Israel-Gaza live updates: Syrian scientific center targeted in airstrikes

(SEOUL) — South Korea’s military said Tuesday it detected explosions on two cross-border roads connecting the country to North Korea, amid a significant recent deterioration in inter-Korean relations.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that North Korean forces detonated explosives on the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line, “presumably to block connection roads.”

North Korean forces also deployed “heavy equipment” for “further operations,” the JCS said.

There was no damage to South Korean forces, it added.

“Our military has fired warning shots in areas south of the Military Demarcation Line,” the JCS statement said.

“The military is closely monitoring North Korean activities and has reinforced surveillance and alert posture in cooperation with the U.S., maintaining a state of full readiness,” the JCS said.

Seoul warned on Monday that Pyongyang appeared to be preparing to destroy the roadways.

“The North Korean military has been carrying out activities assumed to be linked to explosions on the roads along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines,” JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said.

“If North Korea undertakes a provocation, we will strongly retaliate in terms of our right to self defense,” he added.

The North Korean military said last week that it would permanently seal off its border with its southern neighbor, cutting rail and road connections and reinforcing defensive fortifications.

The Gyeongui line connects the western South Korean city of Paju to North Korea’s city of Kaesong, while the Donghae line runs along the east coast. North Korea has spent months laying mines, removing lights and dismantling buildings along the two routes, Seoul said.

Pyongyang said it communicated its intentions to U.S. forces in South Korea to “prevent any misjudgment and accidental conflict over the fortification project.”

Tuesday’s explosions followed almost a year of rising cross-border tensions, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un having declared the two nations as “hostile states” in December 2023.

North Korea has sent thousands of “trash balloons” into South Korea since May, according to tallies released by the JCS.

South Korean civic groups also send balloons into North Korean territory, often carrying rice, essential medicine and leaflets critical of the regime in Pyongyang. North Korea has repeatedly protested such action and threatened a response.

Last week, North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang and ordered eight artillery brigades to be ready to open fire across the border, according to state media.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry warned that Pyongyang will see “the end of its regime” if it causes any harm to South Koreans.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the latest round of cease-fire discussions appears to have reached an impasse.

Meanwhile, after six hostages were found dead in Gaza, protests erupted in Israel. Protesters have demanded its government bring the hostages home.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Hamas says no deal if the IDF doesn’t withdraw as negotiations appear stuck

Hamas said it would not agree to a cease-fire agreement with Israel that doesn’t include a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphia axis and the Rafah crossing, as negotiations appear to be at a standstill.

Hamas is also demanding the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel for hostages.

“We do not need any new papers or proposals from any party. We refuse to return to point zero or go around in a vicious circle, in order to achieve Netanyahu’s goals,” the Hamas Political Bureau said in a statement Thursday.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta

Official pushes back on claim US is too optimistic on deal

The National Security Council is pushing back on claims the U.S. is being to optimistic about a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, stressing that it is “actively engaging counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, Israel, to see what we can do to try to move this forward,” spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday.

Kirby said 90% of a deal has been agreed to.

“You call that optimistic. I call that accurate. That’s how close we believe we are. That’s where we have gotten to. The basic framework of the deal has been agreed to,” Kirby said.

“What we’re talking about now is the implementing details, and specifically the exchange of prisoners. And now that calculus is different because of what happened over the weekend,” he said, referring to the death of six hostages in Gaza.

Kirby acknowledged that the administration is “frustrated that we still haven’t been able to conclude this deal.”

“We believe that these differences can be resolved. What the next step looks like in terms of resolving them? I think we just don’t know right now,” Kirby said.

“We want to see the hostages home as soon as possible. But I would also say that as frustrating as it has been at times and as unhelpful as not just public comments, but even private machinations in the negotiation process have been to closure of the deal, it has not dimmed one bit President Biden’s commitment to trying to see this through,” he said.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Israeli strikes hit humanitarian area in Gaza killing 5

Five people were killed after Israeli strikes hit a location “in the humanitarian area in Deir al-Balah,” near the Al-Aqsa hospital, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health and Israeli Defense Forces.

