Israel-Gaza updates: Blinken tells Israel onus is on Hamas to accept cease-fire
The 26-year-old was kidnapped from the Nova music festival.
As the Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, negotiations are apparently stalled to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, and Israeli forces continue to launch incursions in the southern Gazan town of Rafah ahead of a possible large-scale invasion.
Latest headlines:
Egypt, Israel to hold talks on Rafah crossing: Egyptian official
Egyptian and Israeli officials will hold talks in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the reopening the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, an Egyptian security official confirmed to ABC News.
The crossing has been closed since Israeli forces took control of the Gaza side during their offensive toward Rafah in May. Egyptian officials have said they will not reopen the crossing as long as Israel controls the Gaza side.
Egypt has, however, agreed to send aid trucks from its side of the border to be processed from the Israeli border checkpoint of Kerem Shalom.
-ABC News’ Ayat Al-Tawy
Israel says 'conditions for ending the war have not changed'
Although President Joe Biden on Friday outlined a multi-phase cease-fire proposal he said came from Israel, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Saturday that "Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas's military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel."
"Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent cease-fire is put in place," the statement said. "The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent cease-fire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter."
Biden said Friday that Israelis should feel comfortable with a cease-fire because Hamas’s capabilities have deteriorated and can no longer repeat the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
Hamas in a statement reiterated its requirements for a deal. Hamas said it "affirms its position of readiness to deal positively and constructively with any proposal based on a permanent cease-fire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of the displaced to all their places of residence, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal."
Congressional leaders formally invite Netanyahu to deliver joint address
The four leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate formally invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a joint address to Congress.
The letter sent on Friday by House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not provide a date with the address.
The congressional leaders asked Netanyahu to "share the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region."
"The existential challenges we face, including the growing partnership between Iran, Russia, and China, threaten the security, peace, and prosperity of our countries and of free people around the world," the letter read.
Netanyahu last addressed Congress in 2015.
-ABC News' John Parkinson
Israel 'united' in desire to return hostages, Netanyahu responds to Biden
Hours after President Joe Biden outlined a three-phase cease-fire deal to end the Israel-Hamas war and said it is time to bring the hostages home, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded, saying its government is "united in the desire to return abductees."
"The Israeli government is united in the desire to return our abductees as soon as possible and is working to achieve this goal," Netanyahu's office said in a statement Friday.
"The Prime Minister authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving this goal, while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities," Netanyahu's office added.
-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman
Egyptian source denies Israeli claim of tunnels in the Philadelphi corridor
A high-level Egyptian source denied Israeli reports about the existence of tunnels on the Egyptian border with Gaza, Egyptian state-run Al-Qahera News said.
The source dismissed the reports as “lies” promoted by Israel to "cover up its military failure." It added that there were "no communications with the Israeli side" regarding the allegations.
There has been no official comment from Cairo since the announcement.
Egypt has over the past decade destroyed hundreds of smuggling tunnels along its eastern border with Gaza as part of its fight against Islamist militants in its border Sinai region.
Egyptian officials have said a potential Israeli takeover of Philadelphi, a largely demilitarized buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, could violate the 1979 peace deal between Egypt and Israel.
-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy