Israel-Gaza updates: IDF to begin daily 'tactical pause' along Gaza aid route
Military action will be paused on the route from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Israel said.
As the Israel-Hamas war continues, 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:
- Biden cites pain of Muslims in Gaza in Eid al-Adha holiday statement
- IDF to begin daily 'tactical pause' along Gaza aid route
- Netanyahu reacts to death of 8 soldiers, says Israel is ready for additional challenges
- 50,000 children require malnutrition treatment in Gaza: UN
- 8 IDF soldiers killed in southern Gaza 'incident'
State Department 'disappointed' by Hamas' 'continued haggling and delay'
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller on Thursday shed little light on the next steps for negotiations toward a cease-fire deal, but dismissed the idea that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s and other Israeli officials’ lack of public enthusiasm for the proposal soured the chances that Hamas would accept it.
"I personally doubt that comments, or lack of comments, from the Israeli government had anything to do with the Hamas response," he said. "We were disappointed both that it took so long to get a response and that the response had a number of changes that could drag the negotiations out further."
Miller was also reticent to discuss remaining sticking points, but on multiple occasions, he dismissed the idea that Hamas should need assurances for a lasting peace, emphasizing that if the proposal were enacted, the cease-fire prescribed under phase one of the deal would last as long as negotiations did.
"At least we would have had a cease-fire. We would have had a halt to the suffering," Miller said. "Hamas didn't do that. Instead, they dragged it out for 12 days, and now there will be continued haggling and delay."
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Biden says 'I haven't lost hope' on reaching cease-fire deal
President Joe Biden said the G7 leaders discussed the Gaza cease-fire and hostage proposal on Thursday.
When asked if he was confident a deal would be reached soon, Biden said, "No." He added, "I haven't lost hope -- but it's going to be tough.”
"Hamas has to move," Biden said.
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Israel won’t send delegation for further talks on deal: Israeli source
Israel will not send a delegation for further talks on a cease-fire deal, an Israeli source confirms to ABC News.
The U.S., Egypt and Qatar are still trying to pressure Hamas to return to the outline of a cease-fire deal presented by President Joe Biden.
Hamas in a statement Thursday said they have "demonstrated, in all stages of negotiations to stop the aggression, the required positivity to reach a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement, based on the fair demands of our people for a definitive cessation of aggression, a complete withdrawal [of IDF forces] from the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced, the reconstruction and a serious prisoner exchange deal."
WHO, UN warn of 'famine-like conditions' amid rising malnutrition in Gaza
A "significant portion" of people living in the Gaza Strip are "now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions," the head of the World Health Organization said, as neighboring Israel continues to restrict supplies of food and other basic necessities to the war-torn enclave.
"Despite reports of increased delivery of food, there is currently no evidence that those who need it most are receiving sufficient quantity and quality of food," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing Wednesday.
More than 8,000 children under the age of 5 in Gaza have been diagnosed and treated for acute malnutrition, including 1,600 with severe acute malnutrition. But only two stabilization centers for severely malnourished patients can currently operate in Gaza due to insecurity and lack of access, according to Tedros.
At least 32 deaths in Gaza since the war with Israel began on Oct. 7 have been attributed to malnutrition, including 28 among children under 5 years old, Tedros said.
More than 1 million people in Gaza -- half of the territory's population -- are "expected to face death and starvation by the middle of July," according to the most senior official dedicated to humanitarian affairs at the United Nations.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Israeli special forces dressed as Palestinian refugees to go undercover before hostage rescue operation: Sources
Israeli special forces were disguised as Palestinian refugees looking for a place to live when they entered the buildings where hostages were being held in the Israeli rescue operation this weekend, two Israeli security sources told ABC News.
Special forces were already in position near the buildings where the hostages were being held before they were given the "go" command by Israeli forces, the sources added.
The "go" command was given at 11 a.m. local time, sources said.
The helicopters carrying the hostages and wounded police officers landed at Sheba Medical Center in Israel starting at 12:15 p.m. local time and the last helicopter landed at 12:45 p.m. local time.
The Shin Bet, Israel's internal security forces, Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli SWAT team members participated in the rescue operation, now called "Operation Arnon" by the Israeli military. The name of the operation was given to honor the one security officer who was killed during the operation.
- ABC News’ Dana Savir