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May 7, 2024 Blog, News
Rafah was already crowded before the war and now, it hosts nearly 1.5 million people. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The Israeli army announced it took control of the Rafah crossing while new strikes targeted the southern Gaza city killing and wounding scores of Palestinians.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States has decided to postpone sending precision weapons to Israel.

The New York Times reported that Hamas’ response is serious and it only includes slight changes from what was presented by Israel and Washington. 

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,789 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,204 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

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LATEST UPDATES

Tuesday, May 7, 12:00 am (GMT +2)

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: CIA Director William Burns will arrive in Israel tomorrow, Wednesday, to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Chief David Barnea to discuss a possible deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli aircraft launched raids on the towns of Khiam, Kafr Kila, Aita al-Shaab, Yaroun, and Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon.

ISRAELI ARMY: We are working to create conditions to open the Kerem Shalom crossing.

AL-JAZEERA: Seven Palestinians were martyred and 14 others were injured as a result of an Israeli bombing of a residential apartment in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

AXIOS (citing US officials): The Rafah crossing operation did not cross the red line set by Biden. Washington is considering suspending arms shipments to Israel or restricting their use if it launches a major operation in Rafah.

US STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN (to Al-Jazeera): We explained to Israel that the deal is possible.

KAN: A large explosion occurred in the sky of the city of Eilat, and air defenses had intercepted a target.

NBC (citing US officials): The Biden administration has delayed shipments of ammunition that were expected to be sent to Israel.

EGYPTIAN FM: The international community was unable to prevent Israel from storming Rafah.

HAARETZ (quoting US officials): the United States had made clear that it would restrict the arrival of weapons to Israel if the military operation in Rafah expanded without its approval.

Tuesday, May 7, 11:00 pm (GMT +2)

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli army’s artillery bombed the eastern areas of the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

AL-JAZEERA: French police arrested a number of participants in a demonstration at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

AL-JAZEERA: Dutch lawyers ask the International Criminal Court to arrest Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: Al-Qassam bombed an occupation site east of the Netzarim axis.

FINANCIAL TIMES (quoting US official): Egypt is angry with Israel because it did not accept the proposed agreement that Cairo worked on for a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.

WHITE HOUSE: The crossings that were closed in Gaza must be reopened. The process of bringing fuel into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing will resume tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 7, 10:00 pm (GMT +2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Rafah municipality building in the southern Gaza Strip caught fire after it was targeted by Israeli army artillery shells.

PENTAGON: We do not support a large Israeli ground operation in Rafah. We will continue to monitor the Israeli military operation in Rafah.

HAARETZ (citing informed sources): Egypt filed a complaint with Israel about its army publishing video clips showing the Israeli flag flying at the Rafah crossing.

AL-JAZEERA: Families of Israeli prisoners block a street in front of the Ministry of Defense.

FINANCIAL TIMES: The ceasefire agreement proposal approved by Hamas is similar to a proposal supported by Israel earlier.

Details of Gaza Ceasefire Proposal – Top Hamas Official

JORDANIAN FM: The settlers’ attack on our aid convoy to Gaza is a heinous crime that must be condemned by the world.

HAMAS: Hamas said that its delegation arrived in Cairo to follow up on efforts with mediators in Egypt and Qatar in order to achieve an agreement to stop the aggression against the Palestinian people.

UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL: All main crossings in Gaza are closed.

TURKISH FM: The Israeli attack on the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, after Hamas agreed to a ceasefire proposal, shows that Israel is not dealing in good faith.

KIRBY: The Israelis are negotiating in good faith, and their delegation heads to Cairo today to complete the negotiations.

Tuesday, May 7, 9:00 pm (GMT +2)

FINANCIAL TIMES: Washington withheld two arms shipments to Israel.

US STATE DEPARTMENT: We are coordinating with Israel regarding the Cairo negotiations.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: 27 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli bombing of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip since dawn on Tuesday.

AL-JAZEERA: An Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Rafah municipal headquarters in the southern Gaza Strip.

