Sunday through the early hours of Monday, at least 26 people were killed in strikes on Rafah, according to the Civil Defense. 

António Guterres speaks to the press in Santiago, Chile on May 2.

A ground invasion of Rafah would be “intolerable,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday.

Guterres said he had made a “very strong appeal” to both the Israeli government and the leadership of Hamas to “go an extra mile” to reach a ceasefire agreement.

“This is an opportunity that cannot be missed,” he added.

Sounds of apparent gunfire could be heard early Tuesday morning local time in a recording from Egyptian state TV Al Qahera news, of the Rafah border crossing from the Egyptian side.

The looped bump shot appears to show a checkpoint with no people in the frame. The gunshots were heard around 1:33 a.m. local time according to the state broadcaster. 

It is not immediately clear if this is the start of ground operations in Rafah.

CNN cannot independently verify that the sound is of gunfire and what the source is.

CIA Director Bill Burns attends a hearing in Washington on March 11.

Over the past few days, mediators reworked the proposal that Hamas responded to on Monday to get past hurdles that weren’t going to work for Israel, two sources familiar with the talks said. 

CIA Director Bill Burns traveled to Cairo late last week and then on to Doha where he worked with the Qataris on the language so that it could be a workable basis for discussions with Israel.

Hamas responded to this re-worked framework on Monday, both sources said. Based on that draft, Israel will send a working-level team of experts to join more talks in Cairo on Tuesday, one source said.

According to the second source, a diplomat, Burns was in meetings with Qatar’s prime minister when the Hamas response came in and Burns was immediately given a copy. 

The toughest part has been the question of a permanent ceasefire and the ways to address the issue in an agreement, one of the sources familiar with the discussions said. 

That goal of a permanent ceasefire is not mentioned in the first phase of the proposal, the source said. Instead, the first phase is when Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released during a multi-week pause in the fighting. Officials believe more negotiations will be needed before a permanent ceasefire is reached, the first source said.

Meanwhile, United States officials have pushed back on Hamas’ initial public declaration on Monday that they had “agreed” to a ceasefire agreement, saying that in fact, what Hamas did was to come back with a counterproposal with changes. That counterproposal will need further negotiation, the US officials said, describing what Hamas presented as “amendments” to an earlier proposal.

The proposed agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt and accepted by Hamas starts with the release of 33 Israeli hostages over 42 days and ends with the rebuilding of Gaza amid “a period of sustainable calm,” according to a document shared with CNN by a source in the region familiar with negotiations. 

The copy of the framework details that the agreement will be divided into three phases, each 42 days long. It will also include an eventual full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in the second phase, according to the document and Hamas senior official Khalil Al-Hayya, who spoke to Al Jazeera. 

Here’s a breakdown of each phase:

The first phase

The second phase

The third phase

Video and images obtained by CNN showed multiple explosions in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Monday night.

Local social media accounts reported that the explosions were to the east of Rafah, an area where the Israel Defense Forces had ordered an evacuation of civilians earlier Monday.

United States officials are closely monitoring reports of the explosions and have “real concerns” about the situation that is unfolding, but do not believe this is the beginning of a major Israel military operation into southern Gaza, US officials told CNN. 

The Biden administration remains opposed to Israel going into Rafah, as White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters repeatedly earlier Monday afternoon. And while the current situation is concerning, these US officials stressed that for now, they believe the reports of strikes in Rafah are limited in scope. 

This post has been updated with additional information from the US.

Indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas will continue on Tuesday, with a Qatari delegation heading to Cairo, according to the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Spokesperson Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari said in a statement early Tuesday (local time) that the continued negotiations come after Hamas sent a response about a possible proposal, which “can be described as positive.”

Al-Ansari expressed Qatar’s “hope that the talks will culminate in reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners and detainees, and the sustainable flow of humanitarian aid into all areas of the Strip.”

There have been international calls for an agreement to be reached on a ceasefire and hostage release deal. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on the Israeli government and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal after Hamas said it accepted a deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar.

The Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi also expressed his hope for a deal to be met on X.

Israeli forces are going to take over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in the next few hours, according to CNN political and global affairs analyst Barak Ravid, citing two sources with direct knowledge.

Palestinians react after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, in Rafah, Gaza, on Monday, May 6.

Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the “necessary requirements.”

This comes after the Israeli military called on Palestinians living in parts of eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately.” During nearly seven months of war, more than 1 million Palestinians have fled to the southern city. The US expressed concerns about the evacuations.

Here’s what to know about Hamas’ response, the framework and more:

Hamas said it would not back down from its demands in the proposal it agreed to, according to a news release on Monday.

Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, spoke with Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah, discussing the proposed ceasefire agreement it received from the mediators two days ago, according to the Hamas statement.

“They emphasized that the resistance factions will not back down from their demands included in the agreed-upon proposal, including foremost the ceasefire, complete withdrawal, dignified exchange, reconstruction, and lifting of the blockade,” the statement added.

There were “significant gaps” between Israel and Hamas, Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said Monday after Hamas accepted a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt.

The Hamas version of the proposal “does not correspond to the dialogue that has taken place so far with the mediators and has significant gaps,” Gantz said. “Despite this, we continue to turn over every stone and a delegation will go to Cairo.”

Working for the return of Israeli hostages is a “war goal” and a “supreme moral duty,” he added.

“The negotiating team and the professionals continue to work every minute and every moment. … Every decision will be brought to the War Cabinet — there will be no political consideration.”

Palestinians celebrate in a street in Rafah after Hamas announced it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposal, on May 6.

Hamas on Monday agreed to a framework proposal, which diverges from the one Israel had helped craft with Egypt more than a week ago, a senior Israeli and senior US official said.

The latest proposal calls for an end to the war, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not accept, the senior American official said.

“It incudes a permanent end to hostilities, which is a red line for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu,” the senior US official said.
“This is not the same position,” the senior Israeli official said.

The senior Israeli official said the Israeli government was sending a working-level delegation to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in order to better understand the latest proposal and determine whether a deal can be forged.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the Israeli government and Hamas leadership to agree to a ceasefire deal after Hamas said it has accepted a deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar.

He urged the parties to “go the extra mile needed to make an agreement come true and stop the present suffering,” according to a statement issued by Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the secretary general.

Guterres also voiced concern over Israel’s military operations in Rafah.

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent. We are already seeing movements of people – many of these are in desperate humanitarian condition and have been repeatedly displaced. They search for safety that has been so many times denied,” the statement read. 

Palestinians leaving eastern Rafah after the Israel Defense Forces called on people to evacuate have been describing their fear and despair to a CNN stringer in the area.

Mohammed Ghanem and his wife were pushing strollers piled high with belongings.

