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

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

May 07, 3:51 PM
White House expects Kerem Shalom crossing to open, fuel to be delivered through Rafah Wednesday

The White House expects the Kerem Shalom crossing to reopen on Wednesday, but are working to move up that timeline to get vital humanitarian assistance into northern Gaza even sooner.

“Israel has committed to reopening the Kerem Shalom,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News. “We've been told that that's going to happen tomorrow. We are working to move that up.”

“Fuel deliveries through Rafah should also commence tomorrow. That's what we've been told. And we believe Rafah border crossing should also be quickly reopened for the movement of humanitarian assistance. We are insisting that there should be no disruptions of humanitarian assistance flows," Jean-Pierre said.

Jean-Pierre would not say if the U.S. still expects the Israelis to alert them when they do plan to go ahead with a full-scale operation in Rafah, but reiterated that they do not support the IDF carrying that out.

"We do not want to see a major operation happening in Rafah. We want to see a plan, a comprehensive plan, on how Israel plans to protect the 1.5, more than 1 million civilians that are currently seeking refuge in Rafah," Jean-Pierre said.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Justin Gomez

May 07, 3:03 PM
Israeli hostage declared dead

Lior Rudaeff, 61, an Israeli hostage taken by Hamas, has been declared dead, after being killed in the Oct. 7 attack, the Hostage Release Center said.

Rudaeff volunteered as an ambulance driver. He was married to his wife, Yaffa, for 38 years and had four children: Noam, Nadav, Bar and Ben.

"The Israeli government has a profound moral duty to pursue every avenue in the current negotiations to bring Lior home. He deserves a dignified burial in his homeland, alongside the 38 other hostages brutally murdered. The government must also secure the swift return of all living hostages, so they can begin the long road to healing and recovery," a spokesperson for the Hostage Release Center said in a statement Tuesday.

The bodies of 35 hostages who have been declared dead continue to be held by Hamas.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

May 07, 2:37 PM
Situation in Rafah is not yet a major ground invasion, US says

The White House is watching the situation that is playing out in Rafah "very, very closely," but arguing that based on what Isarel has told them, this is not equivalent to the full-scale invasion the U.S. has been warning Israel against undertaking, U.S. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.

"We've been told by our Israeli counterparts this operation last night was limited and designed to cut off from Hamas' ability to smuggle weapons and funds into Gaza. Our views on Rafah remain the same. We've repeatedly and consistently expressed those views about a major operation in Rafah in densely populated areas that would give higher risk to civilians and civilian casualties," Kirby said.

"President Biden made that very clear yesterday when he spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu as I said yesterday, and we're going to be monitoring this situation very closely to see how it unfolds," Kirby said.

Kirby was also asked if he believes that Isarel was abiding by international law, given the two main arteries to get aid into Gaza have been choked off. Kirby sidestepped the questions, underscoring the U.S. desire to get more aid into Gaza and Biden's explicit ask of Netanyahu to make sure that happens during their call Monday.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

May 07, 2:32 PM
Hamas delegation back in Cairo for negotiations

Hamas' delegation has arrived in Cairo as cease-fire negotiations continue with mediators in Egypt and Qatar.

Hamas said Monday it had agreed to a cease-fire deal, but Israel said the agreement included "significant gaps" that needed to be worked out in negotiations.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

May 07, 12:41 PM
Biden administration delaying ammunition deliveries to Israel: Sources

The Biden administration is delaying shipments of ammunition that were expected to be sent to Israel, according to three U.S. officials.

The Biden administration has been trying to pressure Israel to hold off on a full-scale invasion of Rafah until it has a plan to protect the million civilians now living there.

The Air Force has been told by the White House’s National Security Council to pause shipments of ammunition deliveries specifically from Dover Air Force Base, according to a U.S. official. The NSC was behind the decision to pause the munitions, a second U.S. official confirmed.

The National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

-ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Anne Flaherty, Matt Seyler and Ben Siegel

May 07, 12:41 PM
Republican leaders blast Biden over reports US is withholding aid to Israel

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have publicly accused the Biden administration of withholding aid to Israel following reports that some aid shipments have been halted. Johnson said that the Biden administration as recently as Friday had assured his staff that there would be "no delay" in assistance to Israel.

Johnson said he received a report this morning from on the ground in Israel that said "a shipload of munitions and precision weapons, which are to be used to help protect civilians and Rafah, is being withheld."

In a letter to President Joe Biden, Senate Republicans Jodi Ernst and Ted Budd said they are "shocked" and "deeply concerned" that the Biden administration failed to notify Congress before withholding ammunition to Israel.

"If these reports are true, then you have once again broken your promise to an American ally," they said.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller and Shannon Crawford

May 07, 12:07 PM
Netanyahu says Hamas' proposal intended to 'torpedo' Rafah operation

In his first comments since Israel's offensive into Rafah began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas' cease-fire proposal on Monday was "intended to torpedo the entry of our forces into Rafah."

"It did not happen. As the War Cabinet unanimously determined, the Hamas proposal is very far from Israel's necessary requirements," Netanyahu said.

"I instructed the working-level delegation that went to Cairo: continue to stand firm on the conditions necessary for the release of our abductees, continue to stand firm on the essential requirements for guaranteeing Israel's security," Netanyahu said.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

May 07, 3:39 AM
Israeli tanks control Rafah border crossing, IDF says

Israeli tanks controlled Gaza's Rafah border crossing early Tuesday, as military officials accused Hamas of using the crossing for "terrorist purposes."

"Following intelligence that indicated that the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes, IDF troops managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing," Israel Defense Forces officials said in a statement.

Mortars had on Sunday been fired "from the area," killing four IDF soldiers, the Israeli military said.

A video and photos taken by the Israeli military and released Tuesday appeared to show several Israeli tanks operating on the Gazan side of the border.

May 07, 2:57 AM
Israeli troops enter Rafah in 'precise' operation, taking control of border crossing

The Israeli military moved into eastern Rafah late Monday to begin a "precise counterterrorism operation" targeting Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday.

IDF troops also took "operational control" of the Gazan side of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, officials said in a statement.

The operation in Rafah overnight included air strikes and on-the-ground troops, the military said. About 20 "terrorists" were killed and three tunnels were located, IDF officials said.

"IDF ground troops are continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist operatives and infrastructure in the area of the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah," the statement said.

May 06, 6:36 PM
Qatar to send mediators to Cairo

Qatar will send a delegation of mediators to Cairo on Tuesday to work on negotiations for a cease-fire deal, according to a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said they hope "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."

May 06, 5:47 PM
IDF spokesperson warns people in eastern Rafah to evacuate

As cease-fire talks continue, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari again warned Palestinians in the eastern part of the city to evacuate.

"Tonight, we also call upon those staying in specific areas which we have communicated and defined through every means -- radio, media, internet, and flyers -- in eastern Rafah, to move towards the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi and Khan Yunis, where they will receive full humanitarian aid and where water, food, medical equipment, and shelter will be provided,” Hagari said.

May 06, 4:31 PM
Israeli Minister Gantz says current Hamas proposal has 'significant gaps'

Israeli Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement Monday the current proposal put forth by Hamas "has significant gaps.”

"Despite this, we continue to turn over every stone and a delegation will go to Cairo," he added.

Gantz said “every decision will be brought to the war cabinet,” which is made up of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and himself.

May 06, 4:17 PM
'We are at a critical stage right now' in negotiations, NSC spokesperson says

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. is reviewing the Hamas response to a cease-fire proposal.

Kirby did not reveal many specifics about where negotiations stand, but said they’ve reached a “critical stage.”

“I don't know that it gets any more sensitive than right now,” Kirby said. “And the worst thing that we can do start speculating about what's in it.”

May 06, 3:41 PM
Israeli army continues attacks in Rafah even as delegation sent to negotiate cease-fire

With negotiations underway for a cease-fire agreement, Israel’s war cabinet said they would continue military operations in Rafah.

Israel will also send a delegation of mediators to work on a possible deal.

There have been at least 50 IDF strikes Monday on Rafah, officials said.

May 06, 3:36 PM
Israel has received response from Hamas on cease-fire proposal

A senior Israeli official with knowledge of negotiations said they have received a response from Hamas on a cease-fire proposal.

It is not the same proposal that had been under discussion, the official said, adding that it will now be studied.

It will take some time before Israel officially responds, the official added.

Israel’s war cabinet is now holding a discussion, according to an Israeli political source.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israel will study every option to bring home hostages, including the latest response from Hamas, and said they would continue operations in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Israeli Hostage Center urged the government to accept the deal. 