RED CROSS: We warn that an Israeli military operation in Rafah would pose a catastrophic danger to the civilian population.

Tuesday, May 7, 8:00 pm (GMT +2)

WHITE HOUSE: Israel informed us that the Rafah operation is limited.

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We bombed the Israeli Re’im military base in the Gaza Strip with a batch of missiles.

HEZBOLLAH: We bombed two buildings used by Israeli army soldiers in the Shtoula settlement – near the southern Lebanese border – causing a direct hit.

REUTERS: US suspended arms shipments to Israel two weeks ago.

BIDEN: Our support for Israel is firm and will not change despite the differences.

Tuesday, May 7, 7:00 pm (GMT +2)

POLITICO: The Biden administration has suspended sending precision bombs to Israel.

CHANNEL 12: 30 rockets were fired towards the Gaza envelope.

NETANYAHU: Hamas’s proposal is far from the necessary demands for Israel.

Tuesday, May 7, 6:00 pm (GMT +2)

FAMILIES OF PRISONERS: If stopping the war is the way to recover the kidnapped, then Netanyahu must do so.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: An Israeli delegation including members of Mossad, Shin Bet, and the army arrives in Cairo.

Tuesday, May 7, 5:00 pm (GMT +2)

ABU OBEIDA: Zionist prisoner Judy Feinstein died of serious injuries she sustained with another prisoner after a bombing a month ago.

GUTERRES: I urge Israel to engage in peace negotiations immediately.

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We bombed the settlements around Gaza with missiles.

EGYPTIAN FM: It is important to coordinate efforts to achieve calm in Gaza.

NBC: One of the differences between Israel and Hamas is whether all 33 prisoners who will be released are alive.

CHANNEL 12: Iron Dome intercepted an air object in the Gaza Strip.

Tuesday, May 7, 4:00 pm (GMT +2)

AP: The draft agreement accepted by Hamas included a slight change in wording from the version presented by Washington with Israel’s approval. The changes were made in consultation with William Burns, director of the CIA, who adopted the draft before sending it to Hamas.

HEZBOLLAH: We targeted Israeli soldiers in the Ramot Naftali barracks.

SMOTRICH: Security must be restored to the south by occupying Rafah.

AL-JAZEERA: Two missiles were launched from southern Lebanon towards an Israeli site.

AL-JAZEERA: German police broke up a student sit-in rejecting the Israeli war on Gaza.

CNN (citing informed sources): CIA Director William Burns is heading to Cairo today to hold further talks regarding the swap deal negotiations.

Tuesday, May 7, 3:00 pm (GMT +2)

NYT: Hamas’s response is serious and it is now up to Israel to decide whether to enter into an agreement or not. The warring parties are likely to clash over the definition of sustainable calm mentioned in the proposal approved by Hamas.

JORDAN: Israel occupied the Rafah crossing instead of giving negotiations an opportunity.

Tuesday, May 7, 02:05 pm (GMT +2)

AL-MAYADEEN (Citing top Hamas official): The Israeli takeover of the Rafah crossing with Egypt is a provocative action aimed at ending the ceasefire talks.

AL-MAYADEEN: An attack drone originating from Lebanon hit an Israeli military target in Israel.

AL-MAYADEEN (Citing top Iranian official Abraj Masjidi): Iran will support any conclusion to the war on Gaza that is accepted by Palestinian Resistance.

Columbia Main Graduation Ceremony Canceled – US Campuses Protests Continue

REUTERS (Citing Israeli official): A mid-level Israeli delegation will travel to Egypt in the next a few hours to assess whether it can convince Hamas to change its position on the ceasefire Proposal. Hamas has already accepted the proposal which was mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar.

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a Yassin 105 shell. The tank caught on fire. We also clashed with Israeli soldiers who barricaded themselves inside a building near the tank in the Al-Shoka neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

GAZA MEDIA OFFICE: The situation in the east of Rafah governorate is resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe due to the occupation attacks, noting that the occupation killed 35 people in Rafah governorate during the past 24 hours.

