April 7, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

The Israel Defense Forces is "far from stopping" military operations in the Gaza Strip, its chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said at a news conference Sunday.

"We will not leave any Hamas brigades active, in any part of the Gaza Strip. We have plans and will act when we decide," he said, adding that the military's goals in Gaza have not been fully achieved, including the return of all hostages, the return of displaced residents to the north, and the dismantling of Hamas throughout the enclave.

In response to a question about the military's withdrawal of ground forces from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Halevi claimed Hamas' military wing had been diminished to operating as "small terrorist cells."

He reiterated that the IDF has not left the Gaza Strip and that there are "many troops at this very hour" in the strip.

The country's defense minister made similar remarks earlier Sunday, saying the withdrawing troops will regroup and then prepare for new missions, including in Rafah.

Some Israeli troops are leaving Gaza to prepare for follow-up missions, including in the southernmost Rafah region, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.

Earlier Sunday, the IDF said its 98th division had "concluded its mission" in the southern city of Khan Younis and was leaving the Gaza Strip to "recuperate and prepare for future operations."

The defense minister said Israeli forces had destroyed "enemy targets, warehouses, weapons, underground (infrastructure), headquarters (and) communication rooms" in Khan Younis.

Remember: An Israeli invasion of Rafah has been anticipated with grave concern from the United Nations and international aid organizations, as more than 1 million civilians are packed into the Gazan city with nowhere left to run.

The Israeli strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in Gaza are “unforgivable,” the organization's founder, José Andrés, said as he criticized the Israel Defense Forces inquiry into the killings.

Andrés called for an independent investigation and better evidence from the IDF in an interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz that aired Sunday, adding that Israel cannot properly investigate itself.

What Israel has said: In a report published Friday, the IDF said the strike was a "grave mistake" and that troops thought they were attacking Hamas gunmen when drone strikes targeted three vehicles of the WCK late Monday night.

More from Andrés: The aid group founder doubts Israel's claim that it failed to identify the vehicles because it was dark out. Andrés said WCK vehicles are white with a colorful logo painted above, and that Israel’s high-tech drones should have no issue identifying them.

The IDF had said that because the strikes happened at night, the surveillance drones could not see the WCK logo on the vehicles, and that it is considering distributing thermal stickers for aid vehicles to prevent this happening again.

He also urged the US to put out concrete measures to ensure Israel avoids killing civilians and aid workers — instead of just giving warnings. “There should already be consequences,” he said, commenting on the latest White House warning for Israel to do better at protecting civilians.

The Israeli military said Sunday it is withdrawing its troops from the southern city of Khan Younis.

They are now stationed on the border of Gaza and Israel. The withdrawal — which comes on the six-month anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks — could have an impact on the ceasefire talks scheduled in Cairo on Sunday, with both an Israeli and a Hamas delegation due to attend.

It’s unclear what the movement means for the Israeli military’s planned operation in Rafah, but the withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis doesn’t detract from the size of Israel’s forces that remain inside Gaza. There are still significant forces operating in the north of the enclave. A White House official said the withdrawal is primarily so troops can “rest and refit,” and not necessarily a signal of any future operation.

Israeli public broadcaster and CNN affiliate Channel 11 reported that the remaining forces would be located along the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which splits the Gaza Strip in two.

Here are the latest developments:

Initial plans for humanitarian goods to begin flowing into Gaza on Sunday via the Erez crossing have been delayed, an Israeli official tells CNN.

Officials are still making logistical preparations to ensure the checkpoint can accommodate truckloads of aid.

A CNN team reporting along the border between Israel and northern Gaza heard gunfire and explosions from an area near the crossing Saturday.

A spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli military agency charged with coordinating humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, said it will announce the crossing’s opening "once a date is set."

Some context: On Thursday, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks, a decision that came soon after US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to allow in aid.

Israel's partial withdrawal from the southern Gaza Strip is likely so its troops can "rest and refit," rather than a move towards a new operation, the White House said Sunday.

But National Security spokesperson John Kirby stressed it was “hard to know exactly what that tells us right now,” on ABC’s "This Week."

Kirby added, “the word is they’re [Israeli troops] getting tired” after four months of fighting in Gaza. 

Israel announced it would withdraw troops from Khan Younis came ahead of an announcement that it would attend ceasefire talks in Cairo.

The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Cindy McCain has told CNN the UN agency has amassed food for 1.1 million people for three months outside Gaza.

"We just need to get it in," McCain told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “That's why these crossings are so important, and more crossings are needed."

McCain emphasized the importance of Israel’s decision to temporary open the Erez crossing, saying it was vital for aid operations.

“We as humanitarians must be able to get in with our humanitarian principles and deliver aid in such a way,” the WFP chief added.

On Friday, the Israeli government revealed plans to temporarily open the Erez crossing and Ashdod port to enable the supply of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Israeli officials told CNN the Erez crossing into northern Gaza was expected to receive the first humanitarian aid shipments into Gaza on Sunday.

“It's much more than just getting food in,” McCain said. “It's about the kind of foods that we get and making sure that we can get certainly foods for adults, but most importantly, those for younger children who really are in desperate need of nutrients right now.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck a Hezbollah military compound as well as a command center in southern Lebanon on Sunday.

"A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck a military compound which contained seven military structures belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s Radwan Forces in the area of Khiam," the IDF said in a statement on Sunday. "In addition, the IDF struck a military command center belonging to Hezbollah in the area of Toura," which is in southern Lebanon's Tyre district. 

The IDF statement added that earlier on Sunday "a number of launches were fired toward the Golan Heights area and Manara. In response, the IDF struck the sources of the fire in the areas of Kawkaba and Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon."

Hezbollah released statements on Sunday announcing its attacks were on Manara, Israel, and on Israel's Yoav camp in the Golan Heights.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that a raid carried out by Israeli warplanes on Sunday afternoon destroyed a house located in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon. NNA also reported bombing on the outskirts of the town of Sarira in southern Lebanon's Jezzine region.

After the Israel Defense Forces announced their soldiers would withdraw from the southern city of Khan Younis, Israeli public broadcaster and CNN affiliate Channel 11 reported that the remaining forces would be located along the so-called Netzarim Corridor.

The Netzarim Corridor splits the Gaza Strip in two. It stretches from the Gaza-Israeli border area across the entire roughly 6.5-kilometer-wide (roughly 4-mile-wide) strip.

The corridor intersects one of Gaza’s two main north-south roads, Salaheddin Street, to create a strategic, central junction.

It was built at the start of 2024 by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and divides the north of the enclave from the south. The corridor reaches the Mediterranean coast, satellite imagery shows.

The road will be used for the movement of troops and logistical equipment as well as providing an “operational foothold” in the area, according to the IDF.

Read more about the corridor here.