Israeli forces were conducting a “targeted strike on terrorists who operated in a Command and Control Center,” used by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad there, the IDF said in the release.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Sami Zyara

6 killed after Israeli operation in West Bank

Six people were killed in the Tubas and Far’a neighborhoods in the West Bank after an Israeli operation was carried out overnight, the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian Ministry of Health said in statements Thursday.

The IDF called the operation in Tubas and Far’a a “counterterrorism operation.”

Since the IDF operation began last week, 39 people have been killed and about 145 people have been injured in the West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the government must “remain focused” on the “resurgence of terrorism in the West Bank,” in remarks Thursday.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Nasser Atta

Next phase of polio vaccination campaign begins

The polio vaccination campaign in Gaza is making “great progress,” according to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

The World Health Organization said the next phase of the campaign begins Thursday in southern Gaza targeting an estimated 340,000 children under 10.

West Bank death toll nears 700 since Oct. 7, health ministry says

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that at least 39 people have been killed and 145 injured in the West Bank over the past week, amid Israel’s major — and still unfolding — operation there.

Those casualties bring the total number of deaths in the West Bank since Oct. 7 to at least 691, with an estimated 5,700 injured.

Israel minister vows ‘heavy price’ for Hamas amid cease-fire push

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called on his compatriots to “remain strong and united” as anti-government and cease-fire protests roil the nation.

“Anyone who cold-bloodedly murders six hostages is not seeking a deal,” Katz said, referring to Hamas.

“Hamas must pay a heavy price for this horrific crime — Israel will respond with full force,” Katz added.

Katz’s tweet appeared to reference an Axios article published Wednesday suggesting growing White House doubt that Hamas wants to secure a deal, following the recent killing of six Gaza hostages — including American-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Hamas says Netanyahu wants to ‘thwart’ deal

Hamas again accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging cease-fire and hostage release negotiations.

“We do not need new proposals. What is required now is to pressure Netanyahu and his government and oblige them to what has been agreed upon,” the group said on its official Telegram channel on Wednesday night.

“We warn against falling into Netanyahu’s trap and tricks, as he uses negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people,” the group said.

Netanyahu’s insistence on retaining military control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt frontier has been cited by Hamas — and on Wednesday by a U.S. official — as a key obstacle to any deal.

The prime minister’s decision to keep Israeli forces there “aims to thwart reaching an agreement,” the group wrote.

Netanyahu has blamed Hamas for the failure to reach an agreement, citing its recent killing of six hostages in Gaza as proof that the group does not intend to reach an accord.

Prisoner exchange, Philadelphi corridor sticking points in cease-fire deal: US official

There are two areas of dispute regarding hostage release and cease-fire negotiations — the prisoner exchange and withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi corridor — according to a U.S. senior administration official.

The official told reporters Wednesday that “90% of this deal has been agreed to,” while also pushing back on the suggestion that the Philadelphi corridor is the only remaining sticking point, noting that the prisoner exchange was the focus for most of last week’s discussions.

The official called the negotiations with Hamas on the prisoner exchange “pretty frustrating,” and said that “until that is worked out, you’re not going to have a deal.”

The official noted that negotiations have been taking place off a list of hostages — a list that is now smaller after the killing of six hostages over the weekend.

“You know, it’s horrific. And Hamas is threatening to execute more hostages,” the official said. “We all know who we’re dealing with. We’re dealing with a terrorist group.”

“For each hostage, there’s a certain number of Palestinian prisoners that will come out. So, you just have fewer hostages as part of the deal in phase one. It’s tragic and awful, and you know, it’s affecting all of us,” the official added.

Nearly 100 projectiles launched toward northern Israel from Lebanon: IDF

Approximately 95 projectiles were launched toward northern Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

There were several fires from the projectile launches in northern Israel, but no injuries were reported, the IDF said.

Hezbollah confirmed in several statements various attacks on northern Israel on Wednesday.