"We welcome the announcement by Hamas to promote the ceasefire, which promotes the return of the 132 abductees who have been held captive by Hamas for 7 months," it said. "Now is the time for the Israeli government to prove in action its commitment to its citizens -- the cabinet must take the consent of Hamas and turn it into a deal for the return of all! The return of the kidnapped is the key to Israeli security!"

May 06, 2:29 PM
US still trying to get full understanding of deal Hamas has accepted

The United States said it could confirm Hamas had issued a response to a recent cease-fire proposal, but is still trying to figure out the details of the apparent deal.

"We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing. "As you know, [CIA] Director [Bill] Burns is in the region working on this in real time. We will be discussing this response with our partners over the coming hours. We continue to believe that they asked them to do what is in the best interest of the Israeli people."

But Miller didn’t suggest the U.S. had a full understanding of exactly what Hamas had agreed to yet.

"We have only received a response in the last hour, 90 minutes," he said. "So I don't want to characterize the nature of that just yet."

Miller also declined to say whether the U.S. believes the military and political factions of Hamas were on the same page.

"I'm just not going to speak for Hamas at all, as we have said for some time, there has been a significant offer on the table. The ball has been in Hamas’ court, we have made clear that they should accept that offer," he said.

May 06, 1:28 PM
Hamas says it has accepted proposal regarding cease-fire agreement

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, said in a statement the group has called the prime minister of Qatar and Egyptian minister of intelligence "and informed them of the Hamas movement's approval of their proposal regarding the ceasefire agreement."

While few specifics were provided, senior Hamas leader Taher Al-Nono said the proposal "includes a ceasefire, reconstruction, the return of the displaced, and the liberation of prisoners."

Al-Nono said representatives would visit Cairo in the near future to discuss the agreement.

A deal has not been confirmed or commented on by other parties, including Israel. ABC News has requested comment from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. on the apparent agreement.

-ABC News' Nasser Atta

May 06, 12:59 PM
Hamas says it has accepted proposal regarding cease-fire agreement

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, said in a statement the group has called the prime minister of Qatar and Egyptian minister of intelligence "and informed them of the Hamas movement's approval of their proposal regarding the ceasefire agreement."

There were no further details about conditions of the cease-fire agreement.

A deal has not been confirmed or commented on by other parties, including Israel. ABC News has requested comment from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. on the apparent agreement.

-ABC News' Nasser Atta
 

May 06, 12:33 PM
Pentagon says it still hasn't seen 'credible' plan to protect civilians in Rafah

The Pentagon said it still hasn’t seen a "credible" plan from Israel on how it will protect some 1 million civilians in Rafah in the case of an invasion.

"We've seen kind of a concept, but nothing detailed at this point," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday morning.

He noted that the subject was raised Sunday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a phone call with Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, but he declined to say what policy changes the U.S. might consider if Israel begins a full-scale invasion of Rafah without that credible plan.

Austin is scheduled to testify Wednesday, the same day the administration is required by law to tell Congress whether it agrees with Israel that its government complies with humanitarian law.

Israeli army tanks take position in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, May 6, 2024.
"I think there are still concerns in terms of the, again, given the number of people there and how you're going to take into account the safety and well-being of the million-plus people that are in Rafah as any operation commences," Ryder said. "Again, we agree with our Israeli partners on the importance of defeating Hamas and preventing them from being able to conduct attacks like they've done in the past. But we want to see that operation done in a way that again, takes into account civilians, takes into account how you're going to evacuate them off the battlefield. So those conversations will continue."

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

May 06, 11:07 AM
Biden speaks with Netanyahu as Rafah invasion looms, source says

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, a source confirmed to ABC News.

Biden was expected to again reiterate his position on Rafah, urging restraint when it comes to an invasion of the enclave holding more than 1 million Gaza refugees, as he did when they last spoke on April 28.

Click here to read more about the conversation.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Justin Gomez

May 06, 10:40 AM
Biden speaks with Netanyahu as Rafah invasion looms, source says

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, a source confirmed to ABC News.

Biden was expected to again reiterate his position on Rafah, urging restraint when it comes to an invasion of the enclave holding more than 1 million Gaza refugees, as he did when they last spoke on April 28.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Justin Gomez

May 06, 9:35 AM
Biden to speak with Netanyahu as Rafah invasion looms, source says

President Joe Bien will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, a source confirmed to ABC News.

Biden is likely to again reiterate his position on Rafah, urging restraint when it comes to an invasion of the enclave holding more than 1 million Gaza refugees, as he did when they last spoke on April 28.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Justin Gomez

May 06, 7:29 AM
IDF jets strike Rafah overnight

Israeli military jets targeted areas of Rafah overnight, striking "terror targets" and military structures, including a sniper's nest, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday.

The strike included areas of Rafah "from which projectiles were launched toward the area of Kerem Shalom yesterday," IDF officials said on Telegram.

There were no immediate reports of injuries following Monday's strikes. IDF strikes on Sunday had killed at least 12 people in Rafah.

-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey and Joe Simonetti

May 06, 6:06 AM
IDF drops flyers in Rafah, warning of danger

Israeli aircraft on Monday began dropping flyers in eastern Rafah, warning thousands of people sheltering in the city that they may be in danger ahead of a possible Israeli operation.

"The IDF will be operating against the terrorist organizations in the area where you are located, as it has operated until now," the flyers read in Arabic, according to a translation provided by the Israel Defense Forces. "Anyone found near terrorist organisations endangers themselves and their family members."

The flyers included directions for an evacuation, including information about the humanitarian area near Al-Mawasi, Israel said.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey

May 06, 4:36 AM
UN agency says it won’t evacuate Rafah

The U.N. Agency for Palestine Refugees said Monday it wouldn't begin to evacuate its staff from Rafah, adding that a possible Israeli invasion into the refugee city would be "devastating."

"UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people," the group said in a statement.

An invasion into the city "would mean more civilian suffering & deaths," the agency said.

-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey

May 06, 3:42 AM
IDF warns Rafah civilians to move to humanitarian area

Israeli military officials on Monday issued a warning to civilians in eastern Rafah to begin a "gradual movement" to a humanitarian area.

"Calls to temporarily move to the humanitarian area will be conveyed through flyers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic," Israel Defense Forces officials said in a statement posted to social media.

Israel said a humanitarian area around Al-Mawasi, a coastal town, had been expanded "to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza." That aid included new field hospitals and additional food and water, IDF officials said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said last week that Israel would call for an evacuation of civilians prior to beginning its planned invasion into the southern Gaza city. Israeli officials haven't yet detailed a timeline for the expected operation.

"The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they're holding in captivity are back home," IDF officials said Monday.

-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey

May 05, 11:36 AM
Hamas says negotiations in Cairo have concluded

Hamas said Sunday that negotiations in Cairo have concluded and that its delegation will leave Cairo tonight.

May 05, 11:02 AM
Israeli defense minister signals 'action in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip in the near future'

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant toured part of the Gaza Strip on Sunday before speaking with reserve fighters in the division's brigades, Israel's Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

"We recognize alarming signs that Hamas actually does not intend to go to any outline agreement with us, the meaning of this -- action in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip in the near future," Gallant said, in part.

May 05, 8:51 AM
Israel shuts Kerem Shalom crossing to humanitarian aid after rockets fired from Rafah, IDF says

Several people were injured Sunday and sent to the hospital after approximately 10 "projectile launches" crossed from an area adjacent to the Rafah crossing toward Kerem Shalom on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The Kerem Shalom crossing is now closed to humanitarian aid trucks, the IDF said.

According to the IDF, Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

May 05, 8:43 AM
Netanyahu says Israel won't agree to Hamas' demands

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Sunday regarding the talks for the release of hostages, claiming Hamas is "preventing the release of our abductees."

"Israel was and still is ready to make a truce in the fighting to free our abductees. This is what we did when we released 124 hostages, and returned to fight -- and this is what we are ready to do today," he said Sunday in comments translated from Hebrew.

Throughout negotiations, Israel has "demonstrated a willingness to go a long way," Netanyahu said, adding that Hamas "remained entrenched in its extreme positions, chief among them the demand to withdraw all our forces from the Strip, end the war and leave Hamas intact."

Netanyahu said Israel "cannot accept this," and that "surrendering to the demands of Hamas would be a terrible defeat."

"Therefore, Israel will not agree to Hamas's demands, which mean surrender, and will continue the fighting until all its goals are achieved," he added.

Netanyahu's comments come a day after an Israeli official told ABC News that Israel will not agree to end the war as part of any potential deal.

