Israel-Gaza updates: Netanyahu says Israel 'can't be flexible' on some issues

More cease-fire talks are set to take place in Cairo next week.

Last Updated: August 18, 2024, 5:09 PM EDT

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the U.S. military announced it is moving more forces to the Middle East.

The United States and its allies continue to plead for a cease-fire deal while Israel anticipates possible retaliatory action from Iran or Hezbollah following multiple assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in recent weeks.

Aug 14, 2024, 7:36 PM EDT

2 Hezbollah fighters killed, IDF and Hezbollah say

Israeli forces said they killed two Hezbollah members in Lebanon on Wednesday.

Hezbollah also confirmed the death of two of their fighters in statements released on Wednesday.

The IDF said an Israeli Air Force aircraft "eliminated two Hezbollah terrorists" in the area of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon.

-ABC News' Ghazi Balkiz

Aug 14, 2024, 5:28 PM EDT

Netanyahu gives negotiating team more flexibility: Israeli official

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expanded the mandate and positions of the Israeli negotiators, an Israeli official told ABC News, giving the team more flexibility ahead of the cease-fire talks in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.

The development comes as he faces growing criticism to reach a cease-fire deal.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Aug 14, 2024, 3:36 PM EDT

White House expects cease-fire talks to 'move forward as planned'

The White House expects Thursday's cease-fire negotiations in Doha, Qatar, to "move forward as planned" and said the announcement of Hamas not sending a delegation is just "public posturing" in advance of those discussions.

"We expect these talks to move forward as planned. [CIA] Director [Bill] Burns and Brett McGurk, [White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa], will both travel to Qatar for these discussions. There's always a lot of public posturing in advance. We've seen that before. It's not new of these talks, and I'm not going to certainly weigh in on any of that, just like I'm not going to discuss the details of the negotiation," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday.

Aug 14, 2024, 11:39 AM EDT

Israel closes humanitarian route through Rafah

Israeli forces "temporarily" closed the humanitarian route in the area of Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Tuesday, saying Hamas operatives "opened fire" toward the route.

This is the second time the IDF has closed this route in the past week.

The route is an 8-mile road going from the Kerem Shalom crossing, near Rafah, north near Khan Younis and the humanitarian zone.

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