Israeli forces struck targets in southern Lebanon in response, the IDF said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Ghazi Balkiz

Netanyahu defends keeping troops in Philadelphi corridor

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his position that Israeli forces cannot leave the Philadelphi corridor and still achieve Israel’s goals of the war in Gaza during a press conference in Jerusalem Wednesday.

“I’m telling you that if we relieve the pressure, if we get out of the Philadelphi corridor, we are not going to get the hostages back,” Netanyahu said.

The Philadelphi corridor — a narrow strip of land on the Gaza side of the Gaza-Egypt border — has been one of the main sticking points in reaching a hostage and cease-fire deal.

Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel needs to control the corridor to release the remaining hostages in Gaza.

“I’m committed to returning the remaining 101 [hostages]. I’ll do everything to get them, but leaving Philadelphi does not advance the release of the hostages, because the deal cannot be advanced,” he said.

-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman

Israel hits southern Lebanon after dozens of rockets fired, IDF says

Around 65 projectiles were fired into Israel from Lebanon on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said, with air raid sirens sounding and air defense units active in border areas.

“The IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted some of the projectiles, and some fell in open areas,” the force said.

“A number of fires were ignited by fallen projectiles,” it added, noting that emergency services were responding.

The IDF said it was “currently striking Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon.”

Hamas threatens Netanyahu with more hostage deaths

Hamas has issued a new threat tying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s premiership to the fate of the surviving Gaza hostages.

“Aggression stops = prisoners return alive,” a Wednesday morning post on the group’s official Telegram channel said. “Aggression continues = prisoners’ fate unknown.”

“Every day that Netanyahu continues to rule may mean a new coffin,” the post — which was written in English, Arabic and Hebrew — continued. “The decision is yours.”

Hamas and Netanyahu have blamed each other for the failure to reach a cease-fire deal. Hamas said Netanyahu’s demands are “aimed at obstructing reaching an agreement to preserve his power.”

Netanyahu, for his part, said this weekend of the militant group: “Whoever murders hostages — does not want a deal.”

There are 101 hostages still inside Gaza, around half of whom are believed to still be alive.

187,000 Gaza children receive polio vaccine, WHO says

More than 187,000 children in central Gaza have received polio vaccines since Sunday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Wednesday that the “first phase of polio vaccination in central Gaza is complete,” with more than 187,000 children under the age of 10 vaccinated.

That is higher than the target number of 156,500, Ghebreyesus said.

“Four fixed sites will continue to offer polio vaccination for the next three days in central Gaza to ensure no child is missed,” the WHO chief added.

Preparations are underway to expand the vaccine roll out campaign into southern Gaza, Ghebreyesus said. Vaccinations there are expected to begin on Thursday.

Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies hope to vaccinate 640,000 children.

Israel agreed to partial pauses in the fighting in Gaza to facilitate the polio vaccination campaign, saying the drive will continue through Sept. 9 and last eight hours a day.

“We ask for the humanitarian pauses to continue to be respected,” Ghebreyesus wrote. “We continue to call for a cease-fire.”

Protesters plan gathering at Netanyahu ally’s home

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum will again lead cease-fire and hostage release demonstrations across Israel on Wednesday, according to a schedule posted to social media.

“The public is called to join and come together with the families of the abductees to the houses of the ministers and coalition members and hold demonstrations and protest vigils demanding that they exercise their authority to bring about a deal now,” the Forum wrote on X.

Among the gatherings will be one outside the Jerusalem home of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer — a former member of the dissolved war cabinet and long considered a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Activists plan to protest at the homes of eight other government ministers and three members of parliament, the Forum said.

Far-right minister ‘working to stop’ cease-fire talks

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he is “working to stop the negotiations with Hamas,” as talks over a cease-fire and hostage release deal continue under massive public and international pressure.

Ben-Gvir — one of the most vocally hawkish members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government — wrote on X that Israel should end negotiations and cut fuel and electricity to Gaza in response to Hamas’ recent killing of six hostages in the southern strip.