Meanwhile, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, said Sunday that Hamas is keen on reaching a comprehensive cease-fire that "ends the aggression, guarantees withdrawal, and achieves a serious prisoner exchange deal."

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Nasser Atta

May 04, 5:07 PM
Israeli official responds to US opposition on potential IDF operation in Rafah

An Israeli official responded to the Biden administration's opposition to a military ground operation in Rafah saying, "we don't see eye to eye on everything, but we have been able to overcome differences".

The official added that, "Israel is a sovereign country that acts in accordance with its critical national interest."

-ABC News' Tom Soufi Burridge

May 04, 7:04 AM
Israel will not agree to end the war with Hamas as part of any deal

An Israeli official has told ABC News that Israel will not agree to end the war as part of any potential deal.

“Israel will under no circumstances agree to the end of the war as part of an agreement to release our abductees," an Israeli official told ABC News on Saturday morning.

"As the political echelon decided, the IDF will enter Rafah and destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there - whether or not there will be a temporary ceasefire for the release of our hostages."

May 03, 7:20 PM
US ramps up pressure on Qatar to oust Hamas: Official

The U.S. has ramped up diplomatic pressure on Qatar to expel Hamas leaders from the country in recent weeks, an official familiar with the matter told ABC News.

This development comes as Qatar and other intermediaries between the U.S. and Hamas have struggled to effectively negotiate with the group on a cease-fire agreement, repeatedly expressing confidence the group will accept certain terms that Hamas leaders later reject.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed in the days following the Oct. 7 attacks that the Middle East could not continue carrying out "business as usual" with Hamas.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

May 03, 5:19 PM
Hamas delegation returning to Cairo in 'spirit to reach an agreement'

A Hamas delegation is returning to Egypt on Saturday to continue negotiations for a cease-fire with Israel.

The group released a statement stating leadership had a "positive spirit" in response to the cease-fire proposal that was offered.

"We are going to Cairo in the same spirit to reach an agreement," the group said in a statement.

"We in [the] Hamas movement and the Palestinian resistance forces are determined to mature the agreement, in a way that fulfills the demands of our people for a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced, relief for our people, the start of reconstruction, and the completion of a serious exchange deal."
-ABC News' Dia Ostaz

May 03, 4:43 PM
USAID announces $200 million aid to Gaza, other conflict zones

The U.S. will put $200 million toward addressing acute hunger in conflict zones around the world, including Gaza, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Friday.

The money will go toward maximizing the procurement, production and distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a nutrient-filled, peanut-based paste that is particularly useful for addressing malnutrition in children under 5 years old, in places like Gaza, Sudan and Haiti, a USAID official told ABC News.

In Gaza, USAID partners are already distributing RUTF, and the agency plans to ship additional RUTF supplies into the enclave from Kenya via the maritime corridor soon, the official added.

Humanitarian groups and the United Nations have warned for weeks about the threat of a full-fledged famine in Gaza as the conflict continues.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

May 03, 2:15 PM
CIA director arrives in Cairo for cease-fire negotiations: Officials

CIA Director Bill Burns landed in Cairo to continue negotiations on the current proposal for a cease-fire and hostage deal, one Egyptian official and one U.S. official told ABC News.

A Hamas delegation will go back to Cairo on Saturday to resume negotiations, a senior Egyptian official told state-owned Al-Qahera News TV on Friday.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy in Cairo and Cindy Smith

May 03, 2:09 PM
US briefed on initial plan for evacuations before Rafah invasion: Official

The U.S. has been briefed on some of the Israeli plans for humanitarian evacuations from Gaza ahead of a Rafah operation, an official with knowledge told ABC News.

The official stressed this is not a final plan.

-ABC News' Selina Wang

May 03, 11:27 AM
Houthis threaten ships in Red Sea if Israel carries out Rafah operation

The Houthis threatened to "prevent all ships of these companies from passing through" the Red Sea if the Israeli operation in Rafah goes forward in a social media post Friday.

The Iranian-backed paramilitary group said in a Telegram post that if Israel goes through with its plans it would "impose comprehensive sanctions on all ships of companies that are related to supplying and entering the occupied Palestinian ports of any nationality."

The Houthis, who have attacked U.S.- and U.K-flagged commercial ships since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, said they would "not hesitate to prepare for broader and stronger stages of escalation."

-ABC News' Cindy Smith and Ellie Kaufman

May 02, 5:21 PM
Turkey halts all trade with Israel

Turkey's Ministry of Trade announced Thursday that it would cease all exports and imports with Israel due to the deteriorating situation in the ongoing conflict.

"Turkey will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli government allows the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza," the ministry said in a statement.

-ABC News' Engin Bas

May 02, 5:08 PM
Israeli hostage confirmed dead

Dror Or, one of the Israeli citizens kidnapped on Oct. 7, is dead, Kibbutz Be’eri said Thursday.

Or, 49, a father of three, was killed during the Hamas attack that day and his body was taken into Gaza, according to the group.

Or's death was determined by several groups including the Israeli Ministry of Health, intelligence agencies, the Israel Police, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the chief rabbi of Israel, according to Kibbutz Be’eri.

Or was kidnapped along with two of his children, Noam, 17, and Alma, 13, on Oct. 7. The teens were returned to Israel during an earlier deal, according to Kibbutz Be’eri.

There are currently 129 Israeli hostages still in captivity. Thirty-five hostages have been killed.

-ABC News' Dana Savir and Jordana Miller

May 02, 4:11 PM
Gaza's economic development set back by 20 years, UN report says

The toll of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Gaza is so severe that it has set economic development in Gaza back by 20 years, a report released Thursday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

The poverty rate in the country is now at 58.4% and projections indicate it could rise in three months to 60.7%, according to the report. Roughly 1.86 million Gaza residents would be in poverty in that scenario, the report said.

The report also assessed a sharp decline in Gaza's Human Development Index (HDI), which the U.N. defines as a "summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and having a decent standard of living."

The "setback in human development" in Gaza may exceed the period before 2004 when HDI was first calculated for the country, the report said.

"Unprecedented levels of human losses, capital destruction, and the steep rise in poverty in such a short period of time will precipitate a serious development crisis that jeopardizes the future of generations to come," UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said in a statement.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

May 02, 3:55 PM
Hamas is 'only barrier' to a cease-fire: State Department

The Biden administration is still in a holding pattern over the ongoing cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Thursday.

Miller stressed that Hamas is the "only barrier" to a cease-fire and the world is awaiting their response to an offer from the Israelis.

"Every day that goes by without a cease-fire right now is on Hamas, because they are the ones that are holding up an answer to this proposal," he said. "They’re the ones holding up an immediate cease-fire that would help alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza."

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

May 02, 2:03 PM
Hamas says delegation returning to Egypt for negotiations

Hamas senior member Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement Thursday that the group's delegation will return to Egypt soon to resume cease-fire negotiations and they are aimed at finalizing a deal.

Haniyeh said Hamas is reviewing the latest truce proposal in a "positive spirit" during a phone call with the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Abbas Kamel.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy

May 02, 1:40 PM
Al-Amal Hospital in Gaza reopens after 4-month closure

Al-Amal Hospital in Gaza reopened Wednesday after being closed for four months, local sources told ABC News.

Doctors were able to perform surgery, the hospital's emergency room reopened and some medical students have also returned to the hospital to resume their training, according to the sources.

-ABC News' Dia Ostaz

May 01, 6:49 PM
Hamas says it will not negotiate if Israel carries out Rafah operation

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in a statement that cease-fire negotiations with Israel will cease if it moves forward with its operation into Rafah.

"The Israeli enemy is trying to blackmail everyone with the Battle of Rafah," he said in a statement.

Hamdan told Lebanese TV late Wednesday that a cease-fire deal had not been reached and Hamas was still "studying the swap deal proposal."

"We have substantial notes on the proposal," Hamdan told Lebanese TV.

"We are studying the proposal and we will respond to it in a way that serves our goals."

-ABC News' Dia Ostaz, Ellie Kaufman and Ghazi Balkiz

May 01, 3:37 PM
Gaza humanitarian pier construction over half complete, Pentagon says

The humanitarian pier being constructed off the coast of Gaza by U.S. soldiers is over 50% complete, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday.

The pier, known as JLOTS, is on track to meet the early May time frame for delivery, she said.

"The floating pier has been completely constructed and set up. The causeway is in progress," she said.

