Sunday marks six months since the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel’s ensuing campaign in Gaza has left more than 33,000 dead and triggered a dire humanitarian crisis.
US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act immediately on allowing more aid into Gaza during a pointed phone call Thursday, a source told CNN. But an Israeli official said Sunday that the key step of reopening the Erez land crossing has been delayed while officials sort out logistics.
Our live coverage of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza has moved here.
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Footage of Khan Younis after Israeli troop withdrawal shows rubble and razed buildings
From CNN's Chris Lau
Destroyed buildings are seen in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Sunday.
CNN
Some Palestinians who returned to the streets of Khan Younis after Israeli troops withdrew from the city have found themselves surrounded by rubble and heavily damaged buildings, footage taken by a Gaza resident shows.
In one of the video clips, drones can be heard buzzing overhead.
The man filming says that there was a high concentration of military equipment in this area during the military’s incursion.
The southern Gaza city of Khan Younis was designated a safe zone by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the early days of the war.
But as the Israeli army pushed south, the city came under sustained attack, with the IDF labeling it a Hamas stronghold.
Some of the Israeli military’s offensives took place at medical facilities sheltering displaced civilians and health workers. The IDF said they located Hamas militants in hospitals.
The military is “far from stopping” its operations in Gaza, its chief of staff said on Sunday, after the IDF said it had withdrawn its ground forces from Khan Younis after months of fierce fighting.
This post has been updated to clarify the resident’s comments in the video.
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"Significant progress" in Gaza ceasefire talks, Egyptian state media report, citing senior official source
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Negotiations in Cairo between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal have achieved “significant progress” and consensus on many controversial points, according to Egyptian state outlet Al Qahera News, citing a senior Egyptian official.
The official confirmed the “continuation of efforts to reach a truce agreement” in Gaza, according to the state outlet.
The source said the Qatari and Hamas delegations would leave Cairo and return within two days to agree to the final terms of the agreement. The US and Israeli delegations would leave within hours, though consultations would continue over the next 48 hours, the source told Al Qahera.
Hamas’ demands: Hamas said Sunday it would like to see a “complete cessation of aggression.” The group also reiterated its demands, including a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, reconstruction of the damage in Gaza from Israel’s military, and a “completion of a prisoner exchange deal” involving a mutual release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly called Hamas’ demands “delusional.”
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Israeli military says it's preparing to shift from defense to offense on the border with Lebanon
From CNN's Ben Wedeman and Mia Alberti in Beirut
The Israeli army uses white phosphorus to create a smoke screen in Lebanon, as seen from Israel’s border, on March 4.
Ayal Margolin/Reuters
The Israeli military said Sunday it is “preparing to move from defence to attack” regarding operations on the northern border with Lebanon.
“During the last days, another phase of the Northern Command’s preparations for the war was completed, which revolved around raising the capabilities of emergency operational depots for the purpose of large-scale recruitment of IDF forces when necessary … and their arrival to the front line within a short period with all the necessary equipment for combat,” the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF said commanders of regular and reserve units are now ready to be deployed “within just a few hours.”
The statement was released in both English and Arabic, with the statement in Arabic using slightly different language. The English-language version does not carry the phrase “preparing to move from defence to attack” and instead highlights the Israeli military’s “readiness for the transition from defense to offense.”
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Doctors operate on children from the floor of northern Gaza hospital, while others starve in "dire" conditions
From journalist Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah in Gaza and CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem
A group of American doctors who spent over a week working in hospitals in northern Gaza describe “miserable,” “catastrophic” and “dire” conditions to CNN, as more people die of starvation in the enclave.
The doctors volunteered through a World Heath Organization-coordinated mission to the north of Gaza — where little to no aid is reaching hospitals, and spent most of their time at the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Video filmed by a CNN stringer in Kamal Adwan Hospital shows the doctors operating on screaming patients on the floor, most of whom are children. Abdelaziz is seen trying to calm down a nine-year-old girl crying out in pain, caressing her hand, telling her to pray to God.
Another doctor said the hospital received “mass casualties” every day — ranging from 10 to 20 people showing up all at once.
At least 30 Palestinians have died of malnutrition in Gaza, including over 20 children, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health.
“These people, they just need help. They just want this to stop. … Nobody discusses politics here. They just talk about food and water and shelter, and they just want the war the end,” Attar said.