“Continuing the negotiations only spurs them to produce more and more terror,” including in the West Bank, Ben-Gvir said.

Ben-Gvir is a longstanding proponent of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He has called on the government to “encourage” Israelis to settle in Gaza while suggesting “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from the territory.

Ben-Gvir was convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terror organization in 2008, related to an anti-Arab placard he displayed at a protest following a Palestinian terrorist attack in Jerusalem. Signs referring to the far-right Kach movement — a Jewish group banned as a terror organization — were also found in his car.

Emhoff says parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin told him, Harris they don’t want son’s death to ‘be in vain’

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff said Tuesday night that the parents of Oct. 7 hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who the Israeli military found had been killed last week, do not want their son’s “death to be in vain.”

Emhoff opened up about the recent conversation he and his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, had with the couple after learning of the death of their son.

Speaking at a vigil hosted at the Adas Israel Congregation synagogue in Washington, D.C., which was organized to honor the memory of the six Israeli hostages found killed by Hamas in Gaza, Emhoff said Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin remained committed to seeing the remaining hostages released.

“And yet, with this unspeakable tragedy that they were going through … they were comforting us, but also asking about the latest in the negotiations,” Emhoff told those gathered at the vigil about the call with the grieving couple, which occurred last week. “They were asking how we can use this terrible moment to make progress on the deal. And they told the vice president, in no uncertain terms, they do not want Hersh’s death to be in vain. And they spoke with such grace, such compassion, such strength. And even though part of Rachel and Jon’s world had just ended, they were somehow still looking forward and looking out for others.”

DOJ charges senior Hamas leaders over involvement in Americans’ deaths in Oct. 7 attack

The Justice Department unsealed charges Tuesday targeting multiple senior members of Hamas’ leadership for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murdering of Americans during the Oct. 7 attack.

The criminal complaint, unsealed in the Southern District of New York, names six members of Hamas’ leadership structure and details extensively their terrorist activities on behalf of the group.

White House says Israel originally agreed to remove IDF from areas of Philadelphi corridor

The White House is pushing back on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance of keeping Israeli troops along the Philadelphi corridor — a narrow strip of land on the Gaza side of the Gaza-Egypt border — saying the prime minister originally agreed to removing troops in the Israel-approved framework that was announced in May.

“I’m not going to get into a debate with the prime minister and what he said over the weekend about the Philadelphi corridor,” White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said. “The deal itself, the proposal, including the bridging proposal that we started working with … included the removal of Israeli Defense Forces from all densely populated areas, and that includes those areas along that corridor. That’s the proposal that Israel had agreed to.”

Kirby acknowledged Israel’s belief that they need “some security” along the corridor, but Kirby did not give the U.S. position on whether the administration supports the IDF remaining in less dense areas along the border.

“The proposal says that they have to remove themselves to the east from densely populated areas — and that core essential element of the proposal has not changed,” Kirby said. “But the Israelis have said publicly that they believe that … they would need some security along that corridor.”

-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez

Gantz: Netanyahu is holding up a deal

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, claiming he is holding up a cease-fire and hostage deal.

Gantz said that on Monday, Netanyahu in his speech “did not look directly at the public and told the truth: That he will not bring the kidnapped alive, that he will not truly protect the southern bracket, that he will not return the residents of the north to their homes, that he will not deny Iran nuclear weapons.”

“This did not surprise me, because during the period that we sat in the War Cabinet, Netanyahu delayed the ability to move forward with the abducted deals serially, including in the first outline,” Gantz said. “This does not surprise me because already at the beginning of the war, when we asked to extend the military pressure to Khan Yunis and then to Rafah, Netanyahu hesitated and stopped.”

“The time has come to say yes and move forward: we need to bring a deal – either in stages or in one stage,” Gantz said.

Netanyahu in response laid out the Israeli military’s recent successes.