Construction of a floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea off the Gaza Strip continues April 29, 2024.
Singh said the United Nations will be responsible for distributing the aid once the pier is open, and that the drivers of the delivery trucks will be from a third party and not U.S. forces.

When asked how security will be handled to prevent strikes on aid workers, Singh said the Israel Defense Forces "has shown that they are taking steps to mitigate that from happening again."

-ABC News' Nathan Luna

May 01, 3:09 PM
Jordan claims Israeli settlers attacked aid convoys en route to Gaza

Jordan's foreign ministry alleged Israeli settlers attacked two of its humanitarian aid convoys that were en route to Gaza Wednesday.

Hussein Al-Shebli, the secretary general for the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, said in a statement that his organization sent a convoy of 97 trucks to two locations: the Beit Hanoun border crossing and Karam Abu Salem.

Al-Shebli claimed there were attempts "by many of the settlers and from the Israeli side, from Israeli citizens," to prevent the arrival of the convoy at the crossings.

"The aid trucks were attacked, by trying to break them and the cutting of their air pipes," he said in a statement.

Ultimately, the trucks were able to arrive at the crossings, according to Al-Shebli.

Israeli officials have not immediately commented on the allegations.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

May 01, 1:45 PM
Hamas expected to respond to Israel cease-fire deal proposal 'within hours': Source

Hamas is expected to submit a response to Israel's current hostage and cease-fire deal proposal "within hours," a senior Egyptian official told ABC News Wednesday.

The official said efforts to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas are proceeding in a “positive atmosphere."

“Negotiations are continuing with all sides to resolve a number of sticking points," the official added.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept the terms of the cease-fire deal.

"Israel has made very important compromises in the proposal that is on the table, demonstrating its desire and willingness to get this agreement and get it done," he said while at the Port of Ashdod.

"There is no time for delay. There's no time for further haggling. The deal is there. They should take it," he added.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy and Shannon Crawford

May 01, 1:42 PM
Israel opens Erez Crossing for first time since Oct. 7

The Israel Defense Forces opened the Erez Crossing Wednesday for the first time since the war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7.

The Israeli government announced it would reopen the crossing last month after President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in an Israeli airstrike.

The IDF said that 30 trucks of humanitarian aid "including food and medical supplies for the northern part of the Gaza Strip, arrived from Jordan and entered Gaza."

-ABC News' Bruno Nota

May 01, 1:03 PM
Blinken visits Gaza border crossing

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a previously unannounced visit Wednesday to the Kerem Shalom border crossing, ​becoming the first cabinet-level U.S. official to visit the border of Gaza since the Oct. 7 attacks.

Blinken attended a closed briefing on humanitarian assistance and deconfliction while he was at the site, which was shuttered for more than two months after the attacks.

Blinken was able to look into Gaza from the top of the massive concrete wall, according to pool reporters.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

May 01, 11:48 AM
Blinken pushes 'clear position on Rafah' during meeting with Netanyahu

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem for 2 1/2 hours to discuss numerous topics about the ongoing conflict, according to the State Department.

Blinken discussed "the need to avoid further expansion of the conflict," and "reiterated the United States’ clear position on Rafah," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

"The secretary discussed ongoing efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal and emphasized that it is Hamas that is standing in the way of a ceasefire," Miller added.

Blinken also discussed improving aid delivery into Gaza and "reiterated the importance of accelerating and sustaining that improvement," according to Miller.

Prior to meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken spoke with the families of hostages that had gathered outside his hotel in Tel Aviv.

-ABC News' Joseph Simonetti

Apr 30, 6:29 PM
World Central Kitchen resumes services in Gaza, serves 200k meals

The World Central Kitchen resumed aid services in Gaza for the first time since seven of its members were killed earlier this month in an Israeli airstrike.

The non-governmental organization said it served 200,000 meals to displaced Palestinians on Monday. The World Central Kitchen said it has provided nearly 43 million meals in Gaza to date.

Approximately "276 WCK trucks are ready to enter through Rafah with enough food for 8 million meals. We’re also sending trucks north," the NGO said in a statement.

Chef José Andrés, the founder and chief feeding officer of World Central Kitchen, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, published Tuesday, discussing his decision to resume operations and stressed that more aid is needed.

"We cannot stand by while so many people are so desperate for the essentials of life. Food is a universal human right, and we will not cease until those basic human rights are respected," Andrés wrote.

Apr 30, 3:18 PM
UN chief says 'incremental progress' made toward averting Gaza famine

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres provided an update on the hunger situation in Gaza and said there has been " incremental progress recently" in preventing a famine.

However, Guterres warned there is still more work needed, "including the promised opening of the two crossing points between Israel and northern Gaza so that aid can be brought into Gaza from Ashdod, Port and Jordan are still obstacles including a lack of security for aid convoys."

"Humanitarian convoys, facilities and personnel and people in need must not be targets," he added.

Guterres said that civilians were dying from hunger and disease every day and pressed for a successful negotiation for a cease-fire.

"I strongly encourage the government of Israel and Hamas leadership to reach now an agreement. Without that I fear the war with all its consequences, both in Gaza and across the region, will worsen exponentially," he said.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky
 

Apr 30, 12:57 PM
Jordanian king warns of 'catastrophic effects' of a Rafah operation

The Jordanian government released a readout of the meeting between King Abdullah II and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.

Abdullah "warned of the danger of any military operation in Rafah, stressing that the catastrophic effects of the war in Gaza could spread to areas in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the entire region," according to the readout.

The king also called for more aid to Gaza "through all available means," the readout said.

"The King said supporting UNRWA is crucial to enable it to cover the basic needs of nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, as well as other Palestinian refugees in its areas of operation," the readout said.

The U.S. and some other countries pulled funding for UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, after Israel said several staffers took part in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.

-ABC News' Cindy Smith

Apr 30, 12:43 PM
Israel will not send delegation to Cairo until Hamas responds to offer: Source

Israel will not send a delegation to Cairo for negotiations on a cease-fire deal until Hamas provides an answer to the proposal Israel has offered them, an Israeli source told ABC News.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Apr 30, 12:40 PM
White House stays mum on Netanyahu's remarks on Rafah plans

White House national security spokesman John Kirby declined to comment about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest comments about a possible operation into Rafah during a news conference Tuesday.

"Our position on Rafah is absolutely the same. We don't want to see a major ground operation in Rafah. Certainly, we don't want to see operations that haven't factored in the safety and security of those 1.5 million folks trying to seek refuge down there," Kirby said.

He also declined to say if Netanyahu has shared his plans to enter Rafah with or without a deal directly with the United States.

"They understand our concerns, and those concerns have not changed," he said, adding that they have not seen a credible plan yet from Israel to take civilian safety into consideration though conversations continue.

Kirby reiterated that the new cease-fire deal is on the table, which would give a six-week pause in fighting and help get the hostages home.

Kirby downplayed expectations, but stressed "time is of the essence."

"I wouldn't say we're overly confident. I would say we're being very pragmatic about this," he said.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Apr 30, 11:25 AM
Netanyahu says Israel has 'no other choice' but to conduct Rafah operation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an operation in Rafah will proceed in comments Tuesday.

"We will enter Rafah because we have no other choice," Netanyahu said in comments translated from Hebrew. "We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will complete all the objectives of the war, including the repatriation of all our hostages."

No timeline has been given for a military operation in Rafah, where over 1 million refugees have gathered in the wake of Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

The prime minister also criticized the International Criminal Court, saying it "has no authority over the state of Israel." The ICC is currently investigating Israel's actions in Gaza, as well as the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that launched the Israeli response.

"The possibility that it will issue arrest warrants for war crimes against IDF commanders and state leaders, this possibility is a scandal on a historical scale," Netanyahu said.

He added, "I want to make one thing clear: no decision, neither in The Hague nor anywhere else, will harm our determination to achieve all the goals of the war."

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Apr 29, 6:18 PM
Hamas delegation leaves Cairo, will return with response to Israeli proposal: Egyptian official

The Hamas delegation has left Cairo⁩ and will return again with a written response to Israel’s proposal for a truce and hostage-release deal, a senior Egyptian government official told ABC News.

Apr 29, 4:20 PM
White House won't get info specifics on cease-fire deal

The White House was careful not to get into specifics on the "extraordinarily generous" cease-fire proposal Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to earlier this morning, refusing to give specifics as they continued to call on Hamas to accept the proposal.

"I'm not going to characterize the proposal. I'm not going to get into any of the specifics. What we believe is that now is the time for Hamas to take this deal. It is on the table. It is time to, it is way past time to get these hostages home. It is way past time to get to a ceasefire and we need to make sure we continue to get that humanitarian aid," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Jean-Pierre noted that Israel "has a lot on their plate," but expressed a desire for an in-person meeting to take place, in addition to the two virtual meetings the U.S. and Israel have had in recent weeks.

