Israel-Gaza updates: Blinken tells Israel onus is on Hamas to accept cease-fire

The 26-year-old was kidnapped from the Nova music festival.

ByNadine El-Bawab and Kevin Shalvey
Last Updated: June 1, 2024, 4:39 PM EDT

As the Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, negotiations are apparently stalled to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, and Israeli forces continue to launch incursions in the southern Gazan town of Rafah ahead of a possible large-scale invasion.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
May 30, 2024, 2:44 PM EDT

Hamas says they will agree to cease-fire deal when Israel agrees to stop war in Gaza

Hamas released a new statement about the proposed cease-fire deal, saying if Israel agreed to "stop its war and aggression" in Gaza, they would "reach a complete agreement that includes a comprehensive exchange deal," Hamas said in the statement.

"Today, we informed the mediators of our clear position that if the occupation stops its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, our readiness to reach a complete agreement that includes a comprehensive exchange deal," Hamas added.

Palestinians make their way as they inspect the damages after Israeli forces withdrew from a part of Jabalia refugee camp, following a raid, in the northern Gaza Strip, May 30, 2024.
Osama Abu Rabee/Reuters

Israel had said it submitted a cease-fire proposal to Hamas earlier this week and was awaiting the group's review of the deal. Israel officials then said that they expect the war in Gaza to last until the end of this year.

-ABC News' Diaa Ostaz

May 30, 2024, 2:44 PM EDT

Egyptian source denies Israeli claim of tunnels in the Philadelphi corridor

A high-level Egyptian source denied Israeli reports about the existence of tunnels on the Egyptian border with Gaza, Egyptian state-run Al-Qahera News said.

The source dismissed the reports as “lies” promoted by Israel to "cover up its military failure." It added that there were "no communications with the Israeli side" regarding the allegations.

U.N. cars drive down a road along the Philadelphi, or Salaheddin corridor, a narrow buffer zone along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Jan. 14, 2024.
Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images, FILE

There has been no official comment from Cairo since the announcement.

Egypt has over the past decade destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels along its eastern border with Gaza as part of its fight against Islamist militants in its border Sinai region.

Egyptian officials have said a potential Israeli takeover of Philadelphi, a largely demilitarized buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, could violate the 1979 peace deal between Egypt and Israel.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy

May 30, 2024, 12:24 PM EDT

Gaza pier built by US Army expected to be working again within a week

The damaged components of the U.S. pier built to funnel aid into Gaza are back at the Port of Ashdod undergoing repairs, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.

The system is expected to be back in operation on Gaza's coast within a week, the official said.

-ABC News' Matt Seyler

May 29, 2024, 4:58 PM EDT

2 Red Crescent paramedics killed in Israeli strike on ambulance

Two members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were killed in the bombing of an ambulance in Rafah as the Israel Defense Forces operation continues, according to the PRCS.

"The PRCS paramedics Haitham Tubasi and Suhail Hassouna were killed as a result of the Israeli occupation's direct bombing of a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance in the Tal Sultan area, west of Rafah, while they were performing their humanitarian duty," the PRCS said in a statement Wednesday.

The paramedics were heading to evacuate the wounded and martyrs in the Abu Al-Saeed roundabout area in Tal Al-Sultan, west of Rafah, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

-ABC News' WIll Gretsky

Related Topics