“Since Gantz and his party resigned from the government, Israel has eliminated the Hamas Chief of Staff and the Hezbollah Chief of Staff, attacked the Houthis, captured the Philadelphia axis – Hamas’s armament pipeline – and carried out a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah that thwarted its malicious plan and destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the Galilee,” Netanyahu said. “Whoever does not contribute to the victory and the return of our hostages, it is better not to interfere.”

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
 

Thousands gather for new protest in Tel Aviv

Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv Tuesday for a new protest organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

The event was led by the younger members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum who are calling for a deal to bring all of the hostages home, the organization said.

43 killed in Israeli operation in Gaza

Forty-three people have been killed from ongoing operations in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

Israeli forces said its soldiers “struck a compound where Hamas terrorists were operating” and killed eight Hamas members. The strike was near the Al-Ahli hospital compound but wasn’t within the hospital premises, the IDF said.

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” the IDF said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Sami Zayara and Jordana Miller

Kirby hedges on ‘final proposal’ reports, says Biden is personally still working on deal

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby hedged on reports that the U.S. is putting forward a “final proposal” when it comes to hostage negotiations, saying the administration — including President Joe Biden – is still working to get a deal.

Kirby refused to give any details about the current proposal, or how it might differ from previous offers put forward, but he stressed that the deal is “actively” being worked on with Qatar and Egypt.

“The president himself is personally involved in working with our team and working with leaders around the world to secure this deal,” Kirby said, adding that this weekend’s recovery of six slain hostages “underscores the sense of urgency that we have.”

Asked about the United Kingdom’s new restrictions on some arms exports to Israel, Kirby said he would not “comment one way or another on the decisions that our British counterparts made.”

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament on Monday about 30 of its 350 export licenses were suspended because “there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

“I can just tell you that, No. 1: We’re going to continue to do we have to do to support Israel’s defensive capabilities,” Kirby said. “No. 2: We have, as I’ve said many times, reviewed individual reports as best we can, and talking to the Israelis about individual reports about compliance with international humanitarian law. And as we speak, there’s been no determination by the United States that they have violated international humanitarian [law].”

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Al-Shifa Hospital reopens 2 departments

Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest and most comprehensive hospital in the Gaza Strip, reopened two of its departments on Sunday after facing shelling, raids and two sieges in the ongoing war, Al-Shifa Medical Complex Director Dr. Marwan Abu Saada told ABC News.

The reopened departments are the Emergency and Accidents Department — which has 70 beds, two operating rooms, one intensive care unit room and one X-ray room — and the Kidney Dialysis Department, which has about 22 kidney dialysis machines and serves 36 patients with kidney failure, Abu Saada said.

The hospital had capacity for 800 beds before the war, Abu Saada said.

“As for the medical staff, there is a large deficit in medical personnel, but at least we want to work and serve the community,” he said.

The maternity building will undergo a six-month restoration to become a general surgery building, he added.

-ABC News’ Camilla Alcini

Cease-fire protesters plan action near Tel Aviv Defense Ministry

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced a fresh protest scheduled for 7 p.m. local time Tuesday in Tel Aviv, close to the entrance of the Defense Ministry building.

The action will be “led by the younger members of the families,” the Forum wrote in a post on X, who will “call for a deal to bring all 101 hostages home.”

Attendees will protest what the Forum called “the abandonment of the hostages in Hamas captivity.”

Additional demonstrations elsewhere will include a gathering outside the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, a protest outside Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s residence in Kfar Ahim, one in front of Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter’s home in Ashkelon and another outside Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin’s home in Modi’in.

Gaza polio vaccination drive reaches 160,000 children

Some 160,000 Gaza children received their first vaccination for polio on Sunday and Monday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The emergency rollout began on Sunday, facilitated by a partial pause in fighting in the strip. Medical teams in the central part of the territory said they were able to vaccinate 72,611 children on the first day of the campaign.

Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies said they were hoping to vaccinate 640,000 children during the push. Israel agreed to some pauses in fighting to support the campaign, though airstrikes have continued in its first two days.

Israel has said the vaccination program will continue through Sept. 9 and last eight hours a day.