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Negotiations over Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal continue in Cairo, Egyptian state media reports
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kareem Khadder and Mia Alberti
Negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, in an indirect fashion and under Egyptian mediation, continued in Cairo on Sunday, Egypt’s state-run media Al-Qahera News reported Sunday, citing a senior source.
“The proposed truce includes a detainee exchange deal and mechanisms for the return of the displaced in the Gaza Strip,” the news agency said in a post on X.
Hamas said in a statement as its delegation arrived Sunday that it is keen to reach an agreement that would see a “complete cessation of aggression.”
The group also reiterated its demands, including a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, reconstruction of the damage in Gaza from Israel’s military, and a “completion of a prisoner exchange deal” involving a mutual release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly called Hamas’ demands “delusional.”
This weekend’s talks come six months into the conflict, and as the Israeli military withdrew troops from the southern city of Khan Younis on Sunday, saying they will regroup and prepare for further missions in the strip.
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Israeli military says it's "far from stopping" operations in Gaza as troops withdraw from Khan Younis
From Tamar Michaelis
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.
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Israeli troops leaving Gaza will prepare for "follow-up missions," including in Rafah, defense minister says
From Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem and Lauren Kent in London
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.
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World Central Kitchen head criticizes Israeli inquiry into "unforgivable" strikes that killed aid workers
From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris
The vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli airstrike is seen in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 2.
Ahmed Zakot/Reuters
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.
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Israeli troops withdraw from Khan Younis, 6 months into the conflict. Catch up on the latest
From CNN staff
A man stands among damaged and destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, Gaza, on April 7.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
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:
Death toll in Gaza: The death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7 has risen to at least 33,175, the Ministry of Health in the enclave reported Sunday. The ministry added that 75,886 people have been injured in that timeframe. CNN cannot independently verify these numbers.
Aid plans: Initial plans for humanitarian goods to enter Gaza on Sunday via the Erez crossing for the first time since October 7 have been delayed, an Israeli official tells CNN. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has deployed a Navy ship to boost aid into Gaza, as it joins international efforts to set up a new maritime corridor from Cyprus, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement Saturday.
Israel targeting Hezbollah: The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a Hezbollah military compound as well as a command center in southern Lebanon on Sunday. The military said in a statement that it is “preparing to move from defence to attack” regarding operations on its northern border, where it has engaged in intensified skirmishes with Hezbollah, one of Iran’s proxies, since the outbreak of war in Gaza.
Fallout from Iranian embassy strike: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that the US is prepared to “respond swiftly if necessary” against any attacks by Iran or its proxies. The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack that could come as soon as this week by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the Middle East, in response to Israel’s strike in Damascus that killed top Iranian commanders, a senior administration official told CNN.
UK support for Israel: The United Kingdom’s backing for Israel is “not unconditional,” the British foreign secretary said in an op-ed published in the Sunday Times. Cameron said Israel “must abide” by humanitarian laws in Gaza, adding that Hamas is the “barrier to ending” the brutal conflict.
Treatment of detained Palestinians: A doctor at a field hospital for detained Palestinians at an Israeli army base has described “deplorable conditions” and “routine” amputations due to handcuff injuries, according to an exclusive report from the newspaper Haaretz.
Anti-government protests in Israel: Protesters once again took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Haifa on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections.
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Plans for aid to move through Erez crossing are delayed, Israeli official tells CNN
From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem
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.
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US says Israel's withdrawal from Khan Younis is likely so its troops can "rest and recover"
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
Men walk past a destroyed building in Khan Younis, Gaza, on April 7.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
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.
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The World Food Programme has enough food for 1.1 million people in Gaza, Cindy McCain tells CNN
From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau
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.
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The Israeli military strikes Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon
From CNN's Charbel Mallo in Abu Dhabi and Lauren Kent in London
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.
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What is the Netzarim Corridor — where Israel will now station its troops?
From CNN's Celine Alkhaldi, Allegra Goodwin and Richard Allen Greene
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.
Israeli military withdrawal is a significant moment in the conflict
Analysis by Nic Robertson, CNN, Nirim
People walk past damaged and destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, Gaza, on April 7, after Israel pulled its ground forces from the area.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli military said Sunday it is withdrawing its troops from the southern city of Khan Younis, marking a significant shift in the way it plans to fight the war.