“We no longer have a home. We are heading to Mawasi because there is no safety with the Israelis. They are killing women and children,” Ghanem told CNN. “We left because they distributed leaflets and are striking everywhere without differentiating between children, adults, militants, or non-militants. I left my house that I have been building for 17 years.”

Faisal Barbakh was on a bicycle:

“I am leaving for the unknown. I feel terrible. I just wish one of the people who caused us this were walking with us,” he said. “I’m carrying all of my life here. My family is torn [apart] in seven places. I feel it’s the end of life. I can’t think anymore. I left 59 years of life behind, all of my memories, my children’s pictures, the contract of my house. Only God knows how much effort I have put in there. It is not only my feeling, it is everyone’s feeling.”

Videos from the area showed trucks full of people’s belongings driving through the streets, which became increasingly crowded as the day wore on.

Malek and Yousef, two boys, were making their way out on bicycles, carrying their bags. One said:

“We are running away from the Israelis. They warned us and ordered us to evacuate the eastern area. I have my clothes and food in the bag. We are going to our grandparents’ house.” 

Many of those leaving have been previously displaced. One man told CNN it’s his fourth time being displaced.

“From Nuseirat to Khan Younis, then to Rafah, and now another one. I don’t know where I am heading.”

The UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called Israel’s demand for Palestinians to relocate from Rafah in southern Gaza as inhumane.

“Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease, and even famine. And today, they have been told that they must relocate yet again as Israeli military operations into Rafah scale up. This is inhumane. It runs contrary to the basic principles of international humanitarian and human rights laws, which have the effective protection of civilians as their overriding concern,” Türk said in a statement.

Türk criticized Israel for “forcibly relocating” hundreds of thousands of people to areas already heavily destroyed and where there is little shelter and virtually no access to humanitarian assistance necessary for their survival.” He added that there is nowhere safe outside of Rafah.

He also warned that those who don’t comply with international human rights laws must be held accountable.

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah, on May 6.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Monday the country’s military operation in Rafah will continue while responding to the Hamas ceasefire proposal by saying it will send a delegation to the mediators.

“The War Cabinet unanimously decided that Israel continues its operation in Rafah in order to exert military pressure on Hamas,” the office said in a short statement late Monday after Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire agreement.
“At the same time, even though Hamas’ proposal is far from Israel’s necessary requirements, Israel will send a working level delegation to the mediators,” the statement added.

The mediators are Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces said that it is “currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.”

Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 2.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on Hamas’ response Monday to a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, and he is “aware of where the situation and where the process is,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said.

The White House declined to weigh in on the specifics, saying that the US is “currently reviewing that response, and we’re discussing with our partners in the region.”

CIA Director Bill Burns was in the region and was “working in real time on the ground” on the situation, Kirby said, adding he wouldn’t be able to comment further “until we know where things stand.” He said he didn’t want to make any comments that would put the process at risk. 

Earlier Monday, Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for about 30 minutes before Hamas publicly said it had accepted a deal, Kirby said. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said he held a telephone call with Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political wing, on Monday after the group accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar.

“Now the ball is in the opposite court,” Haniyeh said during the call, the minister wrote on X.

“We are honest in our intentions,” Haniyeh had said, according to the minister.

Iran has been a supporter of Hamas and several other organizations across the region. See more below.

Hamas’ announcement accepting a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar “must pave the way for the return of the 132 hostages held captive by Hamas for the past 7 months,” the Hostages Families Forum said in a statement.

In Tel Aviv, hostage families and their supporters took to the streets as they called on the government to accept the proposal. A similar protest took place in Jerusalem, as demonstrators chanted: “Nothing is more important, every hostage must return.”

Remember: Israeli officials believe 128 hostages taken in the October 7 attacks remain in Gaza, and that at least 34 of them are dead.

“Now is the time for all that are involved, to fulfil their commitment and turn this opportunity into a deal for the return of all the hostages,” the statement added.

The post was updated with reporting on reactions on the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

An overview of Al Jazeera's newsroom at its headquarters in Doha, Qatar, on May 6.

The White House said Monday it doesn’t support Israel’s decision to shutter Al Jazeera, while the US State Department said the move was concerning.

“The work of independent journalism around the world is absolutely vital. It’s important to an informed citizenry and public, but it’s also important to help inform the policymaking process. So we don’t support that at all,” National Security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday. 

The State Department said the United States supported a free press.

“We support the work that journalists and media do. I don’t think it’s any secret that we have had our differences with Al Jazeera over the years, including some of the ways that they cover this conflict, but we support the free media conducting their operations everywhere in the world,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing.

The decision has also been condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists and the United Nations Human Rights Office.

The headline and post were updated with more reactions to Israel’s decision to shutter Al Jazeera.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks in Paris on Monday, May 6.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday as he pleaded for ” lasting peace in the Middle East” during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Xi emphasized that the prolonged conflict is a test of human conscience and stated the international community had to take action.

He reiterated China’s stance on Ukraine, stating that China has been actively promoting peace. He added that China is against any parties using the Ukraine crisis to incite a “new Cold War.”

In addition to remarks on political matters, Xi called for closer relations with France in various fields, including agriculture, finance, aerospace, nuclear power, and cultural exchanges. According to Xi, China and France have signed a total of 18 interdepartmental cooperation agreements during the visit.

Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian met with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar in March. Beijing did not name or condemn Hamas in the wake of the October 7 attacks. Since then, it has condemned the war and been a vocal proponent of an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of a “two-state” solution.

Some humanitarian aid workers have been forced to relocate after Israeli forces issued evacuation notices in parts of Rafah on Monday amid fears of a long-threatened ground assault.

At least one group has also been warned to evacuate its warehouse, which houses food and other supplies, but is unable to do so because there is not enough fuel, a humanitarian official told CNN.

Without fuel, which can’t be transported into the enclave as Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings are closed, “there’s very little that can be done,” the official added.

The details underscore the humanitarian catastrophe that would come from an Israeli operation into Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have fled the ongoing war.

On Monday, the IDF called on Palestinians in eastern parts of Rafah to “evacuate immediately” for Al-Mawasi.

One humanitarian aid worker from the organization Mercy Corps described Al-Mawasi as “a desert area adjacent to the sea, with no signs of life, no electricity, no water, and few houses.”

“Last week, we conducted an aid distribution in this area, marking one of the most harrowing experiences I’ve witnessed,” they said.  
“Picture this: tents stretching endlessly under the scorching sun, with no relief in sight – no electricity, no water, and no aid. It was chaotic and unorganized. During the day, the inside of the tents felt like a sauna,” the worker described. 
“Just days ago, during a heatwave, a 5-year-old girl tragically lost her life due to the extreme heat,” they added. 