Polio is among the illnesses feared to be thriving in Gaza after 10 months of war. The strip’s long-standing humanitarian difficulties have been exacerbated by the destruction of health care facilities, critical infrastructure, and the displacement — sometimes repeated displacement — of most of the territory’s residents.

Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed in a leg. The World Health Organization said the case suggests there could be hundreds more infected who are not symptomatic.

Netanyahu asks hostage families for forgiveness, says pressure should be directed at Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is asking for forgiveness from the families of the six slain hostages whose bodies were recovered this weekend.

“I ask you for forgiveness that we did not succeed to bring your loved ones back alive. We were close, but we did not succeed,” Netanyahu said at a Monday news conference.

Netanyahu again said the Israel Defense Forces must maintain a presence on the Egyptian border, but he said the IDF does not need a “large” presence of forces there. It needs groups of forces in key areas all along the border, he said. Netanyahu also reiterated that the IDF must maintain a presence in the Philadelphi corridor to reach the goals of the war.

When asked how he would define “total victory” in the war, Netanyahu responded, “When Hamas no longer rules Gaza — we throw them out. I would define the end of the war of World War II when the Nazis no longer ruled Germany. To do that you need to have a military victory and you have to have also a political victory to destroy their governance.”

Netanyahu also said that international “pressure” must be directed at Hamas, not Israel.

“These murderers executed six of our hostages, they shot them in the back of the head. And now after this we’re asked to show seriousness, we’re asked to make concessions? What message does this send Hamas?” he said.

Netanyahu added, “I don’t believe President [Joe] Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace and achieving the release [of hostages] can seriously ask Israel to make these concessions. We’ve already made them. Hamas has to make concessions.”

A Hamas military spokesman said in a new statement the Israeli hostages won’t be freed by force.

“Netanyahu’s insistence on freeing the prisoners through military pressure instead of concluding a deal will mean their return to their families in coffins, and their families will have to choose between dead or alive,” the spokesperson said.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Biden: ‘We’re in the middle of negotiations’ on hostage, cease-fire deal

President Joe Biden told reporters “we’re still negotiating” when asked if there will be a final hostage and cease-fire deal proposed this week.

Asked what he wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do, Biden replied, “We’re in the middle of negotiations.”

“We’re still in negotiations. Not with him [Netanyahu], with my colleagues from Qatar and from Egypt,” Biden said.

Earlier on Monday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with the U.S. hostage deal negotiating team in the Situation Room.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke on the phone Monday morning with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a U.S. official said. They discussed efforts to conclude a deal for the release of the hostages and for a cease-fire in Gaza, the official said.

-ABC News’ Karen Travers, Elizabeth Schulze and Lauren Peller

Protesters break through barriers near Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence

Protesters broke through barriers near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem on Monday as they demanded progress on a deal to return the hostages in Gaza.

Monday marks the second day of large protests across Israel after six murdered hostages were recovered in Gaza this weekend.

Israeli defense minister ‘deeply disheartened’ by UK decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement he was “deeply disheartened” to learn of the United Kingdom’s new restrictions on some arms exports to Israel.

“This comes at a time when we fight a war on 7 different fronts — a war that was launched by a savage terrorist organization, unprovoked,” Gallant said. “At a time when we mourn 6 hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. At a time when we fight to bring 101 hostages home.”

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament on Monday about 30 of 350 export licenses are suspended because “there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

29 Palestinians killed in West Bank since IDF operation began

Twenty-nine Palestinians have been killed and 121 have been injured in the West Bank since the Israeli military’s operation began last Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement Monday.

Eighteen people were killed in the Jenin governate of the West Bank, four in the Tubas governate, four in the Tulkarm governate and three in the Hebron governate, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta

Biden, Harris meet with US hostage deal negotiating team

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with the U.S. hostage deal negotiating team in the Situation Room on Monday, according to the White House.

Biden and Harris received an update from the negotiation team on the “status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar and Egypt” and “they discussed next steps” in the release of the hostages, the White House said.

