Israel-Gaza live updates: Hamas to respond to Israel offer 'within hours': Source

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.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a phone call over the weekend, discussing increasing the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and plans for a possible military operation in Rafah, according to the White House.

Latest Developments

_{May 1, 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 1, 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.

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 1, 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 1, 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 1, 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 1, 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 1, 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.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

_{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

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