Israel-Gaza updates: Crossing closed to aid after rockets fired from Rafah: IDF

An Israeli official has told ABC News that Israel will not agree to end the war as part of any potential deal.

“Israel will under no circumstances agree to the end of the war as part of an agreement to release our abductees," an Israeli official told ABC News on Saturday morning.

"As the political echelon decided, the IDF will enter Rafah and destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there - whether or not there will be a temporary ceasefire for the release of our hostages."

The U.S. has ramped up diplomatic pressure on Qatar to expel Hamas leaders from the country in recent weeks, an official familiar with the matter told ABC News.

This development comes as Qatar and other intermediaries between the U.S. and Hamas have struggled to effectively negotiate with the group on a cease-fire agreement, repeatedly expressing confidence the group will accept certain terms that Hamas leaders later reject.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed in the days following the Oct. 7 attacks that the Middle East could not continue carrying out "business as usual" with Hamas.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

A Hamas delegation is returning to Egypt on Saturday to continue negotiations for a cease-fire with Israel.

The group released a statement stating leadership had a "positive spirit" in response to the cease-fire proposal that was offered.

"We are going to Cairo in the same spirit to reach an agreement," the group said in a statement.

"We in [the] Hamas movement and the Palestinian resistance forces are determined to mature the agreement, in a way that fulfills the demands of our people for a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced, relief for our people, the start of reconstruction, and the completion of a serious exchange deal."
-ABC News' Dia Ostaz

The U.S. will put $200 million toward addressing acute hunger in conflict zones around the world, including Gaza, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced Friday.

The money will go toward maximizing the procurement, production and distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a nutrient-filled, peanut-based paste that is particularly useful for addressing malnutrition in children under 5 years old, in places like Gaza, Sudan and Haiti, a USAID official told ABC News.

In Gaza, USAID partners are already distributing RUTF, and the agency plans to ship additional RUTF supplies into the enclave from Kenya via the maritime corridor soon, the official added.

Humanitarian groups and the United Nations have warned for weeks about the threat of a full-fledged famine in Gaza as the conflict continues.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford