Critical negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage releases between Israel and Hamas are back on as Israel moves further into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
What happened: Delegations from both sides headed to Cairo to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage releases hours after Israel said its military forces took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing connecting to Egypt, where 1.4 million people are thought to be sheltering.
- A Hamas official called it the “last chance” to release more than 100 hostages, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his delegation to "stand firm.”
Catch-up: Israel began airstrikes in Rafah on Monday night after rejecting a ceasefire plan okayed by Hamas. Hours earlier, celebrations broke out in Rafah in response to news of the deal, but Israel said the conditions were modified from the proposal it had already accepted.
- Israel’s military directed ~100,000 people to evacuate then moved into the city, prompting the U.S. to delay shipments of ammunition for the first time since the Hamas attacks.
Big picture: Meanwhile, in the U.S. and Canada, pro-Palestinian protests have escalated across college and university campuses. Several people, thought to be students from a New York City college, were arrested after trying to disrupt the Met Gala on Monday.