The World Food Programme, one of the main humanitarian aid organizations operating on the ground in Gaza, is not evacuating staff from Rafah, a senior spokesperson told CNN.  

“The UN has no intention of withdrawing from Rafah and will stay and deliver alongside our humanitarian partners. The UN and humanitarian partners will continue to provide aid regardless of people’s location and respond to the constantly changing patterns of displacement throughout the Gaza Strip, as we have been doing,” said Steve Taravella. 

Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings as they leave Rafah following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli military on May 6.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concern about evacuations from Rafah after the Israeli military issued a call for Palestinians in “a significant portion” of the southern Gazan city to move.

“If you see 100,000 people move, you’re going to see other people in the next area move as well — which, of course, is something that you want to see happen if there’s a military operation,” he said at a State Department briefing. “But the problem now is there’s such limited places for them to go inside Gaza, and there is no effective way to distribute aid to them and make sure they have access to shelter, access to sanitation in the places that they would go.”

Remember: Humanitarian aid officials have said there is little sign that the area where Palestinians have been directed, Al Mawasi, has the infrastructure to support people fleeing there. One worker from the organization Mercy Corps described it as an area “with no signs of life, no electricity, no water, and few houses.”

Miller again said the US would not support a full-scale military operation in Rafah, but would support a limited operation. He would not say if the Israeli government has said it would carry out a limited operation. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers remarks after cabinet a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, on May 6.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Hamas’ decision to agree to a ceasefire deal and urged Israel to do the same.

“We are pleased that Hamas has agreed to the ceasefire after our calls. Now Israel should take the same step. I call on all Western actors to put pressure on the Israeli administration,” the president said following a cabinet meeting.

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas, had spoken on the phone with Erdogan on Monday, informing him of the group’s decision to accept the deal, according to a Hamas press release. It’s unclear whether Hamas has agreed to the proposal as outlined last week, or a revised version of it.

Smoke rises east of Rafah following Israeli airstrikes on Monday, May 6.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is “examining every response” but Israeli operations are continuing simultaneously in the Gaza Strip, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Monday when asked if Hamas’ response to the deal could change Israel’s plans for Rafah.

Throughout the day, the Israeli air force struck more than 50 targets in the Rafah area, according to Hagari.

As part of preparations for a ground operation, the IDF is evacuating areas in eastern Rafah and expanding the humanitarian zone in Al Mawasi and Khan Younis, Hagari said in a news briefing.

He added that Israel was making every effort in the negotiations to try to bring the hostages home as “fast as possible” and that was the “central mission.”

Addressing Israel’s shutdown of the Kerem Shalom border crossing after it was struck by a rocket attack claimed by Hamas, Hagari said it will open for humanitarian aid “as soon as the security situation allows.”

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller delivers remarks during a press briefing on Monday.

The United States is reviewing Hamas’ response to a ceasefire and hostage proposal “and discussing it with our partners in the region,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday. 

The US had received the response in the “last hour, 90 minutes,” Miller said on Monday afternoon at a State Department briefing.

“I don’t want to characterize the nature of that response just yet,” he said.

He reiterated that a deal is in the “best interest” of both Israelis and Palestinians.

“It would bring an immediate ceasefire, it would allow increased movement of humanitarian assistance and so we’re going to continue to work to try to reach one,” he added.

The mediators in negotiations on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza submitted Hamas’ formal response to Israel within the last half-hour, CNN has learned.

The Israeli government is now reviewing it. 

The Israeli prime minister’s office has declined to comment on Hamas’ response at this stage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, attends a wreath-laying ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day in Jerusalem on May 6.

A diplomatic source familiar with the talks on a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza has told CNN that after a day-long meeting in Doha between the director of the CIA, Bill Burns, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, mediators convinced Hamas to accept the three-part deal. 

Hamas has announced that Ismail Haniyeh, head of its political bureau, spoke on the phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Monday, “informing him of the movement’s agreement to the proposed ceasefire agreement received from the mediators two days ago, and the details of the proposed agreement.”

CNN’s International Diplomatic Correspondent Nic Robertson said the Hamas announcement appears to have “put the ball back in Israel’s court at…. the 11th hour for a potential incursion into Rafah.”

Palestinians inspect damage to homes after an Israeli airstrike near Rafah, Gaza, on May 5.

Hamas has announced that Ismail Haniyeh, head of its political bureau, has told Qatari and Egyptian mediators that Hamas has agreed to their proposal for a ceasefire agreement.

The statement said that Haniyeh “made a phone call to the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and to the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence Mr. Abbas Kamel, and informed them of Hamas’ agreement to their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement.”

CNN has reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office for comment.

A member of Hamas’ political bureau, Basem Naim, told CNN that Hamas is waiting for an Israeli response to its agreement to a ceasefire and hostage deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar. 

It’s unclear whether Hamas has agreed to the proposal as outlined last week, or a revised version of it.  

As news spread in Gaza of Hamas’ announcement, there were celebrations in the streets in several places, including in Deir el Balah, central Gaza, and in Gaza City. 

Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press briefing in Tehran, Iran, in March.

A potential temporary ceasefire: The most recent framework, which Israel helped craft but has not fully agreed to, calls for the release of 20 to 33 hostages over several weeks in exchange for a temporary ceasefire.

It also calls for the release of Palestinian prisoners, followed by what sources described as the “restoration of sustainable calm” during which the remaining hostages, captive Israeli soldiers, and the bodies of hostages would be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners. 

Tents house displaced Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza, on April 30.

Gazans outside Rafah told CNN they are terrified for the fate of their relatives displaced inside the southern city, after Israeli forces told people to relocate ahead of a threatened ground attack.  

“For my family here in the north… their psychological health has been destroyed because of their fear for our relatives in Rafah,” said Raghad Ezzat Hamouda, 19, a young woman displaced in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, who has about 70 relatives aged two to 60 in Rafah. 

Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza since October 7 has shredded the besieged enclave, turned neighborhoods to rubble and forced more than one million Palestinians seeking shelter in Rafah. As streams of Palestinians left the city on Monday, human rights groups warned Israel’s relocation order violates international law. 

Another Palestinian, Jamal Al Rozzi, in his 50s, told CNN that those in Rafah – including tens of relatives – are hoping for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Especially vulnerable members of the population – including children and those with disabilities – are less likely to be able to make long and arduous journeys of displacement, he added. 

“They are lost. They don’t know where to go,” the aid worker, who fled the Gaza Strip to Egypt in April, said. “Please stop this war, it’s becoming like hell. 