Nowhere Else to Go – Rafah Refugees Call on the World to Intervene

Tuesday, May 7, 12:40 pm (GMT +2)

ISRAELI JUSTICE MINISTER: Most of what I know about the war is from Al Jazeera.

HAARETZ: Six mortar shells were fired at Kerem Shalom.

EGYPTIAN FM: The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the military operations in the city of Rafah and Israel’s control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.

UN: Israel prevented us from entering the Rafah crossing.

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: The occupation is deliberately aggravating the situation by closing the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

Tuesday, May 7, 11:40 am (GMT +2)

ISRAELI ARMY RADIO: A number of mortar shells were fired at Kerem Shalom.

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: We bombed enemy forces at the Karam Abu Salem site and east of Rafah.

AXIOS (citing three Israeli soldiers): Hamas’ announcement of its approval of the deal surprised the Israeli government.

NYT: Hamas informed negotiators that not all of the 33 hostages to be released in Phase 1 are alive. Hamas informed negotiators that the remains of the dead hostages would be among the first releases.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 34,789 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,204 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

Tuesday, May 7, 10:00 am (GMT +2)

UNRWA: The hunger disaster will get worse, especially in northern Gaza.

ISRAELI ARMY: Three Israeli soldiers and a civilian were killed and 33 wounded by Hezbollah fire last month.

AL-JAZEERA: a Palestinian was martyred and others wounded as a result of the occupation aircraft bombing a school to shelter displaced people in the Beach Camp, west of Gaza City.

Tuesday, May 7, 09:00 am (GMT +2)

PALESTINIAN MEDICAL SOURCES: 20 Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli raids that targeted homes in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, at dawn on Tuesday.

UKMTO: Two explosions were reported near a commercial ship 82 nautical miles south of Aden , Yemen, noting that the captain of the targeted ship confirmed the safety of it and the crew.

ISRAELI ARMY: We took complete control of the Rafah crossing. Kerem Shalom crossing is closed and will open when security conditions permit.

Tuesday, May 7, 08:00 am (GMT +2)

REUTERS: The United Nations General Assembly may vote on Friday on a draft resolution recognizing Palestine’s eligibility for full membership.

AL-JAZEERA: The Israeli occupation forces stormed the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.

Tuesday, May 7, 07:00 am (GMT +2)

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announced the killing of two officers in Metulla on the border with Lebanon following a drone attack carried out by Hezbollah yesterday, Monday.

WHO: The military operation in Rafah will exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe.

Tuesday, May 7, 06:00 am (GMT +2)

NYT: The proposal that Hamas talked about is a slight change from what was presented by Israel and Washington. Officials considered that Hamas’ response was serious, and stressed that it was up to Israel to decide whether to enter into an agreement.

Gaza Ceasefire Proposal – Full Text

Tuesday, May 7, 05:00 am (GMT +2)

AL-JAZEERA: A Palestinian was killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a home for the Al-Durailmi family in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.

GUTERRES: An Israeli invasion of Rafah would be unbearable.

AL-JAZEERA: Four Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house for the Al-Hams family in the Al-Geneina neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah.

Tuesday, May 7, 04:00 am (GMT +2)

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation forces targeted the eastern areas of the towns of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip with raids.

Tuesday, May 7, 01:30 am (GMT +2)

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A Palestinian was killed and another was injured in a bombing that targeted a home for the Bakr family in the Beach Camp, west of Gaza City.

WSJ (citing officials described as insiders): The United States has decided to postpone sending precision weapons to Israel.

AL-JAZEERA: A number of Palestinians were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house belonging to the Baroud family in the Al-Tanour neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah.

Tuesday, May 7, 01:30 am (GMT +2)

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli strikes target the vicinity of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Israeli strikes are also reported in the Brazil neighborhood south of Rafah.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

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1 Comment

  1. Not having smart bomb technology from the US means more Palestinians will be killed by dumb bombs. Biden is trying to force Israel into surrender and will cause more deaths

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