Jerusalem, May 8 (AP) Gaza's vital Rafah crossing remained closed Wednesday after Israeli forces seized it the day before. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area overnight, including two large blasts early Wednesday.

Rafah has been a vital conduit for humanitarian aid since the start of the war and is the only place where people can enter and exit. Israel now controls all of Gaza's border crossings for the first time since it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory nearly two decades ago.

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Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 46 patients and wounded people who had been scheduled to leave Tuesday for medical treatment have been left stranded.

The Israeli military said Wednesday it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby. But the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said no aid has yet entered and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side.

Also Read | Israel-Gaza Conflict: Israel Reopens Kerem Shalom Border Crossing for Delivery of Aid to War-Torn Nation.

The UN says northern Gaza is already in a state of “full-blown famine.”

The war in Gaza has driven around 80% of the territory's population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction to apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools across several cities. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials.

The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Currently:

— Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered.

— US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says.

— Has Israel followed the law in its war in Gaza? The US is due to render a first-of-its-kind verdict.

— Israeli tanks have rolled into Rafah. What does this mean for the Palestinians sheltering there?

— Scenes from Israel and Gaza reflect dashed hopes as an imminent cease-fire seems unlikely.

— The U.N. says there's full-blown famine' in northern Gaza. What does that mean?

TEL AVIV SCALES DOWN TRADITIONAL PRIDE PARADE

The mayor of Tel Aviv said Wednesday the city will not be holding its traditional Pride Parade this year because of the war in Gaza, instead opting for a scaled down rally.

The liberal coastal metropolis normally throws a weeklong bash with concerts and events in June that culminates in tens of thousands of people marching in a rainbow-drenched parade, which is the Middle East's largest celebration of Pride.

PALESTINIANS WOUNDED IN FIRING AT A GAZA CROSSING

The Israeli military said Wednesday that Palestinian workers heading to the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing were wounded after their vehicle came under fire.

Shortly after the military's announcement, the militant group Hamas said it struck Israeli forces near Kerem Shalom. It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were related. The military had no immediate comment about the Hamas claim and said it was investigating the apparent shooting.

Israel on Wednesday reopened Kerem Shalom after closing it over the weekend following a rocket attack that killed four soldiers.

ISRAEL SUSPENDS FARMING ALONG GAZA BORDER AFTER ROCKET ATTACKS

Israel has suspended farming within 4 kilometers of the Gaza border over security concerns, the military announced on Wednesday.

Four soldiers were killed and 11 wounded on the border with Gaza on Sunday by rockets fired from Rafah in southern Gaza as the militant Hamas group continued to launch weapons at Israel.

The area directly around the Gaza border was also closed to agriculture in the weeks after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war in Gaza, but slowly reopened as projectiles from Gaza decreased in frequency.

CIA DIRECTOR IN ISRAEL AS MEDIATORS PUSH FOR A CEASE-FIRE

A US official says that CIA Director William Burns is in Israel as international mediators push for a cease-fire.

The official said Burns arrived on Wednesday and was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations.

The official gave no details on the discussions. But Burns has been in the region meeting with Egyptian and Qatari officials in recent days. He had been scheduled to travel to Israel from Qatar earlier this week, but that meeting was postponed without explanation.

All three countries have been involved in months of talks aimed at halting the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas announced on Sunday that it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire plan. But Israel says the proposal does not meet its “core” demands.

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DOCUMENTS DEATHS OF 8 PALESTINIANS WHO POSED NO APPARENT THREAT

Human Rights Watch has documented the deaths of eight Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who it says were killed by Israeli forces while posing no apparent threat.

The investigation published Wednesday found that Israeli forces “unlawfully used lethal force” against Palestinians in the volatile territory, where violence has surged since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

RAFAH CROSSING IN GAZA REMAINS CLOSED AND UNDER ISRAELI MILITARY CONTROL

Gaza's vital Rafah crossing remained closed early Wednesday after an Israeli tank brigade seized it the day before. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area overnight, including two large blasts early Wednesday.

Rafah has been a vital conduit for humanitarian aid since the start of the war and is the only place where people can enter and exit. Israel now controls all of Gaza's border crossings for the first time since it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory nearly two decades ago.

US PAUSED BOMB SHIPMENT TO ISRAEL OVER RAFAH INVASION CONCERNS, OFFICIALS SAYS

The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, with the focus of US concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)