A limited Israeli operation into Rafah is intended to keep pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal that would bring about a ceasefire and a hostage release, a source familiar with Israeli plans tells CNN. 

Israel informed the US of the plans to evacuate the area in eastern Rafah and conduct the operation before the call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the source said.

The source described the operation as “very limited” and said it is not the larger incursion into Rafah that Israel has been publicly messaging for weeks.

Streams of Palestinians were leaving eastern Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Monday, after Israeli forces told civilians to relocate to the coastal town of Al-Mawasi, prompting fears over a long-threatened ground assault and human rights warnings.

Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in Rafah, just as negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages appear to have stalled.

Here are the latest developments:

A senior official from Hamas’ political bureau has said an Israeli military offensive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, will “not be a picnic” for Israeli troops.

“Any military operation in Rafah will put the negotiations in jeopardy, and it will not be a picnic for the enemy army,” Izzat Al-Rashq posted on Telegram, on Monday. “Netanyahu and his government bear full responsibility.”

Israeli forces told Palestinians to leave Rafah ahead of a looming ground attack, sparking widespread fears for the safety of more than one million people who were forced to flee there from Israel’s bombardment.

Al-Rashq issued the statement as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appeared to reach an impasse, as both parties failed to reach a deal over the weekend.

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid move through security inspections at the Kerem Shalom crossing in March.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to ensure the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing to humanitarian aid during his call with US President Joe Biden, according to a White House readout of the call.

The two leaders discussed “ongoing” hostage deal talks in Doha, in Qatar, and Washington’s position on any potential Rafah operation.

Humanitarian aid: The crossing was closed this weekend to humanitarian aid trucks after it was struck in a rocket attack that killed three Israeli soldiers.

“President Biden updated the Prime Minister on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through ongoing talks today in Doha, Qatar. The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need. The President reiterated his clear position on Rafah,” according to a White House readout of the call. The two men also discussed their shared commitment to remember the millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. 

Israeli soldiers and medics walk near an ambulance after a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing on May 5.

Ceasefire talks: Ahead of the call, a National Security Council spokesperson also said that it is the White House’s view that achieving a hostage deal is the best path forward. 

“We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing now,” the spokesperson said. They would not comment on Israel’s latest call for people to evacuate eastern Rafah, but added: “We have made our views clear on a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media during a visit to a restaurant in London on Monday, May 6.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told local media he is “deeply concerned” about the possibility of an Israeli ground attack into Rafah.

“We are concerned, deeply concerned about the prospect of a military incursion into Rafah given a number of civilians that are sheltering there, and the importance of that crossing for aid,” Sunak said during an interview with Sky News on Monday. 

Israeli forces told Palestinians in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately,” a day after the country’s defense minister said troops in Gaza should expect “intense action” in the city “in the near future.”

The UK leader urged all parties – “particularly Hamas” – to find an agreement for a “temporary pause” to release hostages, and allow more aid to go into the Gaza Strip, as negotiations for a truce between Israel and Hamas appeared to stall over the weekend.

Sunak added, “That will allow us to build a sustainable ceasefire. That’s the best way to end the suffering.” Other allies of Israel took a firmer stance following the evacuation order on Monday, with French and EU leaders stressing “firm opposition” to Israel’s threatened ground invasion.

Tents and makeshift structures are erected at a temporary camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah on May 3.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has warned of the “perils” of an Israeli military assault on the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, warning such an attack would “endanger” more than one million Palestinians forced to flee Israel’s bombardment.

“Egypt calls on Israel to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid further escalation in this extremely sensitive moment in the ceasefire negotiation process and to spare the blood of Palestinian civilians who are living a humanitarian disaster unprecedented since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said in a statement.

Egypt “continues talking to all parties around the clock in order to avert a deterioration of the situation and prevent it from becoming beyond control,” the ministry added on Monday.

Negotiations hit an impasse: Talks over a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza have once again stalled, as Israel and Hamas failed to reach an agreement on a framework over the weekend. 

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan speaks during a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in April.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said on Monday that he expects the United States to stop funding the United Nations if it votes to grant the Palestinian Authority (PA) full UN membership.

In a statement issued days ahead of Friday’s General Assembly meeting, Erdan said passing a resolution granting status and rights of a state to the PA is against the UN Charter. If successful, he said he expects the US to “completely” stop its funding to the UN and its institutions, citing American law. 

“The Palestinians are once again taking advantage of the automatic majority and the moral decay of the UN,” Erdan said. “After failing to obtain the status of a member state through the Security Council as required, they bypass the Council while trampling all the rules and bring the decision to the General Assembly.”

Erdan also said the resolution, if passed, will not change the situation on the ground but instead will “prove how disconnected the UN is from reality and rewards terrorism.”

Friday’s meeting comes after the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution in April that would have recognized a Palestinian state. 

Many residents in Rafah have packed up their belongings after Israel's call to leave.

Images from eastern Rafah show people gathering their belongings and evacuating in cars, trucks, mule-drawn carts and on foot, after Israel’s military told civilians there to “evacuate immediately.” 

The order comes a day after the country’s defense minister told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in the city “in the near future.” The current evacuation impacts about 100,000 people.

Palestinians are leaving with whatever belongings they can carry as they evacuate towards Khan Younis.

A truck carries people as they flee Rafah.

Flyers were dropped from the air by the Israeli military warning residents and people in Rafah Camp, the Brazil Camp and the neighborhoods Al-Shabura and Al-Zohour that “remaining in these areas puts your lives in danger.”

It’s unclear whether the evacuation order signals a prelude to an assault but the city has become a central focus of the war.

During nearly seven months of war, more than 1 million Palestinians have fled to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israel’s destruction of much of the strip’s north.

A displaced Palestinian man pushes a bicycle carrying his belongings during a downpour in Rafah on Monday.

Palestinians evacuate Rafah with their belongings.

Displaced Palestinians pack their belongings following an evacuation order by the Israeli army, in Rafah, on May 6.

Israel’s order to relocate Palestinians from Rafah, in southern Gaza to the coastal town of Al-Mawasi is “beyond alarming,” the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned on Monday.

Jan Egeland described dire conditions in Al-Mawasi, including a lack of stable security, adequate accommodation or space for Palestinians forced to evacuate from Rafah, where Israeli forces have long-threatened a sprawling ground offensive.

“The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services. It lacks the capacity to house the number of people currently seeking refuge in Rafah, with no assurances of safety, proper accommodation or return once hostilities end for those forced to relocate,” Egeland said in a statement.

The Israeli military told people in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately” on Monday, after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in the southern city “in the near future.”

