Israel-Gaza updates: Protest erupts in Tel Aviv over cease-fire, hostage deal

Speaking to the press after leaving church on Saturday, President Joe Biden said his staff has been in contact with the Israelis since bodies were discovered in Gaza.

"They're not sure the exact number," Biden said.
"There’s a lot of speculation to who they are, the names. I'm not at liberty to do that at this moment until the families are notified," Biden said.

The president said he is "still optimistic" about a hostage and cease-fire deal.

"Our people are continuing to meet, and we think we can close the deal. They've all said they agree on the canons. So, keep your fingers crossed," he added.

"It is time this war ended. We should end this war. I think we are on the verge of having an agreement and [it's] just time to end it. Time to finish it," Biden said.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

The Israeli Defense Forces said they have recovered several bodies from Gaza and are currently taking them back to Israel. They have not yet identified the bodies.

Power has gone out at the government hospital in Jenin, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Emergency cases are being urgently evacuated from the hospital to the Al-Razi hospital.

Doctors Without Borders said it is alarmed by the scale of Israel's incursion in the West Bank, saying Israel is obstructing access to health facilities.

The Doctors Without Borders-supported hospital in Jenin has been surrounded by Israeli forces for four days and teams have been forced to stop dialysis treatment.

The Israel Defense Forces said it is continuing operations in Jenin in the West Bank, saying they are targeting militants with the goal of preventing future terrorist attacks.

Doctors Without Borders also detailed an incident in which Israeli forces allegedly beat and interrogated one of their volunteers.

"Israel must adhere to its obligations as an occupying power in the West Bank, including ensuring access to medical care. Instead, forces have obstructed access to health facilities and blocked—and even targeted—ambulances, delaying people’s access to medical services," Doctors Without Borders said in a statement.

One of the world's most challenging vaccination campaigns is now underway as UNICEF and the World Health Organization lead the effort to vaccinate 640,000 of Gaza's children against polio.

Gaza historically had a very high rate of vaccination against polio, but this has slipped since the start of the war, due to the difficulties accessing basic medical care amidst the destruction of medical infrastructure and displacement of families. Polio primarily affects children under 5, and has no cure or treatment.

Gaza has an extremely young population, with a little over a million children under 18 -- 47% of total population. The Palestinian bureau of statistics estimates there are 341,790 children under 5, which includes over 20,000 babies born between Oct. 7, 2023 and April 2024. All those children urgently require protection against the devastating polio virus.

The pauses will last 8 hours each day. The WHO said in a press briefing that Israel has agreed to extend the pauses by one day in each area if the campaign does not reach the 90% vaccination threshold in time.