"We would like to have an in-person meeting. That is certainly what we would like to do, but in the meantime, we’ve had two important virtual meetings and in the readout, yesterday, we mentioned that the potential Rafah operations did come up between the two leaders in their conversation," she said.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also spoke to President Joe Biden Monday about ongoing Gaza talks and Egyptian efforts to reach a cease-fire and hostage deal in a phone call, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The call discussed the risks of an Israeli incursion into Rafah, including the "catastrophic" impact on the worsening humanitarian crisis, and implications for the security and stability of the region, the statement added.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Ayat Al-Tawy

Apr 29, 3:53 PM
Israel leaders concerned about possible ICC arrest warrants: Source

Israeli leaders are expressing concern over possible arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against key officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an Israeli official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, told ABC News.

It is believed that such potential warrants might be related to charges on the scope of humanitarian aid Israel allowed into Gaza, according to the official.

The ICC can charge individuals with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide under its powers.

-ABC News' Dana Savir

Apr 29, 12:20 PM
21 killed, 6 injured after strike in Gaza

At least 21 people were killed in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike Monday, the Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah told ABC News. Six people were injured from the strike, the hospital added.

The updated death toll in Gaza is 34,488 killed and 77,643 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

ABC News has reached out to the Israeli army for comment on the strike.

-ABC News' Dia Ostaz

Apr 29, 8:36 AM
Blinken calls for cease-fire in first stop on Middle East trip

U.S. Secretary of Antony Blinken, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, notably called for a cease-fire as "the most effective way to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza" during a session with his counterparts of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

"The most effective way to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to alleviate the suffering of children, women and men and to create space for a more just and durable solution is to get a cease-fire and hostages home, but also not waiting on a cease-fire to take the necessary steps to meet the needs of civilians of Gaza," Blinken said.

"President Biden is insistent that Israel take specific concrete measurable steps to better address humanitarian suffering, civilian harm and the safety of aid workers in Gaza, including in his most recent call with Prime Minister Netanyahu," he added, referring to a Sunday call with the Israeli leader.

Blinken said the U.S. was "focused on addressing the greatest threat to regional stability and regional security -- Iran."

Apr 28, 6:00 PM
United States Central Command and Royal Jordanian Air Force airdrop aid into Gaza

U.S. Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on Sunday.

The combined joint operation included Jordanian provided food and four U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft.

The U.S. C-130's dropped over 25,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in Northern Gaza. Additionally, more than 13,080 meal equivalents of Jordanian food supplies were also delivered.

To date the U.S. has dropped nearly 1,110 tons of humanitarian assistance.

Apr 28, 5:22 PM
American hostage's niece opens up about 'surreal' new video

Hanna Siegel, niece of American hostage Keith Siegel, appeared on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday morning and talked about the "surreal" feeling of seeing a recently released video purporting to show her uncle and talked about the possibility of a deal that would free him and other people thought to still be held by Hamas in Gaza.

"We've always believed that he was alive. We have to believe he's alive -- and his wife, my aunt, who was held for 52 days, [was] released in the deal that took place in November, she was with him," Siegel said. "When she came out, she told us he was alive, but this is the first time that we're seeing him, hearing him. It's surreal."

When asked about a potential hostage deal and temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, Siegel said that she does think an agreement "can be reached" and pointed to an earlier deal that secured the release of her aunt and others during a brief pause in the war late last year.

Siegel also said that she believes the new release of purported hostage videos shows that Hamas is signaling they are ready to make a deal.

But she said that she is concerned that it might not be in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "political interest to close a deal," though Netanyahu has said his goal is freeing the captives in Gaza as well as dismantling Hamas.

Siegel said that the Biden administration should "think about what they can do directly to bring our American citizens home."

She also said she has felt the "commitment from the Biden administration to get him back," referring to her uncle.

She became emotional talking about how her family missed her uncle during their Passover celebration and had a picture of him to pay tribute.

"I think there's so much swirling in the political realm that it's easy to forget that these are human beings. Keith is a grandfather, he's a husband, he's a brother, he's an uncle," she said.

She was asked whether her family is worried if a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, to further target Hamas fighters, could threaten her uncle's safety. She responded that she and her family are "very concerned."

Apr 28, 5:10 PM
Hamas to send a delegation to Cairo for hostage and cease-fire negotiations

Hamas will send a delegation to Cairo, Egypt, on Monday to participate in hostage and cease-fire deal negotiations, ABC News has confirmed.

Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official also told the Agence France-Presse on Sunday that the organization has no significant problems with the proposed deal.

"The atmosphere is positive unless there are new obstacles from the Israeli side," the Hamas official said.

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(LONDON) -- Two colonels in Ukraine's State Protection Service were identified as part of a group planning to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday.

The colonels, who have been detained but not yet been publicly identified, were recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, Ukraine said.

"Their mission involved identifying military personnel within Zelenskyy's security detail capable of abducting and assassinating him," Ukraine's State Protection Service, or SBU, said.

Other high-ranking officials were also allegedly targeted by the group, which SBU officials described as a "network of agents." SBU head Vasyl Malyuk and the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, were among those who had been targeted, officials said.

"One of the agents was tasked with surveilling the president's movements and relaying this information," the SBU said in a statement posted to Telegram. "A plan was devised to target a location where the president would be present with a missile and drone strike."

The colonels had allegedly obtained the drones they planned to use for the operation against Zelenskyy.

The pair also allegedly divulged classified Ukrainian information to Moscow.

"Despite the intended terrorist attack, which was meant to be a gift to Putin prior to the inauguration, the Russian special services failed," Malyuk said in a statement.

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(NEW YORK) -- The mother of Gordon Black, a 35-year-old United States Army soldier who was detained in Russia on charges of criminal misconduct last week, revealed he was visiting his girlfriend at the time of his arrest in Vladivostok.

In a new interview with ABC News' Good Morning America, Melody Jones explained that her son, Black, was on a two-week leave from his station in South Korea when he traveled to Russia to visit his girlfriend.

"I told him I was really uncomfortable," Jones said, recalling a conversation with her son before his trip. "I had a bad feeling about him going, but he went anyway."

Two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News on Monday that Black left South Korea of his own volition and was not granted any kind of permission to travel to Russia.

Vladivostok is a port city in southeast Russia near the country's borders with North Korea and China.

Upon arrival in Russia, Jones said Black told her he was questioned by authorities at the airport for "nine hours."

"He said he was when he got off the plane, that he was pulled to the back in this room for nine hours and questioned why he was there," Jones said.

Jones said she did not know if her son had a visa to visit Russia.

Jones was critical of her son's girlfriend, whom she says he met at a club in South Korea over a year ago. Jones claims her son told her the girlfriend was deported to Russia from South Korea after she and Black allegedly got into a dispute in the fall of 2023.

"I knew something was going to happen," Jones said.

On Monday, Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith told ABC News, "The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations."

"The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia," Smith said.

Jones said she is worried for her son, saying, "I cry at night. I'm hoping he's not being tortured or hurt."

"It's just hard being a mom and being in that situation," Jones said. "Not being able to touch him, you know? Hug him and tell him it will be OK."

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia remain high amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

A State Department official confirmed to ABC News that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is seeking to gain consular access to the detained soldier but has not yet been allowed to meet with him. The official also said the soldier is being held in pretrial detention through July 1, but it's likely that will be extended.

The White House is aware of the report about a U.S. soldier being detained in Russia, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a media briefing Monday afternoon.

There have been several U.S. citizens detained in Russia in recent years, including Marine veteran Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned since 2018; Marine Trevor Reed, who was part of a prisoner swap in 2022; WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was part of a different prisoner swap in December 2022; and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in 2023 and remains in custody in Russia.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) -- An American visiting Russia was detained for allegedly "violating public order" and remanded in custody for 10 days, a Moscow court said Tuesday.

William Russell Nycum had been drinking with friends at a bar before allegedly climbing into a children's library in Moscow, REN TV, a local television station, first reported on Monday.

"In accordance with the protocol on an administrative offense, a U.S. citizen drank alcoholic beverages, then was found in the yard, naked, expressed obvious disrespect for society, citizens and public order, for which he was detained by police officers," a Moscow court said Tuesday.

Nycum allegedly began to undress once he was inside the library, the station reported.