‘Horrific suffering’: The NRC secretary-general said an Israeli offensive in Rafah “will cause potential mass atrocities,” adding it could “lead to the deadliest phase of this conflict, inflicting horrific suffering on approximately 1.4 million displaced civilians in the area.” Egeland urged Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire deal and release hostages, adding, “History’s verdict will be harsh on the men who continued a war that kills countless women and children.”

President Joe Biden is pictured speaking during an event at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 3.

US President Joe Biden will talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, sources familiar with the call tell CNN. 

The call will take place this morning before Biden departs Wilmington, Delaware to return to the White House, one source said.

President Biden will speak with Netanyahu as his administration closely watches the situation in Rafah, after the Israeli military ordered evacuations in eastern parts of the city.

The White House has made clear that they are extremely skeptical of any incursion into Rafah over concerns about the potential humanitarian impact. 

The conversation also comes as hostage and ceasefire talks have essentially stalled for now with CIA Director Bill Burns remaining in Doha, Qatar to try to continue negotiations.

Israeli army tanks take position in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza on May 6. Menahem

Political figures in Europe, including those representing France and the European Union, have reiterated their objections to Israel’s threatened ground assault on Rafah.

“France reiterates its firm opposition to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where more than 1.3 million people are taking refuge in a situation of extreme distress,” the French foreign ministry said on Monday. The ministry also repeated calls for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Meanwhile, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell warned in a post on X that, “Israel’s evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable… The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario.”

Streams of Palestinians began leaving eastern Rafah on Monday, prompting fears among displaced Gazans over whether Israel will soon carry out its long-threatened assault on the city.

Hundreds of protesters waved “Free Palestine” banners near Tokyo’s famous Shibuya Crossing on Monday, holding Palestinian flags at one of the world’s busiest crosswalks. 

Organizers erected a stage where DJs played dance music, and the crowds chanted “Free Free Palestine” in English. 

Hanin Siam, one of the activists present who was born in Gaza and grew up in the Palestinian territories, posted videos to her Instagram showing a large crowd of people dancing at the junction.

At least three protest events took place in Tokyo on Monday, including a No War March, the protest in Shibuya, and a demonstration at the International Christian University, in which participants painted a red tear on a white banner for each Palestinian killed in Gaza. 

Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed 34,735 Palestinians and injured another 78,108 people, according to the Ministry of Health there. CNN cannot independently verify the figures due to the lack of international media access to Gaza.

CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman contributed reporting.

A woman reacts as displaced Palestinians pack their belongings in Rafah, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army on May 6.

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) repeated urgent calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, warning against “new forced displacement” and an “anxiety of endless suffering” among Gazans.

“An Israeli military offensive will lead to an additional layer of an already unbearable tragedy for the people in #Gaza,” the commissioner-general of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, posted on X on Monday. “It will make even more difficult to reverse the expansion of the already man made famine.

“What is needed is a #ceasefireNow not new forced displacement + anxiety of endless suffering,” he added.

This came as negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages once again stalled, and as Israel threatened an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians have gathered during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

Scholars at two prestigious universities in the United Kingdom pitched pro-Palestinian encampments on their college grounds on Monday.

Photos emerged on social media showing several tents with Palestinian flags erected outside the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and at King’s College at the University of Cambridge, as students called on their leadership to sever ties with Israel.  

Campaign group, Oxford Action for Palestine, set up the tents at 11 p.m. ET (4 a.m. local time) on Monday outside the museum, which they said symbolizes the “relationship that Oxford has to colonial projects.”  

A banner showed the list of demands from student protesters which include: the disclosure of university finances, the divestment from Israeli businesses, an overhaul of the university’s investment policy and support towards Palestinian-led rebuilding of educational facilities in Gaza. In the statement, the group said they “stand in solidarity” with pro-Palestinian student protests across the globe.

Meanwhile, the group Cambridge for Palestine established an encampment on Monday in the center of the city, demanding the university “discloses and divests from its financial and professional support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”  

Students, many of whom are wearing facemasks and scarves, created signs and banners. One of these reads: “There are no universities left in Gaza.” 

More than 80% of schools in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. More than 5,479 students, 261 teachers and 95 university professors have been killed in Gaza, the UN reported.

Israeli army tanks take position in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza on May 6.

Negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza have once again stalled as Israel and Hamas failed to reach an agreement on a framework over the weekend. 

The key sticking point is Hamas’ demand that Israel commits to ending the war as part of an agreement, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused, two Israeli sources said.

But talks have not broken down altogether. The efforts to reach a deal will still continue this week and some Israeli officials hope that the evacuation orders in eastern Rafah, that can set the stage for an Israeli ground offensive, will pressure Hamas to change its position.

CIA Director William Burns is continuing negotiations in Doha on Monday, a day after stopping in Cairo for the talks. A senior Biden administration official says that Israel’s warnings about Rafah are “directly related” to the lack of progress in the ceasefire talks.

Israel is trying to put pressure on Hamas, the official said. “If it doesn’t work, Israel will go in.”

Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings as they leave Rafah following an evacuation order by the Israeli army on May 6.

Children in Rafah are “especially vulnerable” and more than 600,000 could face “further catastrophe,” the United Nations’ children charity UNICEF warned in a press release on Monday, after Israel issued evacuation warnings for people in eastern Rafah to move to the west of the Gaza strip.

“Rafah is now a city of children, who have nowhere safe to go in Gaza,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, according to the release.

“If large scale military operations start, not only will children be at risk from the violence, but also from chaos and panic, and at a time where their physical and mental states are already weakened,” she added.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) urged people in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately” on Monday, a day after Israel’s defense minister Yoav Galant told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in the southern city “in the near future.”

The evacuation was in preparation for “a limited-scale operation in the area of Eastern Rafah,” IDF international spokesperson Col. Nadav Shoshani said at a news conference Monday.

Children make up about half of Rafah’s current population of 1.2 million, “many of whom have been displaced multiple times and are sheltering in tents or informal and unstable housing,” according to UNICEF.

The UN body said children “are being disproportionately killed and injured,” citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health that says more than 14,000 children have been killed since October 2023.

Th closure of the news network Al Jazeera by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday has been criticized by German authorities.

“A free and diverse press landscape is an important cornerstone of any liberal democracy. Especially in times of crisis, it is particularly important to protect the freedom of the press. The Israeli authorities’ decision to close #AlJazeera in Israel sends the wrong signal,” the German Foreign Office posted on X on Monday. 

Rights groups condemned the move by Israeli authorities to shutter the Qatari-based network, which has produced dogged, on the ground reporting of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Concerns grow: The Israeli Ministry of Communications said Sunday it had closed Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem offices, and confiscated its communication equipment. Netanyahu’s government accused the channel of anti-Israeli bias and of being a “mouthpiece for Hamas.”

