(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization are ongoing, and Israeli forces have launched an assault in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Here is how the news is developing:
Jul 13, 2024, 7:31 AM EDT
Hamas military chief target of strike that killed 71 people
An Israeli official confirmed to ABC News that Mohammed Deif, chief of Hamas’ military wing, was the target of Saturday morning’s strike in Gaza that killed 71 people and injured a further 289.
There is no confirmation yet as to whether the strike killed Deif.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a slightly more vague statement saying Netanyahu had given directives to kill high-level Hamas operatives at the beginning of the war and would continue to receive updates throughout the day.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a permanent directive to eliminate senior Hamas officials at the beginning of the war. The Prime Minister was updated on all developments during the night and continues to receive regular updates,” the statement read. “During the day, the Prime Minister will hold a situation assessment with all the security and military officials to discuss the next developments and steps.”
Mohammed Deif has been the head of Hamas’ military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, for over two decades and has been wanted by Israel for years for organizing numerous terror attacks against Israel.
He is said to have been instrumental in the planning of the Oct. 7 attacks. Israel has tried to assassinate Deif on numerous occasions and his wife and two young children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2014.
Jul 13, 2024, 7:18 AM EDT
71 killed in strike on safe zone
At least 71 people have been killed and 289 have been injured in an Israeli strike on Saturday morning in Al Mawasi, west of the southern city of Khan Younis, according to a statement from the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
“The toll of the occupation’s horrific massacre against citizens and displaced people in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis Governorate a short while ago is more than 71 martyrs and 289 injuries, including serious cases that medical teams are still dealing with up to this moment,” the statement read.
The ministry also warned that Nasser Hospital has been so overwhelmed with injured patients that it cannot treat everyone. This area is designated as a safe area by the IDF.
Jul 12, 2024, 3:46 PM EDT
Unclear if JLOTS pier can be reattached to get final aid shipments into Gaza, Pentagon says
The U.S. military’s JLOTS pier is back in port in Ashdod, Israel, because it couldn’t be reattached to the beach in Gaza earlier this week, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.
It’s unclear if the pier can be reattached to get the final aid shipments from Cyprus into Gaza, Singh said.
“A re-anchoring date has not yet been set at this time,” she said.
The U.S. is considering alternatives for getting that aid into Gaza, including using Ashdod to receive the aid and then transferring it into Gaza via land routes, Singh said.
She called the JLOTS pier “a success” because it provided assistance into Gaza to people who needed it.
The pier “will soon cease operations,” according to the Pentagon.
“We always said this was a temporary operation. It was always going to have an end date,” Singh said.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Jul 12, 2024, 12:55 PM EDT
IDF says it found ‘Hamas combat compound’ and ‘war room’ in UNRWA headquarters
The Israel Defense Forces said its soldiers found a “Hamas combat compound” and a “war room” inside a Gaza headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Separately on Friday, U.N. delegates offered support for UNRWA ahead of a pledging conference for the agency.
“The support for UNRWA during this urgent and difficult time is of vital importance,” Jordan’s U.N. Ambassador Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud said Friday at the U.N. in New York. “This agency is the lifeline for Palestine refugees in all areas of operation for the agency, and there is no other agency or body related to the United Nations or humanitarian agencies that’s able to perform the functions that UNWRA is performing, especially with regard to education, health and providing for the living and in the areas of operation, including the occupied Palestinian territory.”
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Jul 11, 2:27 PM EDT
Israeli defense minister calls for ‘objective state commission of inquiry’
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is calling for the establishment of “an objective state commission of inquiry” to delve deeper into the conditions that led to the building of Hamas’ power and to the Oct. 7 attack.
Gallant said the commission should “check all of us. … to inspect me, inspect the prime minister, the [Israel Defense Forces] chief of staff and the [Israeli security service].”
Gallant’s request comes as the IDF released a report Thursday of its investigation into the Israel military’s failed response to the Oct. 7 massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri.