The TV station published a video that it said showed Nycum near the library, along with photos that it said showed his belongings inside the library. One photo appeared to show a shattered window.

The station also published a photo that appeared to show Nycum's visa to enter Russia.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has "no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas," a spokesperson said Tuesday.

"We are aware of reports that a U.S. citizen has been detained in Russia," the spokesperson said. "We take seriously our commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad and provide all appropriate consular assistance. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment."

A U.S. soldier was separately detained in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday on charges of criminal misconduct, according to the U.S. Army.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) -- A U.S. soldier was detained in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday on charges of criminal misconduct, according to the U.S. Army.

"The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith told ABC News. "The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time."

Two U.S. officials told ABC News the soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, had been stationed in South Korea but was on temporary leave because he was changing units and relocating from South Korea to Fort Cavazos, Texas. This type of leave, called Permanent Change of Station, allows a service member time to relocate.

During his leave, the soldier left of his own volition and was not granted any kind of permission to travel to Russia, the two officials said.

Vladivostok is a port city in southeast Russia near the country's borders with North Korea and China.

A State Department official confirmed to ABC News that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is seeking to gain consular access to the detained soldier but has not yet been allowed to meet with the individual. The official also said the soldier is being held in pretrial detention through July 1, but it's likely that will be extended.

The White House is aware of the report about a U.S. soldier being detained in Russia, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing Monday afternoon.

NBC News first reported the detainment.

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(NEW YORK) -- Parts of Gaza are currently experiencing a "full-blown famine" and it could spread even further amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a top United Nations official warned.

World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain said during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that northern Gaza is in a dire situation.

"Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens," McCain said. "And so, what I can explain to you is there is famine -- full-blown famine -- in the north, and it's moving its way south."

McCain clarified there has been no formal declaration by the U.N. or any other agency that there is a famine but that it was an appropriate term for conditions in the north. She also said the WFP is calling for a cease-fire to be able to deliver more aid.

"It's horror," she said. "It's so hard to look at and it's so hard to hear, also. So, I'm so hoping that we can get a cease-fire and begin to feed these people, especially in the north, in a much faster fashion, but also including water, sanitation, medicine. It's all part of the famine issue."

Meanwhile, Phillipe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), accused Israel of denying humanitarian access to the strip and increase in attacks when humanitarian workers and convoys are allowed access.

"Only in the past two weeks, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff including bullying, stripping them naked, threats with arms & long delays at checkpoints forcing convoys to move during the dark or abort," he wrote in a post on X on Sunday. "These incidents happen repeatedly at the time we are engaged in a race against the clock to avert famine in #Gaza. It also creates fear among courageous & committed humanitarian teams."

Several aid organizations have warned that Gaza is experiencing "catastrophic" levels of hunger. At the beginning of the war, Israel implemented a blockade, severely limiting the amount of food and other supplies into Gaza. However, as border crossings opened, officials have said the aid is not enough to reach the level of need.

Some aid organizations have accused Israel of not providing enough authorization to deliver sufficient aid and, even when it does give authorization, heavy fighting makes it difficult to deliver that aid. Israel denies the accusations and said the U.N., its partners and other aid agencies have created logistical challenges, resulting in a bottleneck. Additionally, the Israeli government said Hamas often steals aid meant for civilians. The U.N. and Hamas dispute the respective claims.

Over the last several weeks, more aid has entered Gaza, mostly though the south. On April 9, a total of 468 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza, marking the highest number to enter Gaza in one day since the war began, according to COGAT. Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened the Erez Crossing for the first time since the beginning of the war to allow aid to reach the north.

A report from the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative warned in March that famine was "imminent" in northern Gaza and would likely occur by the end of May. The report also warned that, in the most likely scenario, an estimated 1.11 million people -- half of the population in Gaza -- could be experiencing famine levels of hunger by mid-July.

A few weeks later, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power, a top humanitarian official, testified on Capitol Hill, saying it is "credible" to believe famine is currently underway in parts of Gaza based on the IPC initiative analysis.

It comes amid an announcement from Hamas that it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement. A senior Israeli official with knowledge of negotiations said Israel has received the Hamas response and it will be studied. The official added that it will take some time before there is response from Israel.

Talks between Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire stalled over the weekend. Hamas has insisted that any ceasefire hostage deal must include a commitment from Israel, in writing, for a comprehensive cease-fire, and an end to the war. Israel has refused to agree to end the war.

Amid the negotiations, at least four Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, and Israel says Hamas launched the rockets from Rafah.

The IDF dropped leaflets on Monday and sent text messages in Arabic calling for about 100,000 people to evacuate the eastern part of Rafah and to head north to the Al Muwasi humanitarian corridor ahead of a likely coming invasion.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise terrorist attack in Israel, more than 34,790 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 78,000 have been injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. In Israel, more than 1,700 have been killed -- including at least 600 soldiers and police officers -- and more than 8,700 injured.

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(ROME) -- Thirty-four new Swiss Guard recruits pledged their traditional oath in the Vatican on Monday and swore allegiance to Pope Francis in their distinctive way, raising three fingers to evoke the Holy Trinity while shouting the pontifical oath.

The world’s smallest army, founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, is still recruited from a group of Swiss towns and villages that have provided the Vatican since then with men who guard the pope and the Apostolic Palace.

Apart from being Swiss males, recruits must be single, aged between 19 and 30, sign on for a minimum of two years, live in Swiss Guard quarters within the Vatican, be practicing Catholics "with an unblemished character," at least 5.8 ft tall, and have completed their compulsory military service in Switzerland. And, of course, to be ready to sacrifice their life to defend the pope.

For weeks, the new guards have been training for the solemn occasion in the small courtyard within their small barracks tucked inside Vatican City gates. Dressed in their ceremonial red, yellow and blue Renaissance-style uniforms fitted with 33 pounds of helmet and armor, they practice their slow -and faster- march; their superiors shout clipped orders and carefully study the details of their gait and posture and correct the position of their hands, feet, and direction of their gaze.

Training for the solemn occasion and all the ceremonies and official engagements they will have to attend in the tiny city state also involves standing to attention for hours with their halberd. Not quite so visibly, and more frequently, they work in suits and can handle modern firearms: a handgun, taser and assault rifle, seeing to the pope’s safety on his many travels when he leaves the Vatican.

The pope met with the Swiss Guards, their families and friends on the morning of the ceremony. He thanked them for their service and urged them to cultivate community life.

“Today it is widespread among young people the habit of spending their free time alone with their computer or cell phone," he said during the audience. "Therefore, I also say to you, young guards: go against the current! It is better to use your free time for common activities, for getting to know Rome, for moments of fraternity in which to talk and share. These experiences will build within and will accompany you throughout your life.”

The pope mentioned that new modernized barracks are currently in the planning stage so that the guards can live together in better conditions and not be dispersed due to the lack of space for families. Men who have been guards for five years are allowed to marry and live with their families.

After a recruitment drop during the Covid pandemic, Cpl. Eliah Cinotti, the Swiss Guard spokesman, told ABC News the small force will be back to normal numbers of a total of 135 guards allowing the mini military corps to face the upcoming Holy Year with its upsurge of large-scale ceremonies, pilgrims and visitors with more ease.

One of the new recruits from Ticino, Gabriele Scarfetta, a history buff, said he is looking forward to next year’s challenge and said he loved being able to visit Rome and eat well; being a guard was a wish he had harbored for a long time.

Asked if he has stood guard outside the Pope’s door -- one of the duties assigned to the Swiss Guard -- he said he hadn’t had the honor yet. But, he said, he had shook the pope's hand a number of times and found that reciting the rosary in his head was helpful to withstand the long stationary two-hour sentry duty at the Bronze Door.

The oath swearing ceremony for new recruits is held each year on May 6, an historic day for the Swiss Guard as it recalls the deaths of 147 predecessors during the Sack of Rome by Emperor Charles V in 1527. Only 42 guards survived the attack and saved Pope Clement VII from capture.

Monday’s swearing-in ceremony was held in an inner courtyard of the Apostolic Palace with Bishop Edgar Penna Parra from the Vatican’s Secretary of State representing the pope.

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(PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil) -- Severe flooding in Brazil has left 75 people dead, 103 individuals unaccounted for and multiple families standing on their rooftops hoping to be rescued, authorities said Sunday.

The dire situation comes as heavy rain continues to downpour on Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil's southernmost state, according to officials.

The Guaíba River, in the capital city of Porto Alegre, reached a high record level of 17.4 feet, putting the city's 1.4 million residents in a situation of unprecedented crisis, officials said.