Al Jazeera again denied Israel’s “false allegations regarding our violation of the professional frameworks governing media work.”

The move to close the network comes amid mounting concerns from press freedom groups about casualties among journalists operating in war zones and what they describe as obstruction of journalistic work by Israeli authorities.

CNN’s Michael Schwartz, Tim Lister and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed reporting.

Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings as they leave Rafah following an evacuation order by the Israeli army on May 6.

Displaced Palestinians have spoken of their fears following the evacuation orders given by Israel to leave the southern city of Rafah and move to the west of the strip.

“I’m going to Al-Mawasi (on Gaza’s coast), I didn’t receive any evacuation order. I’m leaving before others do. Nothing is left,” Abu Ihab Eweida, a Palestinian man in Rafah told Tareq Al Hilou, a local journalist working for CNN.

In video obtained for CNN, Eweida is seen gathering aid boxes, blankets and water from his tent in the Jneina camp east of Rafah, where he lived with his two sons.

Another father, Haitham Jaroun is seen in the footage carrying a mattress on a bicycle as his small son walks alongside him.

“They say (Al-)Mawasi and Khan Younis are safe. We are a family of nine members. I’m bringing the rest of the family and leaving. May God protect us,” he told Al Hilou. 

Abu Ahmed, another displaced Palestinian, told Reuters: “The Israeli army told the people to go to Rafah and that it was a safe area. Today they are telling us to leave Rafah. Where shall people go?”

A newly expanded area in Al-Mawasi — where Israel’s military has directed thousands of people from east Rafah to evacuate to — is not “quite suitable” for habitation, Director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza Scott Anderson told CNN on Monday.

Speaking from Rafah, Anderson described the coastal, western side of Gaza as a “sandy area” with “a lot of beach.”

“It’s really not somewhere that’s quite suitable for people to put up tents and to be able to sit and try to live and meet their basic necessities every day,” he said. 

“I know they expanded the area recently, but a lot of that’s in Khan Younis which we’re still trying to recover from an operation that happened there,” he said.

Israeli military spokesperson Colonel Nadav Shoshani said on Monday the “humanitarian” area in Al-Mawasi, a coastal town west of Khan Younis, included “field hospitals, tents, increased quantities of food, water, medicines, and additional supplies.”

Shoshani also said that a local water line was fixed when expanding the area. Israel’s evacuation order could impact around 100,000 people out of the more than a million people that are currently in Rafah – “more than half of whom are children” – according to Anderson.

He said some of the people who will be affected by the evacuation have already moved four or five times.

Anderson confirmed that UNRWA, the UN’s main relief agency in Gaza, will not evacuate from Rafah.

Palestinian children are seen at a camp for displaced people in Rafah on April 28.

Over 1 million displaced Palestinians remain on edge in the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, where Israel has been threatening a major ground offensive for months.

For most, there is simply nowhere else to go in the enclave — and reoccurring Israeli strikes have put children in harm’s way.

A 4-year-old and 2-year-old from one family were killed by an Israeli airstrike Tuesday, and their parents were seriously wounded.

The family was displaced multiple times and ended up living in a tent in Rafah, according to their grandmother.

“This is who they are targeting. This is the ‘safe Rafah’ they talk about,” says the uncle of a 1-year-old who was killed earlier in the week, holding up the child’s body.

Volunteer teacher Yasmeen Abu Matar says children are experiencing a distressed mental state, have no stability, and lose focus easily.

“We work twice as hard to try and grab their attention and help them learn,” she says from a tent school.

Rafah offensive looms: On Monday, Israel’s military urged residents in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately,” a day after the country’s defense minister told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in the city “in the near future.”

CNN’s Paula Hancocks contributed to this report.

The main United Nations relief agency for Palestinians said it is “not evacuating” eastern Rafah after Israel’s military urged residents to leave parts of Gaza’s southernmost city.

In a statement Monday, UNRWA said it “will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.”

Israel’s previous evacuation orders in Gaza ahead of military operations have been met with criticism from the UN and humanitarian groups, which have repeatedly said there is no safe space in the enclave for people to flee to.

An Israeli offensive in Rafah “would mean more civilian suffering and deaths,” and the consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people, UNRWA said in its statement.

“Until now, the Rafah Land Crossing has not been closed to passenger traffic. Truck movement and aid entry have been halted at the Rafah commercial and Kerem Shalom crossings since yesterday afternoon,” said Wael Abu Omar, UNRWA’s media director at the Rafah Crossing.

Displaced Palestinians in Rafah secure items in the back of a truck following an evacuation order by the Israeli army on May 6.

Residents and displaced people in eastern Rafah are terrified and in a state of panic after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Monday, according to a CNN stringer in the area.

Red Cross teams are driving through eastern Rafah and telling people to evacuate by evening, the stringer said.

A family told CNN they were preparing to leave eastern Rafah for a tented area in western Rafah. This is the fourth time they have moved: previously they moved from central Gaza to Khan Yunis, then Rafah.

The owner of the home they were staying in received a call from the Israeli military telling them to leave.

The family told CNN that they experienced a barrage of air attacks overnight. 

An estimated 100,000 people would be displaced from eastern Rafah, the military said in a press briefing. it said people in Rafah would receive text messages, phone calls, media broadcasts in Arabic, as well as flyers, telling them to “evacuate immediately.”

Israel’s previous evacuation orders in Gaza ahead of military operations have been met with criticism from the UN and humanitarian groups, which have repeatedly said there is no safe space in the enclave for people to flee to.

People stand still during a two-minute siren in memory of victims of the Holocaust, in Jerusalem, on May 6.

Israel is marking Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, a national memorial for the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II.

Across the country, people and businesses came to a standstill for the annual sounding of a two-minute siren to commemorate those killed.

In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the main wreath-laying ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

The day is also commemorated by Jews across the world.

A person holds a leaflet dropped over Rafah by Israeli military aircraft, ordering people in parts of eastern Rafah to evacuate, on May 6.

Israel’s military on Monday called on people in parts of eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately” to what it called a humanitarian area.

“For your safety, the Defense Army urges you to evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area at the checkpoints,” IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement.

The call comes a day after the country’s defense minister told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in the city “in the near future.”

Despite warnings from the UN and aid groups, Israel has repeatedly signaled plans to send ground troops into Rafah, a southern city on the border with Egypt, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are believed to have taken refuge since October 7.

Catch up on the latest on the evacuation here:

This post was corrected to remove a quote erroneously attributed to an IDF spokesperson saying residents “have days at least to move.” The spokesperson did not give a timeline.