-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Ellie Kaufman
Jul 11, 1:22 PM EDT
‘Progress’ made in cease-fire talks, national security adviser says
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday “there is progress” in negotiations on a cease-fire and hostage deal, adding that discussions are “more positive” now than they were in the past.
“We see progress, we see the possibility of reaching an agreement,” he told reporters. “Obviously, can’t guarantee that, because there’s a lot of details to be hammered through. Our team is in the region as we speak, working through many of those details.”
He said President Joe Biden will have more to say later in the day.
“We think that the remaining issues can be resolved, should be resolved, and we’re going to keep driving until we actually get a deal,” Sullivan added.
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Jul 11, 12:11 PM EDT
JLOTS pier heading back to Israel, ‘will soon cease operations’
The U.S. military tried to reattach the temporary JLOTS pier to the Gaza coast Wednesday, but were thwarted by weather and other issues, according to a statement from Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
The pier is heading back to Ashdod, Israel, where it “will remain until further notice,” he said in a statement.
Ryder also said “the pier will soon cease operations, with more details on that process and timing available in the coming days.”
-ABC News’ Matthew Seyler
Jul 11, 12:01 PM EDT
IDF didn’t enter Kibbutz Be’eri for nearly 7 hours, report finds
The Israel Defense Forces released its report Thursday of its investigation into the IDF’s failed response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri.
Over 100 people were killed at Kibbutz Be’eri and many were taken hostage.
The IDF admitted that its troops didn’t enter the kibbutz for nearly seven hours following the attack.
Hamas terrorists invaded the kibbutz around 6:30 or 6:45 a.m. and had control of the kibbutz from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, the IDF said. The IDF said its forces stayed at the gate until 1:30 p.m. Only at 1:30 p.m. did the Israeli military intervene, the IDF said.
The IDF said there were “several instances where security forces gathered at the entrance to the kibbutz without immediately engaging in combat.”
Before the IDF arrived, civilians in the kibbutz responded to the attack on their own.
The IDF said “after fully exhausting negotiation efforts” with Hamas terrorists who were holding hostages at house in the kibbutz, its forces fired at the house. The IDF said no civilians were injured when the Israeli forces fired on the house, “except for an isolated incident outside the building where two civilians were injured by shrapnel.”
The IDF admitted to making severe mistakes and said it “failed to protect” the residents.
In the wake of the report, Israeli Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi told officers that “we must all learn from the heroism of the people of Be’eri, the civilian rapid response team, and other civilians who defended their families and the kibbutz members.”
-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Ellie Kaufman
Jul 11, 2024, 9:38 AM EDT
Survivors of Kibbutz Be’eri massacre hear results of IDF investigation
The survivors of Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri heard for the first time Thursday the results of an Israel Defense Forces investigation into the failed response to the attack. Over 100 people were killed at Kibbutz Be’eri and many were taken hostage.
Jul 10, 2024, 6:00 PM EDT
Biden administration releases bombs that were put on hold for Israel
The Biden administration lifted the suspension on 500-pound bombs for Israel that had been in place since May, when the administration placed a hold on at total of 3,500 U.S.-made bombs that it feared might be used in Rafah.
The administration announced at the time that 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs would not be delivered because of their potential use in civilian areas.
The hold on the 2,000-pound bombs will continue, a U.S. official told ABC News on Wednesday.
The official said the use of the larger bombs was the main concern because they’re sometimes “co-mingled” with other munitions.
“Because our concern was not about the 500-[pound] bombs, those are moving forward as part of the usual process,” the official said.
Jul 10, 12:04 PM EDT
Hezbollah leader says Hezbollah will also cease fire if deal is reached
As attacks intensify along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that if a cease-fire agreement is reached, “our front will cease fire without discussion.”
Jul 10, 11:36 AM EDT
Israeli delegation heads to Qatar for cease-fire talks
An Israeli delegation is headed to Doha, Qatar, to continue cease-fire talks, an Israeli official told ABC News.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for the Middle East Brett McGurk on Wednesday, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.