The Rio Grande do Sul's governor's office told ABC News, thus far, 75 people have died in the flooding, 103 individuals remain missing, 839, 000 houses in the area have no water and 421, 000 houses have no power.

So far, 707, 000 people have been impacted by the ongoing flooding and more than 105,000 people have been evacuated in total, according to the governor's office, which notes, at least 20,000 people have lost their homes.

Authorities said this is the worst flood to impact the area in over 80 years, surpassing the historic 1941 deluge that devastated the region.

The ongoing environmental crisis marks a startling sign for officials as the heavy rain began last week and is forecasted to continue to impact the region until Tuesday.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came back to Rio Grande do Sul for the second time to visit victims and to witness the widespread damage to the region.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Russian military personnel are operating out of an air base in Niger that is still hosting a small number of American troops, two U.S. officials tell ABC News.

One of the officials said the Russian trainers arrived several weeks ago at Niger's "Airport 101" near the capital of Niamey, and do not present an immediate security concern to U.S. troops.

The Russian forces are operating out of a hangar at a location far away from U.S. forces and not on any property owned or being used by the United States, the officials said Thursday.

"The Russians are housed in a separate compound and do not have access to US forces, spaces, or equipment," one official said.

Still, the development -- first reported by Reuters -- speaks to U.S. concerns that Russia is aggressively trying to gain a foothold in West Africa, and specifically Niger where U.S. troops have been asked to leave after building a remote $150 million counterterrorism drone base in Agadez.

Following a coup in July 2023, the ruling junta in Niger demanded the exodus of U.S. troops. Talks between the two countries broke down this spring, and the Pentagon said it would comply by withdrawing forces but didn't say how soon.

The Russian military instructors arrived in Niger about three weeks ago, citing an agreement between the junta and Russian President Vladimir Putin to increase cooperation, according to several media reports citing Niger state television.

A U.S. official declined to say how many American troops remained at Airport 101 within proximity of the Russian forces there, but said the footprint was minimal.

The Biden administration had already begun consolidating troops in the region last fall as a precautionary measure, relocating troops at Airport 101 to the U.S. drone base in Agadez some 571 miles away.

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(WASHINGTON) -- A targeted U.S. drone strike in northwest Syria one year ago Friday hit and killed a civilian, not the al-Qaeda leader it was looking for, the Pentagon said after an internal review.

"U.S. Central Command acknowledges and regrets the civilian harm that resulted from the airstrike," the combatant command said in a statement after the year-long review. It confirmed the Syrian, Lufti Hasan Masto, "was struck and killed instead" of an intended senior al-Qaeda leader. The news was first reported by The Washington Post.

U.S. forces misidentified the target but found that "the strike was conducted in compliance with the law of armed conflict," CENTCOM said in a statement. It also said officers adhered to Pentagon and Central Command policies.

Still, CENTCOM acknowledged that its "investigation revealed several issues that could be improved" and said it was "committed to learning from this incident and improving our targeting processes to mitigate potential civilian harm."

It made no mention of potential disciplinary action and did not disclose issues it found, citing classified information that can't be shared.

ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Matt Seyler contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) -- Authorities in Kenya have rescued dozens of tourists and hotel staff who were left stranded in Kenya's famed Maasai Mara Game Reserve after heavy rains caused the Telek River to burst its banks.

Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve -- one of Africa's greatest wildlife reserves -- has been left inundated in water, several luxury safari hotels left submerged following devastating floods.

Kenya's Red Cross said over 90 people have been evacuated to safety thus far following search and rescue operations in over 14 tourist camps in the reserve, most affected camps now closed.

Through collaborations with Narok's County and National Government, Mara Elephant Project, and community members, 36 people have been rescued by air and 25 through an aqua rescue team, Kenya Red Cross said. Americans were among those rescued, officials said.

"In some camps, tents have been swept away, and the Mara Bridge, linking the Mara triangle and the Greater Mara, has been washed away," said the Kenya Red Cross.

The Telek River lies across the famous "Great Migration Route" -- the annual circuit seeing wildebeest and other animals such as Zebras and Gazelle migrate from Tanzania's Serengeti into Kenya's Maasai Mara reserve.

"Many of the visitors and workers were forced to climb trees on Tuesday evening after the camp was marooned by the water after the river burst its banks," Tobias Korir, a local journalist, told ABC. "Hoteliers say the damage was estimated to be in millions of shillings; many tents, rooms swept away."

"There is also fear that many wild animals might have been swept away by the flooding," Korir said. "Visitors could not go for game drives as heavy rains in the reserve rendered roads impassable."

The famed park -- home to each of Africa's "Big 5" animals -- draws an estimated 300,000 tourists every year, the annual "Great Migration" ranked one of the "Seven wonders of the world."

In a statement Wednesday, Kenya's Tourism minister Alfred Mutua said "several camps" have been impacted by flooding, coordinated rescue efforts deemed as effective thus far. Mutua warned all camps and hotels in the reserve that are located near rivers to prepare for evacuations should rivers overflow.

"Mother Nature is not happy with us," Narok County's Senator Ledama Olekina said.

"Mara Bush camp, JW Marriot, Intrepid mara and many other camps built along the river have been submerged," said Olekina on the current situation in the Mara.

The Narok County Government in a statement said it has been "briefed" on the heavy rains affecting the region, calling on residents to take all necessary precautions to safeguard lives and property.

Heavy rains in Kenya's "long rains" season -- which typically runs from March to May -- have left at least 181 people dead and 125 injured in what is one of the East African nation's worst flooding incidents in recent memory.

Weeks of heavy rains have affected almost 200,000 people, Kenya's Great Rift Valley among the nation's worst-hit areas, according to Kenya's Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura. Flooding has also impacted other countries in the East Africa region, impacting neighboring Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi leaving hundreds dead.

"We condole with the families that have lost their loved ones due to the floods in the country," said Kenyan President William Ruto as he visited Mai Mahiu in Nakuru County on Tuesday. "A multi-agency rescue operation, including the military, is currently underway in all affected areas."

Local residents are waiting for flood waters to recede. Kenya's Meteorological Office is forecasting more rainfall across multiple regions of the country from Thursday through the weekend.

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(NEW YORK) -- China is set to launch the first-ever mission, known as Chang'e 6, on Friday to collect rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon.

The lunar lander is scheduled to launch by rocket at 3:50 a.m. ET from the China National Space Administration's (CNSA) Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on the island of Hainan, located to the south of China, according to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The 53-day mission will send the spacecraft to the side of the moon that always faces away from Earth with the goal of collecting about 4.4 pounds of material, NASA says.

If the mission goes according to plan, the lander will separate from the orbiter and descend onto the lunar surface by the southern part of Apollo crater within the South Pole-Aitken basin -- the largest and oldest recognized basin -- which is believed to be the site of an impact more than 4 billion years ago.

This region has been thought to be a key part of understanding what caused a massive number of impacts on the moon billions of years ago during a period known as the Late Heavy Bombardment and why the far side differs dramatically from the near side, according to the nonprofit Planetary Society.

The landing site will help "address questions about the multiple lunar nearside – farside dichotomies and to provide new insights into both the early impact history of the Solar System and the geological evolution of the moon," a team at the Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing said in a paper published in the journal Nature in July 2023.

Using a scooper and a drill, the lander will obtain samples, both from the surface and as deep as 2 meters below the surface, according to NASA.

In previous sample return missions, spacecrafts have been able to communicate with teams back on Earth with "line-of-sight" communications, the Planetary Society said.

The far-side mission will require communications with a relay satellite, specifically the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, which launched in March 2024. The satellite has an antenna with a diameter of nearly 14 feet, making it one of the largest ever sent into space, according to the Planetary Society.

Once the samples have been connected, they will be loaded into an ascent vehicle, which is on top of the lunar lander. The lander will then be taken to the orbiter. The samples will be transferred into the reentry module and the orbiter will carry the reentry module back to Earth, NASA said.

This is the second sample return mission for the CNSA after Chang'e 5 in 2020, which collected about 61 ounces of samples from the bear side of the moon. It also made China the third country, behind the United States and the former Soviet Union, to return moon samples to Earth. Additionally, Chang'e 4 conducted a soft landing on the far side of the moon in January 2019.

The CNSA has future lunar missions planned after Chang'e 6, including Chang'e 7, planned for 2026, which will make detailed surveys of the south pole of the moon and Chang'e 8, planned for 2028, which will test technology necessary to construct a lunar science base, according to NASA.

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(LONDON) -- Princess Charlotte, the second child of Prince William and Kate, the princess of Wales, is celebrating her 9th birthday.

