Gaza war updates: 30 Hamas militants killed in Israel’s Rafah operation, says IDF

After the collapse of the ceasefire agreement that Hamas had previously agreed to, further negotiations are scheduled to begin in Cairo on Wednesday (May 8). Representatives from Hamas and the Israeli delegation have arrived in the Egyptian capital.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to strike Rafah and the Gaza Strip. The UN secretary-general warned that an Israeli attack on Rafah would be 'a strategic mistake, a political calamity, and a humanitarian nightmare'.

Here's a look at the latest updates:

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IDF says30 Hamas militants killed in eastern Rafah operation

About 30 Hamas militants were killed in eastern Rafah as a result of an operation carried out by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli military said as reported by i24news.

WHO saysSouth Gaza's health services have only 3 days of fuel left

The World Health Organization reported on Wednesday that there is only enough fuel to run health services in Gaza's south for three more days. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought safety in Gaza's south. According to the WHO, a delivery of fuel to the area had been denied on Wednesday.

"WHO has pre-positioned in some supplies in warehouses and hospitals, but without more aid flowing into Gaza, we cannot sustain our life saving support to hospitals," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He added that WHO will coninue to provide health services in the area.

Top foreign officialsdenounceIsrael's military operation in eastern Rafah.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X, “One million people cannot vanish into thin air. They need protection. They urgently need more humanitarian aid. To this end, the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings must be reopened immediately.”

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday that "Australia has been clear about our objections to a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah, and we have reiterated this to Israel again today."

"The impacton Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating," she added.

Qatar also condemned "in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation forces' bombardment of the Rafah governorate, invasion of the land crossing and threat to displace citizens from shelter and housing centres."

In a post on X, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it "strongly condemns" both the Israeli military's "control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing" and the "attack" on Rafah.

On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov called the situation in Rafah as a "humanitarian disaster," as reported by TASS.

Roughly 50,000 people fled Rafah in the last 48 hours, says UNRWA official

According to a top official at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), "roughly 50,000 people" have fled the southern Gazan city of Rafah in the previous 48 hours as a result of Israel's evacuation order.

“We tracked roughly 50,000 people departing Rafah in the last 48 hours. We've seen them go to Khan Younis, some have gone to the expanded humanitarian area of Al-Mawasi, others have gone to Deir al-Balah,” the senior deputy director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, Scott Anderson, told CNN.

Residents of eastern Rafah started to leave on Monday after the Israeli military gave the order to "evacuate immediately" as it launched a military operation in the region.

“We think as the UN that people should choose where they want to go and we will provide aid to them wherever they decide to seek shelter with their families,” he added.

Police clearencampment fromGeorge Washington University,over 30 students arrested

Shortly after hundreds of demonstrators left the area and marched to the university's president Ellen Granberg's house, US police started clearing up a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

According to local media reports, about 30 individuals were arrested when police pepper sprayed several demonstrators as they tried to enter the encampment.

The university's independent student-run newspaper, GW Hatchet, reported "at about 3.30am (10:30 GMT), officers gave demonstrators their third and final warning to move, saying all who remained... in front of the plaza would be arrested."

African UnioncriticisesIsrael's military incursion into Rafah

The African UnioncriticisedIsrael's military incursion into Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday, urging the international community to put an end to "this deadly escalation" of the war.

AU Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat "firmly condemns the extension of this war to the Rafah crossing," a statement read. The statement came after Israeli tanks seized a vital passage for humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory.

He "expresses his extreme concern at the war undertaken by Israel in Gaza which results, at every moment, in massive deaths and systematic destruction of the conditions of human life," the statement read. "He calls on the entire international community to effectively coordinate collective action to stop this deadly escalation," it added.

Israel reopens vital Kerem Shalom border crossing for Gaza humanitarian aid

Israel announced on Wednesday (May 8) that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing for humanitarian supplies to Gaza, four days after closing it in response to a missile strike that killed four military personnel.

According to the Israeli military, Egyptian lorries carrying food, water, and medication have arrived at the border. The UN raised concern on Tuesday over Israel's "choking off" of Gaza's two main aid arteries.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that he was "disturbed and distressed" by Israel's move.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)