In the meeting, Netanyahu “emphasized his commitment to the deal as long as Israel’s red lines are preserved,” Netanyahu’s office said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Ellie Kaufman
Jul 10, 11:25 AM EDT
52 killed in Gaza in 24 hours
In the last 24 hours, 52 people have been killed in Gaza and another 208 people have been injured, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.
The Israel Defense Forces said over the last day its forces have killed terrorists in areas in southern Gaza, central Gaza and northern Gaza.
The IDF said one of the counterterrorism operations overnight targeted “terrorists who were operating inside UNRWA’s Headquarters.”
“After a defined corridor was opened to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from the area, IDF troops conducted a targeted raid on the structure, eliminated terrorists in close-quarters combat, and located large amounts of weapons,” the IDF said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Jul 10, 2024, 9:28 AM EDT
Israel strikes Syrian military infrastructure, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces struck Syrian military infrastructure on Wednesday, the military said.
“A short while ago, IDF tanks and artillery struck military infrastructure that was used by the Syrian military, which violated the Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria (1974) in the buffer zone,” IDF said on messaging app Telegram.
Israel added that it held the Syrian military “responsible.”
“The IDF holds the Syrian military responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the IDF said.
Jul 09, 2024, 4:54 PM EDT
19 people killed in Israeli airstrike on school, Palestinian officials say
At least 19 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza, the apparent fourth time it has done so within the last four days.
The Israel Defense Forces said they were targeting Hamas and other militants in all of the strikes and the IDF is looking into Tuesday’s strike. Dozens of people were reported killed in the strikes -– including women and children.
One child told ABC News he lost his father, cousin and two uncles in Tuesday’s strike. He broke down as he described what happened, saying was the only survivor.
The U.N.’s Human Rights Office said this week they were “appalled” to see a new round of evacuation orders issued throughout the strip, including to “where IDF military operations are ongoing and where civilians continue to be killed and injured.” The U.N. said nowhere is safe in Gaza.
-ABC News’ Matt Rivers, Victoria Beaule and Guy Davies
Jul 09, 2024, 3:09 PM EDT
50 killed in Gaza City amid IDF operations
Amid ongoing Israel Defense Forces’ operations in Gaza City, 50 people were killed and another 130 were injured in the last 24 hours, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
Israeli forces continue to operate in Gaza City, specifically in the Shejaiya neighborhood, the IDF confirmed in two separate releases issued Tuesday.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Diaa Ostaz
Jul 09, 2024, 3:07 PM EDT
UN experts declare famine has spread throughout Gaza Strip
United Nations experts have declared that a famine has spread throughout the Gaza Strip.
Of Gaza’s 36 hospitals, only 13 are “partially functioning,” the UN World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said Tuesday.
In northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital alone, 60 cases of severe acute malnutrition were detected last week, according to the U.N. World Health Organization.
“Fayez Ataya, who was barely six months old, died on 30 May 2024 and 13-year-old Abdulqader Al-Serhi died on 1 June 2024 at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. Nine-year-old Ahmad Abu Reida died on 3 June 2024 in the tent sheltering his displaced family in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis. All three children died from malnutrition and lack of access to adequate healthcare,” U.N. experts said.
“With the death of these children from starvation despite medical treatment in central Gaza, there is no doubt that famine has spread from northern Gaza into central and southern Gaza,” U.N. experts said.
-ABC News’ Emmanuelle Saliba and Camilla Alcini
Jul 08, 2024, 7:50 PM EDT
More flexibility from Hamas in cease-fire and hostage talks: US officials
With CIA Director Bill Burns and White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk working to advance a cease-fire and hostage release deal in the Middle East, two U.S. officials familiar with the negotiations said they see more flexibility from Hamas than they did previously.
The officials assessed this is coming from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar; however, they stopped short of saying they felt a breakthrough was in the offing.
The officials also said they believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still committed to achieving a deal.
The American delegation headed by Burns arrived in Cairo earlier Monday to continue Gaza cease-fire talks, Egyptian state TV reported.