A woman mourns as she carries the shrouded body of a child killed following overnight Israeli strikes on Rafah on May 6.

Overnight Israeli strikes have killed at least 34 people and wounded 25 across Gaza, according to an update from local officials.

In the southern city of Rafah, 26 people were killed, including children and babies, when airstrikes targeted a residential area and hit 11 houses, according to the Civil Defence Directorate in Gaza.

“Our teams in Rafah are still dealing with multiple targeting of residential and uninhabited homes, resulting in dozens of deaths, injured, and others missing under the rubble,” it said.

On Monday, Israel’s military urged residents in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately,” a day after the country’s defense minister told troops in Gaza to expect “intense action” in the city “in the near future.”

In Gaza City, two people were killed and five wounded after an airstrike hit an apartment building near the Samar intersection in the center of the city. The victims were sent to al-Ahli Baptist hospital, according to medical officials.

In Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, six people were killed and 20 wounded in an airstrike on a UN agency school in Nuseirat, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told CNN. 

The Israeli military confirmed the attack on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) complex.

The military struck what it called a “Hamas command and control center” located in an UNRWA complex in central Gaza, it said in a statement.

“As a result of the strike, the Hamas’ command and control center located in the UNRWA complex is no longer operational,” it said.

The death toll has been updated in this post.

Children queue to receive food aid from a charity organization in Rafah, on May 3.

The “necessary conditions for survival are absent” in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as medical facilities have been stretched to the limit, according to a report from Medical NGO Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

The devastation in Rafah extends “far beyond those killed by Israeli bombardments and airstrikes”, saying that deaths as a result of the disruption to critical healthcare are “silent killings” that are “equally tragic.”

It notes a “marked deterioration” in people’s health, with rising rates of “acute malnutrition”, medical facilities that are “inundated with patients and operating beyond their limits”, and the current medical response “rendered ineffective by the Israeli authorities’ siege”. 

 “This crisis is entirely man-made; what is being witnessed is a situation of deliberate deprivation,” MSF wrote in the report released on April 29.

The current situation could result in “tens of thousands of non-trauma-related” deaths that could happen in the next six months, even in the event of a ceasefire, the report said.

Malnutrition: Between January 2024 and the end of March 2024, MSF registered 216 cases of moderate and severe acute malnutrition in children under five at Al-Shaboura and Al-Mawasi primary healthcare centers in Rafah and 25 cases among pregnant women and new mothers.

These figures represent only a small part of the larger reality, as they are based on screening of patients coming to the primary healthcare centers, while many people in Rafah do not have access to MSF’s services,” the report said. 

 “The more than one million Palestinian men, women and children who have risked everything to seek refuge in Rafah remain exposed to serious physical and mental harm, with no information about the future besides the confirmation of an imminent invasion of Rafah by the Israeli army,” it added. 

An Israeli soldier stands on a tank near the border with southern Gaza on May 5.

About 100,000 people in parts of eastern Rafah have been told to evacuate by the Israel Defense Forces, the military’s international spokesperson Colonel Nadav Shoshani said during a briefing.

Israel has repeatedly signaled plans to send ground troops into Rafah, a southern city on the border with Egypt, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are believed to have taken refuge since October 7.

Aid agencies have also warned that the territory is facing a spiraling humanitarian crisis, with the director of the World Food Programme describing that Gaza is facing “a full blown famine.”

This post was corrected to remove a quote erroneously attributed to an IDF spokesperson saying residents “have days at least to move.” The spokesperson did not give a timeline.

The Israel Defense Forces say that evacuation of residents and displaced people in eastern Rafah is “not a wide-scale evacuation of Rafah this is a limited-scale operation in the area of Eastern Rafah.” 

Colonel Nadav Shoshani, IDF’s international spokesperson, said in a press briefing Monday they were “calling on people of Eastern Rafah to move north.”

When asked about how long residents would have to leave, Shoshani said,

When asked by CNN about what the operational reason for the move is, Shoshani said, “It’s part of our of our plans to dismantle Hamas, and as I said, we had a violent reminder of their presence and their operational abilities in Rafah yesterday and as part of our plans to dismantle from us and to bring back our hostages.”

Shoshani would not be drawn about whether this evacuation was linked to an attack on IDF soldiers yesterday. “I don’t want to go into specific of our operational ideas and plans and timing,” he said.

Rafah concerns: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant told troops Sunday morning in Gaza to expect “intense action in Rafah in the near future, and in other places all over the Strip,” because – as he put it — Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement on hostages and a ceasefire.

Aid agencies have been warning Israel about a full-scale ground invasion of Rafah

“Any ground operation would mean more suffering and death” for the 1.2 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in and around the Strip’s southernmost city, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesperson Jens Laerke told journalists in Geneva.

This post was corrected to remove a quote erroneously attributed to an IDF spokesperson saying residents “have days at least to move.” The spokesperson did not give a timeline.

The Israel Defense Forces has dropped leaflets ordering residents to evacuate eastern Rafah.

The Israeli military has dropped flyers telling residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate temporarily toward what they called an expanded humanitarian area.

The flyers warned people in Rafah Camp, the Brazil Camp and the neighborhoods Al-Shabura and Al-Zohour to evacuate.

“The IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organizations in the area you currently reside, as the IDF has operated so far. Anyone in the area puts themselves and their family members in danger. For your safety, evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi,” the flyers dropped in Rafah read.

Flyers were also dropped in other parts of Gaza, which said “Gaza City is a dangerous fighting zone; avoid crossing to the north of Wadi Gaza.”

A man sits amid rubble of a destroyed building following Israeli attacks on the al-Salam neighborhood of Rafah on May 5.

Israel’s military has issued a call for residents of eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately,” a day after the country’s defense minister told troops inside Gaza to expect “intense action in Rafah in the near future.”

Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, wrote, “For your safety, the Defense Army urges you to evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area at the checkpoints.”

Adraee made “an urgent call” to people who were residing in “the municipality of Al-Shawka and in the neighborhoods - Al-Salam, Al-Jneina, Tiba Zaraa, and Al-Bayouk in the Rafah area.”

An IDF spokesperson said in a briefing Monday that it was a “limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate” and “not wide-scale evacuation.”

Israel has repeatedly signaled plans to send troops into Rafah, a southern city on the border with Egypt, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are believed to have taken refuge since October 7.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant told troops Sunday morning inside the Gaza Strip to expect “intense action in Rafah in the near future, and in other places all over the Strip,” because – as he put it — Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement on hostages and a ceasefire.

Read the full story.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he “cannot accept” Hamas’ demands to end the war in Gaza as the two sides traded blame amid fresh ceasefire talks that showed little sign of a breakthrough.