A CNN team along the border where troops enter and leave Gaza has not yet seen large numbers of troops withdraw, but it has seen scores of tanks and armoured vehicles exit, for what the military says is to “recuperate and prepare for future operations.”
They are now stationed on the border of Gaza and Israel.
The withdrawal — which comes on the six-month anniversary of the Hamas attacks — from the southern part of the enclave could have an impact on the ceasefire talks scheduled in Cairo 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 region.
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Israel will join Cairo truce and hostage deal talks, an official tells CNN
From CNN's Benjamin Brown in London
An Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Cairo on Sunday to join talks on a ceasefire and hostage deal, an Israeli official told CNN on Sunday.
On Saturday, Hamas said its delegation, headed by senior Hamas official Khalil Al Hayya, would also travel to Cairo on Sunday to reinforce its previous demands.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas’ “extreme demands were intended to bring about an end to the war” while leaving the group intact. He made the comments at the beginning of a cabinet meeting Sunday, adding that there would be no truce without the return of hostages.
“It will not happen. Israel is ready for a deal, Israel is not ready to surrender,” the Israeli prime minister said, adding that Hamas hoped that domestic and international pressure would force the Israeli government to meet its demands.
Netanyahu said that victory in the Gaza Strip was “one step” away and that Israel had destroyed 19 out of 24 of Hamas’ battalions.
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Israel says it has withdrawn ground forces from Khan Younis in southern Gaza after months of fighting
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio and Benjamin Brown
Palestinians who had taken refuge in Rafah leave the city to return to Khan Younis, Gaza, on April 7.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli military said it has withdrawn its ground forces from Khan Younis in southern Gaza after months of fighting but a “significant force” remains in other areas of the strip.
A “significant force led by the 162nd division and the Nahal brigade continues to operate in the Gaza strip,” the IDF said.
When asked by CNN about the reasons for the withdrawal, the IDF declined to comment. The move raises questions over Israel’s much-touted plan to invade Rafah, the heavily populated area of southern Gaza that has so far escaped on the ground fighting.
Israeli public broadcaster and CNN affiliate Channel 11 on Sunday reported that the remaining forces would be located along the so-called Netzarim Corridor, a route that splits the Gaza Strip in two. The corridor intersects one of Gaza’s two main north-south roads, Salaheddin Street, to create a strategic, central junction.
The IDF on Sunday said that commando units had raided and searched more than a hundred locations in the Al-Amal neighborhood of Khan Younis. It claimed that “terrorist infrastructure” had been found in every location searched, including a tunnel about 900 meters long. The Israeli military said it “eliminated terrorists” during its operation. CNN cannot independently verify those claims.
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UK backing for Israel "not unconditional," says British foreign secretary
From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron speaks to members of the press at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3.
Omar Havana/Getty Images
The United Kingdom’s backing for Israel is “not unconditional,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Sunday. In an op-ed published in the Sunday Times six months after the attacks by Hamas on October 7, Cameron said Israel “must abide” by humanitarian laws in Gaza, adding that Hamas is the “barrier to ending” the brutal conflict.
“Israel has a right to self-defense that we should support. Of course our backing is not unconditional: we expect such a proud and successful democracy to abide by international humanitarian law, even when challenged in this way,” Cameron wrote.
“As an occupying power, Israel has a responsibility to the people of Gaza. But it also means that the international community must work with Israel on humanitarian efforts to keep people safe and provide them with what they need,” the foreign minister continued.
Cameron added the UK was pushing “as hard as we can” on getting aid to Palestinian civilians. “Ashdod port and Erez crossing will soon reopen. Water will be turned back on. And more aid will flow through Kerem Shalom,” he wrote, welcoming the news but warning that “words must turn into action.”
Cameron also called the killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British ex-servicemen, “a terrible reminder of the cost of the Gaza conflict” that “must never happen again.”
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Gaza death toll rises to 33,175, says Ministry of Health
From CNN's Zeena Saifi
Mourners react following the deaths of Palestinians in an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza, on March 26.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
The Gaza Ministry of Health reported on Sunday that the death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7 has risen to 33,175.
The ministry added that 75,886 people have been injured in this time frame.