Jul 08, 2024, 6:30 PM EDT
Latest Gaza evacuation order will affect life-saving care: WHO
A new evacuation order in Gaza will “further impede delivery of very limited life-saving care,” the World Health Organization said Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces issued an evacuation order in Gaza City on Monday, telling people to go to designated safe zones.
Al-Ahli and Patients’ Friendly hospitals are now “out of service,” with some patients referred to hospitals that are experiencing shortages of beds and medical supplies, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Multiple health care centers are also located within the evacuation zone, while three hospitals are close by, he said.
“These key hospitals and medical facilities could quickly become non-functional due to hostilities in their vicinity or obstruction to access,” he said in a statement.
The IDF said Monday it launched a “counterterrorism operation in Gaza City targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad infrastructure.”
“Civilians were warned and a route was opened for their safe evacuation,” the IDF said.
Jul 08, 2024, 1:34 PM EDT
Israel says it’s killed another Hezbollah leader in Lebanon
Israeli forces claimed Monday they have killed another Hezbollah leader in southern Lebanon.
An Israel Defense Forces aircraft “struck and eliminated the Hezbollah terrorist Mustafa Hassan Salman in the area of Qlaileh,” the military said in a statement.
The IDF accused Salman of participating in the “planning and execution of numerous terror attacks” against Israel.
Last week, the IDF said it assassinated Muhammad Ni’Mah Nasser, one of the most senior Hezbollah commanders killed since the group began firing at Israel in solidarity with Gaza on Oct. 8.
Attacks between Israel and Hezbollah forces continued Monday.
Jul 08, 2024, 1:19 PM EDT
Hostages and Missing Families Forum asks Netanyahu to delay US trip
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay his trip to the United States at the end of the month and stay in Israel to “prioritize finalizing a hostage release deal.”
Netanyahu is currently scheduled to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on July 24.
“For 9 months, 120 innocent men, women, children, and elderly have been held captive in Gaza by Hamas,” the Hostages Families Forum said in a statement on Monday. “These hostages endure unimaginable horrors daily. Every moment in captivity is a risk to their lives and well-being.”
Jul 08, 2024, 12:31 PM EDT
Israeli forces attacking in Khan Younis, Gaza City and Rafah
Israeli forces have been attacking in Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday.
Over the past day in Rafah, Israeli troops “operated to eliminate more than 30 terrorists who posed a threat to IDF troops,” IDF said in a statement.
Jul 07, 2024, 5:07 PM EDT
American hurt by Hezbollah rocket fire: US Embassy
A U.S. citizen was injured Sunday by one of multiple rockets fired into Israel from Lebanon by the terrorist group Hezbollah, according to the U.S. embassy in Israel.
Embassy officials said they received information regarding the injured private U.S. citizen. The embassy confirmed the individual does not work for the U.S. government.
The embassy was working to gather more information on the injured person, officials said.
Further details about the incident were not immediately disclosed.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Jul 06, 2024, 6:26 PM EDT
IDF gives more details on strike on school
Israel Defense Forces released details about a strike on a school in Nuseirat refugee camp that Gaza officials said killed 16 and wounded at least 50.
The IDF claimed its intelligence found that the site allegedly “served as a hideout and operational infrastructure from which attacks against IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip were directed and carried out.”
“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken in order to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise aerial surveillance and additional intelligence,” the IDF said without disclosing what steps were taken.
-ABC News’ Dorit Long
Jul 06, 2024, 4:19 PM EDT
IDF admits it’ll be fighting Hamas insurgency in Gaza for 5 years
Israel is planning for a long insurgency against Hamas, saying it expects Hamas to still exist in five years, but it said the group is no longer capable of perpetrating an Oct. 7-style attack.
“Will you and me be talking five years from now about Hamas as a terror organization in Gaza? The answer is yes,” Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari told ABC News.
Hagari is the first Israeli official to publicly admit that the insurgency will be long and difficult, in stark contrast to the bombast of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who continues to vow the quick destruction of Hamas.
Gaza, and even to some degree Hezbollah, are “perpetual wars” distracting Israel from what he called their main enemy, Iran, a senior Israeli official told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Matt Gutman
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