Discussions are thought to have centered around a new framework, proposed by Cairo, that calls for the militant group to release hostages kidnapped from Israel in exchange for a pause in hostilities in Gaza.

A Hamas delegation left Egypt on Sunday after the latest round of grueling months of talks, saying “in-depth and serious discussions took place.”

There had been some cause for optimism, with Egyptian media citing an Egyptian official as saying there had been “significant progress” in negotiations. But the latest comments from Israel and Hamas show how far apart the two remain.

On Sunday, Hamas’ political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement that the group was “still keen” to reach an agreement with mediators but that any proposal would have to guarantee Israeli withdrawal and cease fighting in the enclave permanently.

He reiterated that the delegation carried “positive and flexible positions” aimed at stopping “the aggression against our people, which is a fundamental and logical position that lays the foundation for a more stable future.”

Netanyahu in turn accused Hamas of making unacceptable demands in the Cairo talks, adding that Israel had “demonstrated a willingness to go a long way” in the negotiations.

He said Hamas’ demand that Israel withdraw from Gaza was out of the question.

“We are not ready to accept a situation in which the Hamas battalions come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure, and return to threatening the citizens of Israel in the surrounding settlements, in the cities of the south, in all parts of the country,” Netanyahu said.

Read the full story.

A person walks by a wall of posters of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 6.

Israeli officials believe 128 hostages taken in the October 7 attacks remain in Gaza, and that at least 34 of them are dead.

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that the remains of Elyakim Libman, who had been classified as a hostage in Gaza, were found in Israeli territory.

Israel officially considers people to be hostages, even if they are dead, until their remains are returned. 

Not all the hostages are Israeli citizens. Eight are Thai and one is Nepali.

The total number of hostages provided by Israel’s military has fluctuated in the months since the attack, based on its latest intelligence.

There are an additional four hostages, two of whom are dead, who have been held in Gaza since before October 7, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

There is little sign of a breakthrough in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, as the two sides traded blame in remarks over the weekend.

Israeli authorities confiscate equipment from the Al Jazeera offices in Jerusalem on May 5.

Israel shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in the country and seized some of its communication equipment Sunday, prompting condemnation from the United Nations and rights groups over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s moves to restrict press freedoms.

The Qatari-based news network, which has produced dogged, on the ground reporting of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, called the closure of its offices a “criminal act,” while critics said the move was a “dark day for democracy” that sets a concerning precedent for other international media outlets operating in Israel.

The Israeli Ministry of Communications said Sunday it had closed the network’s Jerusalem offices, and confiscated its communication equipment. “In addition, the network’s broadcasts on cable and satellite were stopped, and access to its websites was blocked,” the ministry said.

Israeli cable providers ceased carrying the Al Jazeera networks by late Sunday afternoon, CNN journalists in the country confirmed. Al Jazeera’s cable channel in Israel now displays a message stating, “In accordance with the government’s decision, Al Jazeera channel broadcasts were stopped in Israel.”

Some context: Netanyahu’s government has long complained about Al Jazeera’s operations, alleging anti-Israeli bias and accusing the network of being a “mouthpiece for Hamas,” and the closure follows the passage of a sweeping law allowing the government to ban foreign networks perceived as posing a threat to national security.

Read the full story.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day in Jerusalem on May 5.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned the International Criminal Court against potentially issuing arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and commanders as a result of its investigation into the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s comments, in a televised speech for the opening ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day, appeared to be a reference to Israeli media reports that several government officials, including the prime minister, are concerned that such arrest warrants might be imminent.

While the ICC, based in The Hague, has declined to comment about any arrest warrants that could come out of its investigation into the war in Gaza, rumors have swirled in the Israeli press in recent weeks that the court could target Netanyahu and other key Israeli officials.

Netanyahu emphasized that the ICC was “founded as a consequence of the Holocaust” and should not attempt to “undermine” Israel’s fundamental right to self-defense.

Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects the court’s jurisdiction. That has not previously stopped the court from investigating its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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Northern Gaza is experiencing a “full-blown famine,” which is rapidly spreading across the strip after almost seven months of war, the World Food Programme warns.

The remarks have brought into sharp focus the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding.

“Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens,” the WFP’s Executive Director Cindy McCain told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview that aired Sunday.

“What I can explain to you is — is that there is famine, full-blown famine — in the north, and it’s moving its way south.”

While McCain’s remarks do not constitute an official declaration of famine, she said they were based on what WFP staff have seen on the ground.

McCain said the WFP is asking for a ceasefire and “unfettered access” to Gaza, as delivering aid to the territory has been extremely difficult under Israel’s tight siege.

Dr. Mahmoud Abu Nujaila scrawled these farewell words in blue ink on a whiteboard in Al-Awda Hospital, in Jabalya, on October 20, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

When Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, many local journalists stayed – risking their lives to tell the stories of their people. After more than 200 days of fighting, Israeli bombardment has turned neighborhoods into rubble. Families have been torn apart by deaths and forced displacement; the threat of starvation looms. Meanwhile, nearly 100 of the more than 250 hostages seized from Israel by Hamas are believed to remain alive in the territory.

Trapped in the strip alongside their fellow Gaza residents, Palestinian reporters have become the eyes and ears of those suffering under the shadow of war. And with foreign media largely unable to enter, it is their photos, footage and reporting, often gathered at great personal risk, that have shown the world what is happening.

At least 97 journalists and media workers have been killed since October – 92 of whom were Palestinian – according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This makes it the deadliest period for journalists since 1992, when the CPJ started collecting data.

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United States defense officials have had to pause the construction of a pier facilitating humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza due to high winds and sea swells.

The temporary pause was necessary because the weather conditions were making it unsafe for soldiers to work on the surface of the partially constructed pier, US Central Command said in a statement.

Construction on the pier began last week.

Construction has now moved to the Port of Ashdod, one of Israel’s three main cargo ports north of Gaza, CENTCOM said. Assembly will continue there, and the system will move back to its intended location when conditions improve.

CNN previously reported that as many as 1,000 US troops will be involved in the construction of the pier system known as Joint Logistics Over the Shore, or JLOTS, which — when finished and fully operational — could provide as many as 150 trucks of aid per day to the starving population in Gaza.

US officials previously hoped the JLOTS system would be fully built by Friday.

Once the pier system is up and running, a massive container ship called the Sagamore will be the first vessel to begin ferrying humanitarian aid from Cyprus to the pier, defense officials told CNN. The Sagamore is over 600 feet long, or nearly the length of two football fields.

Humanitarian aid is desperately needed in Gaza, where a tight Israeli siege has left many of the enclave’s 2.2 million people facing catastrophic levels of hunger.