Israel-Gaza updates: Nasser Hospital no longer 'functional,' WHO chief says

Israel Defense Forces turned the hospital into military barracks.

ByABC NEWS
Last Updated: February 19, 2024, 4:03 AM EST

More than four months since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.

The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel's founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.

Click here for updates from previous days.

Mar 1, 6:03 am

What we know about the conflict

The latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, has passed the four-month mark.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 30,228 people have been killed and 71,377 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

There has also been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have killed at least 395 people in the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ongoing war began after Hamas-led militants launched an unprecedented incursion into southern Israel from neighboring Gaza via land, sea and air. Scores of people were killed while more than 200 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. The Israeli military subsequently launched retaliatory airstrikes followed by a ground invasion of Gaza, a 140-square-mile territory where more than 2 million Palestinians have lived under a blockade imposed by Israel and supported by Egypt since Hamas came to power in 2007. Gaza, unlike Israel, has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters.

Feb 13, 2024, 12:41 PM EST

Kirby: Renewed hostage negotiations 'moving in the right direction'

National security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the renewed hostage negotiations have “been constructive” and are "moving in the right direction.”

Israeli women raise placards bearing messages and pictures of Israeli hostages as they protest outside the ministry of defence, in Tel Aviv, Feb. 1, 2024.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Officials from Israel, the U.S. and Qatar are in Egypt Tuesday for discussions.

-ABC News’ Noah Minnie

Feb 13, 2024, 9:17 AM EST

South Africa files 'urgent request' in UN's top court over Israel’s Rafah offensive

South Africa on Tuesday filed an "urgent request" with the United Nations' top court over Israel's military operations in the southern Gaza Strip.

The South African government said in a statement that it has asked the International Court of Justice to consider whether the Israeli military's decision to extend its operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where 1.2 million Palestinians have sought refuge after being displaced by the war, represents a "further imminent breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza."

The Hague-based court handed down a preliminary ruling last month in South Africa's ongoing case accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in neighboring Gaza amid its war with Hamas, the militant group that rules the coastal enclave. A panel of judges ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent the deaths of civilians.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Morgan Winsor

Feb 13, 2024, 8:13 AM EST

Israel sends delegation to Egypt for truce talks

A delegation from Israel is in Egypt on Tuesday for negotiations regarding the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli political source told ABC News.

Egyptian state-owned television channel Al-Qahera News reported that Israeli, Qatari and U.S. officials are meeting with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo on Tuesday to "discuss a truce in Gaza."

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been mediating talks between the warring sides.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy, Jordana Miller and Morgan Winsor

Feb 12, 2024, 4:25 PM EST

Gaza hostage talks may be hitting new snag: US officials

CIA Director Bill Burns will head to Egypt this week to try to move Hamas and Israel closer to a deal to free all hostages in Gaza for an extended pause and humanitarian aid, but two U.S officials said Burns may face a fresh challenge: So far, Israel hasn’t committed to sending representatives to the table.

If Israeli intelligence officials don’t attend the planned talks, a U.S. official said Burns would still press on, working with Egyptian and Qatari partners, even though it would mean none of the main players are directly represented at the meeting.

An Israeli military vehicle transports troops near the border with the Gaza Strip, Feb. 12, 2024, amid ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group.
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

The official also said that while American and Israeli officials are frequently engaged in high-level talks, the U.S. does not have a clear understanding of Israel’s red lines for a hostage deal.

After two hostages were rescued from Gaza overnight, the official said there could be more targeted rescue missions in the days to come. But, the official said the U.S. believes the vast majority of hostages can only be recovered through diplomacy.

Hagit Matzliah removes a kidnapped sign from the store where rescued hostage, Fernando Marman, worked in Ramat Hasharon on Feb. 12, 2024, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Amir Levy/Getty Images

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

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