Biden also “expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder” of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages and he “reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable,” the White House said.

Officials participating in the briefing included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA Director Bill Burns and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Netanyahu doubles down on Israeli troops remaining in Philadelphi corridor

In an Israeli cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his stance that he will not agree to a cease-fire and hostage deal that includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi corridor in Gaza, according to an Israeli official.

Israeli troops remaining in the Philadelphi corridor has been a key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations. Hamas wants a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

“Everyone who says that it is possible to leave Philadelphi for 42 days, knows very well that it will be for 42 years. The world will not allow us to return,” Netanyahu said during Sunday night’s cabinet meeting, according to an Israeli official. “Everyone understands the importance of Philadelphi, and [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar understands it best. That is why he insists. All smuggling the weapons to Gaza were through Philadelphi. If we change the cabinet’s decision, it will be a terrorist award, you will not return the hostages.”

The Hostages Families Forum said in a statement that Netanyahu’s comments are “dangerous.” The families said Netanyahu’s statement means “there will be no deal, and the families will not get to see their loved ones return home.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Dana Savir

Israeli president apologizes to Hersh Goldberg-Polin and his parents for not keeping him safe

As Israeli President Isaac Herzog gave a eulogy at the funeral of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, he apologized to the slain 23-year-old.

“I apologize that the country you immigrated to at the age of 7, wrapped in the Israeli flag, could not keep you safe,” Herzog said Monday, two days after the Israeli-American’s body was recovered in Gaza, along with five others.

The president also asked for forgiveness from Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, for not bringing their son home alive.

He said he learned of “a mother’s and father’s limitless love” from Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin.

“Jon and Rachel, against the senseless hatred, and unthinkable brutality of Hamas terror, pure barbaric evil, you have taught the world about human dignity,” Herzog said. “As a human being, as a father, and as the President of the State of Israel, I want to say how sorry I am. How sorry I am that we didn’t protect Hersh on that dark day. How sorry I am that we failed to bring him home.”

Though he said Israel will “continue fighting relentlessly against” Hamas, Herzog stressed that the remaining 101 hostages must be released.

“The time to act is now: Bring them home,” Herzog said.

“Decision-makers must do everything possible, with determination and courage, to save those who can still be saved,” he said. “This is not a political goal, and it must not become a political dispute. It is a supreme moral, Jewish, and human duty of the State of Israel to its citizens.”

-ABC News’ Becky Perlow

Biden says Netanyahu is not doing enough, says ‘we are very close’ to presenting final deal

When asked by reporters if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough on the hostage deal, President Joe Biden on Monday replied, “No.”

Asked about presenting a final hostage deal this week, Biden said, “We are very close to that.”

“Hope springs eternal,” Biden said, when asked what makes this final deal different, but he declined to provide details.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are meeting with the U.S. hostage negotiation team Monday morning.

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

‘We failed you,’ dad of slain hostage says

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was curious, self-assured and a deep, independent thinker, his dad, Jon Polin, said at his funeral on Monday.

The 23-year-old, who was found dead in Gaza this weekend, was “always seeking to understand the other, and always with dignity and respect,” Polin said.

“Hersh, we failed you. We all failed you,” Polin said with a “332” on his shirt, marking how many days his son was held hostage. “You would not have failed you. You would’ve pushed harder for justice … to bridge differences. … What you would be pushing for now is to ensure your death … [and the others’ deaths are] not in vain.”

“Maybe, just maybe, your death … is the fuel that will bring home the remaining 101 hostages,” Polin said.

“You have become a global symbol of bringing improvement to our world,” he said.

“The 23 years of life that we had with you were a blessing. We now will work to make your legacy a similar blessing,” he said.

Funeral underway for slain American hostage

A funeral procession is underway in Jerusalem for slain Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The 23-year-old was one of six murdered hostages recovered this weekend.

The Israeli Ministry of Health said the six hostages were killed “in a number of short-range shots” between Thursday and Friday morning.