Charlotte was born May 2, 2015. The young royal made her public debut just hours after her birth at St. Mary's Hospital in London.

Her full name, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, is a tribute to her late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and late grandmother Princess Diana.

She is the only daughter of William and Kate, who also have two sons, Princes George, 10, and Louis, who turned 6 last week.

Charlotte is expected to spend her 9th birthday privately with her family in Windsor, where they now live.

In an interview several months after Charlotte's birth, Kate spoke about how excited family members, including the late queen, were to have a girl join the family.

"The queen was really thrilled that it was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington, she was one of our first visitors here," Kate said in an interview with ITV in 2016.

"It's very special having a new little girl," she added. "I feel very, very lucky that George has got a little sister."

As she has grown older, Charlotte has made more public appearances with her parents and her brothers.

In 2022, she attended one of her first royal engagements with her parents, joining William, Kate and George on a visit to Cardiff Castle during Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration.

Both she and George joined William and Kate for the queen's funeral later that year. Charlotte wore a horseshoe brooch to the funeral, a gift from Elizabeth, who had a love of horses.

The next year, Charlotte was joined by her two brothers George and Louis at the coronation for their grandfather King Charles III at Westminster Abbey.

Charlotte's most recent public appearance was in December, when she joined her family on their traditional walk to the Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.

The family has remained mostly out of the public eye since then.

Both Kate and William have taken time off from public duties this year due to Kate's health. Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January and then announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

The type of cancer has not been disclosed. According to Kensington Palace, Kate started a course of preventative chemotherapy in late February.

At a royal engagement on Tuesday, William responded to a well-wisher who asked about his family by saying, "We are all doing well, thank you."

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(LONDON) -- The U.S. is warning of a looming potential "large scale massacre" in El Fasher, a city in Sudan, as troops from the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group and allied militias encircle the city in what the U.S. says are "indications of an imminent offensive."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that El Fasher is "on the precipice of a large-scale massacre," calling on the RSF to end its siege and swear off any attack on the city.

"A crisis of epic proportions is brewing in El Fasher," said Thomas-Greenfield.

El Fasher -- also known as Al-Fashir -- is a city in North Darfur and one of Darfur's largest cities. The besieged city is home to an estimated 800,000 people, according to the U.N., including many who have been displaced by the civil war that began more than a year ago. The city is also a key humanitarian hub for western Darfur, the vast area home to around a quarter of Sudan's population.

At least 43 people, including women and children, have been killed since April 14, amid escalating violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the RSF and its allied militia as the paramilitary group began its push into the city. Multiple villages west of El Fasher have been razed to the ground by the RSF and allied militias, as the SAF conducted aerial bombardments in the region.

"Reports indicate that both parties have launched indiscriminate attacks using explosive weapons with wide-area effects, such as mortar shells and rockets fired from fighter jets, in residential districts," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

"Civilians are trapped in the city, the only one in Darfur still in the hands of the SAF, afraid of being killed should they attempt to flee," Türk said. "This dire situation is compounded by a severe shortage of essential supplies as deliveries of commercial goods and humanitarian aid have been heavily constrained by the fighting, and delivery trucks are unable to freely transit through RSF-controlled territory."

Writing on X, RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- known commonly as Hemedti -- described the situation in North Darfur state as "critical," saying the RSF is exercising its "legitimate right to self-defense in response to the aggression that we have faced since this war began."

Fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group last April following weeks of tensions linked to a plan for returning the country to civilian rule. The conflict has precipitated one of the world's 'worst humanitarian disasters in recent history', displacing over eight million people.

As the conflict entered its second year, at least 14,000 people have been killed and almost 30,000 have been injured, according to the UN. local groups, which warn the true toll likely much higher.

Humanitarian organizations told ABC News that the situation in Zamzam camp, around 10 miles south of El Fasher, is "catastrophic." About 30% of the children in the camp have been found to be suffering from malnutrition as war wounded pour in.

"In Zamzam camp, there is an acute disaster on a catastrophic scale," said Claire Nicolet, head of Doctors Without Borders' emergency response in Sudan. "The situation is critical and the level of suffering is immense, but despite this being known for nearly three months, nowhere near enough has been done to help those who are struggling to survive."

The U.S. has called on all armed forces to immediately cease their attacks in El Fasher, saying, "An offensive against El Fasher city would subject civilians to extreme danger, including the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons who have taken refuge there."

"The leaders of the SAF and RSF and their affiliated militias face a choice – escalate the violence and perpetuate the suffering of their people while risking the disintegration of their country, or cease attacks, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and prepare in good faith for negotiations to end this war and restore power to the people of Sudan," Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesperson, said in a statement.

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(JERUSALEM) -- "Every single day, I've watched small children die."

Those are the words of Nurse Brenda Maldonado from Washington State, describing to ABC News what she witnessed over the past two weeks.

During that time, Maldonado said, she had been working in two of Gaza's main hospitals. Her deployment to work as a healthcare professional there was organized by Med Global, a Chicago-based nongovernmental organization.

There are currently believed to be only ten partially functioning hospitals in all of Gaza, according to the World Health Organization. Most of those are in central and southern Gaza.

Maldonado divided her time between the Al-Aqsa Hospital, in central Gaza, and the European Hospital, near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, tending to those in need in one of the most difficult environments in which to work in the world.

Maldonado said what she has seen during her time in Gaza will stay with her forever.

"It doesn't get easier," she told ABC News. "You don't get used to it."

For her own safety, it's only now that she has left Gaza that ABC News can share Maldonado's story as she worked there, following her and documenting her journey – into the hospital each day through cramped tent encampments, through hospital corridors filled with patients for whom there are few beds.

"Any time we get mass casualties, which is almost every single day, the patients are brought in and placed directly on the floor, and we're treating them," Maldonado said.

Some of them survive, according to Maldonado. Many do not. And many of those who do survive have nowhere to go once they recover, so they often remain in the hospital where they were treated, living in those same corridors.

And the injured keep arriving. Mass casualty events, Maldonado said, occurred nearly every day she was in Gaza.

"A lot of blast injuries, shrapnel injuries, children, older people," she said. "Everybody of any age, not soldiers. I haven't seen a soldier since I've been here. It's basically civilians."

Since the Israel-Hamas war began with Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which killed at least 1,200 people and injured 6,900 others, more than 34,000 people in Gaza have been killed and 77,143 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The latest United Nations information counts at least 224 humanitarian workers among the dead.

At least 1,700 people have been killed in Israel and 8,700 others injured in the war, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Maldonado says she's seen many children, some as young as toddlers, arrive at the hospital with head traumas, many of whom have taken "their last breaths here in front of us."

It's not just bullets and bombs, however, that are killing and injuring children. Many die in traffic accidents, while still others fall victim to unsafe, inhospitable conditions in the crowded camps, including severe burns from boiling water.

Oftentimes, there was little Maldonado or the local hospital staff working alongside her could do but watch the victims die, she said.

"It makes me cry every time ... because it's not right, you know," Maldonado said. "It breaks my heart."

Yet the threat of increased danger looms, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that the country's forces will enter Rafah, which they believe is a Hamas stronghold. More than a million civilians from other parts of Gaza are also believed to be sheltering there, according to the United Nations, with Gaza's healthcare system already barely able to cope.

"It's crippled. Absolutely crippled," Maldonado said. "It's heartbreaking, because we could probably function much more efficiently without all of the people here. Right now, there are just massive crowds of people, running throughout the whole hospital."

"But I don't blame them," Maldonado said. "I don't blame them."

Since the war began, Egypt and Israel have largely prevented foreign journalists from entering Gaza, except on rare trips embedded with the Israeli military. Maldonado’s account offers an uncommon glimpse at life in southern Gaza. The humanitarian situation is believed to be even worse in the north, where hunger is widespread and communications are difficult, according to the U.N.

Maldonado, reflecting on her journey, said she has "mixed feelings" about leaving Gaza. However, what she keeps coming back to, again and again, is the devastating impact of the war on Gaza's children. At least 14,000 have been killed so far, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

"You know, I think [of] all the children, but I think probably more than anything, are the children that have had, traumatic amputations," she told ABC News, recounting the story of a "beautiful" 12-year-old girl who was brought into the hospital with her left arm "completely blown off."

"She's probably living in a tent," Maldonado said. "What kind of a future is she going to have? ...[And] the children who lost their legs. … And, I just have to wonder, you know, how are they going to do in this situation?"

"[There is] no end in sight right now," Maldonado said. "So that weighs heavily on my heart."

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