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Israel-Gaza live updates: VP Harris tells Netanyahu to 'get this deal done'

President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris met with Netanyahu on Thursday.

Last Updated: July 25, 2024, 6:05 PM EDT

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization are ongoing, and Israeli forces have launched an assault in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

6:05 PM EDT

Families of American hostages call Biden-Netanyahu meeting 'productive and honest'

The families of American hostages being held by Hamas said they had a "productive and honest" discussion with President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday afternoon.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, told reporters they came away "more optimistic" about the possibility of negotiators reaching a cease-fire and hostage release deal and said they "got absolute commitment from the Biden administration and from Prime Minister Netanyahu that they understand the urgency of this moment."

The families also brushed off concerns that Biden not seeking a second term could hurt the chances of a deal coming together.

"I actually think it allows the president to be laser focused on the things that are true priorities to him, and saving human beings, cherished human beings, 115 of them, eight of whom are U.S. citizens, is one paramount issue for him," Rachel Goldberg, the mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, said.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez and Molly Nagle

2:40 PM EDT

Body of hostage killed on Oct. 7 recovered

The body of Ravid Katz, a hostage killed on Oct. 7 and taken to Gaza, has been recovered, Kibbutz Nir Oz announced in a press release.

Katz, 51, was a father of three, including a baby girl, an educator and a "loving man who believed in peace," the release from his kibbutz said.

Ravid Katz, an Israeli hostage who was kidnapped in the deadly Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, is pictured in this undated handout photo.
The Hostages Families Forum via Reuters

Jul 24, 2024, 6:05 PM EDT

Bodies of 3 Israeli hostages killed on Oct. 7 recovered from Gaza: Officials

The bodies of three hostages have been recovered from Gaza during a military operation, according to local officials and kibbutzim.

Oren Goldin, a member of the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak's emergency squad, was taken hostage and killed on Oct. 7, the kibbutz said.

"For almost ten months we called and wished for the day when his body would be brought to Israel and we could bury him in the home he loved so much, Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak," the kibbutz said in a statement. "Oren left behind a large and loving family."

The body was Maya Goren was also recovered and brought back to Kibbutz Nir Oz on Wednesday, the kibbutz said. She was also kidnapped and killed on Oct. 7, the kibbutz said.

"Maya will return to the land of the kibbutz she loved and will be buried next to her husband Avner Goren, who was also murdered and abandoned on the Black Shabbat," the kibbutz said in a statement.

The body of Tomer Ahimas, who was killed at Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7, was also recovered on Wednesday, according to the Lehavim Local Council.

"Tomer, our beloved friend, son of the community, fell in a heroic battle in Kibbutz Nirim on October 7," Elad Erzi, the head of the council, said in a statement. "For over nine months his body was held captive by Hamas, and this evening he was rescued by the IDF."

The three hostages were previously confirmed dead by the Israeli government.

Jul 24, 2024, 5:51 PM EDT

Biden, Netanyahu to discuss cease-fire and hostage release deal, meet with families of hostages

President Joe Biden will discuss the latest efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and release of the remaining hostages during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, according to a senior administration official.

"We believe a deal is closable and it's time to move to close that," the official told reporters on a call Wednesday, adding that it's "in the closing stages."

The official said the issues that remain are "resolvable" and are not "unreachable problems," such as implementation and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for hostages.

There will be "more activity over the coming week" in terms of the president’s team to try and get this over the finish line, the official said.

This marks the first time Biden and Netanyahu will meet in person since the president's surprise visit to Israel shortly after the Oct. 7 attack.

The two will also discuss developments throughout the Middle East, including threats from Iran and Iranian proxy groups, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the official said.

In addition to the meeting, Biden and Netanyahu will meet together with the families of American hostages, the official said.

Vice President Kamala Harris will also have a separate meeting with Netanyahu, the official said.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Justin Gomez

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