The funeral comes one day after thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the deaths of the six hostages.

2 hours and 31 minutes ago
Tel Aviv braces for fresh protests

More than 1,000 people have gathered in the northern Israeli city of Tel Aviv for continued anti-government protests, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conclude a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas.

Other marches are taking place elsewhere in Israel. A general strike — called by Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union — also began on Monday morning in protest of the government’s failure to free those still held hostage inside Gaza.

Police reported violent clashes with anti-government protesters in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, saying officers had arrested 29 people.

The current wave of demonstrations was sparked by the recovery of the bodies of six of Hamas’ hostages from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and David Brennan

3 hours and 57 minutes ago
Israel Police accuses Tel Aviv marchers of ‘brutal’ vandalism, violence

The Israel Police has condemned what it called “brutal vandalism” during a night of anti-government demonstrations in Tel Aviv, sparked by the deaths in captivity of six of Hamas’ Gaza hostages.

In a statement, the Police Spokesperson’s Unit said officers arrested 29 suspects for a range of offenses including disorderly conduct, assaulting officers and vandalism.

The violence followed a planned protest at the Kaplan Junction in Tel Aviv, the statement said, after which “hundreds of protesters” left the approved demonstration area and moved to the Ayalon Highway, “with the intent to disrupt traffic and public order.”

Some marchers “violently pushed against barricades and officers, leading to a confrontation during which a policewoman was injured and lost consciousness,” the statement said. The officer was evacuated for medical treatment.

As officers attempted to clear the area, some protesters “breached security perimeters, blocked the Ayalon Highway, and set fires, while firing fireworks that nearly hit officers,” police said.

“The Israel Police strongly condemns the acts of vandalism and violence directed at officers,” the statement read. “We will pursue legal action against those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”

The protesters were demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government agree to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas.

A general strike called by Israel’s largest trade union — Histadrut — began on Monday morning in a bid to pressure the government into reaching an accord with the militant group.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and David Brennan

8:12 PM EDT
Harris calls parents of slain Oct. 7 hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli hostage who was found dead in Gaza on Saturday along with five other Oct. 7 hostages, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The vice president and her husband called parents Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin on Sunday to “express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists,” Harris said in a statement on X.

“My heart breaks for their pain and anguish,” Harris continued.

“I told them: As they mourn this terrible loss, they are not alone. Our nation mourns with them,” Harris said.

4:59 PM EDT
Protest erupts in Tel Aviv as demonstrators demand cease-fire deal

Protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv Sunday night, demanding a cease-fire agreement and the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas terrorists.

The demonstration came a day after Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of six hostages in tunnels under the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

Protesters were seen waving Israeli flags as they demanded a cease-fire agreement, chanting “Deal. Now.”

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule

3:25 PM EDT
6 killed in IDF strike on Gaza school, says Gaza Civil Defense

At least six people were killed on Sunday when Israel Defense Forces conducted an airstrike on a school in Gaza City, according to Gaza Civil Defense.

The IDF said in a statement that the strike was aimed at Hamas terrorists they allege were operating a command-and-control center inside the Safad school to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against the IDF and Israel.

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” the IDF said in a statement.

The Gaza Civil Defense confirmed the Safad school was hit in the IDF strike, but said the school houses displaced people from the Al-Zeitoun area east of Gaza City.

-ABC News’ Victoria Beaulé

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(LONDON) — After the rape and murder of a junior doctor in a Kolkata hospital led to widespread protests, the West Bengal Assembly has unanimously passed a bill ordering life imprisonment for convicted rapists and the death penalty for rape which results in the death or vegetative state of the victim.

Several other proposals will also be enacted through the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill, including a special task force led by a female officer to accelerate investigations into rape cases, dedicated fast track courts, penalties for delays in investigations and a time limit of 21 days — with a potential 15-day extension — to issue a decision.

The bill will now go to the governor of West Bengal, who is expected to sign it into law.

The new law was inspired following the death of Moumita Debnath, a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College, who was found dead with injuries indicating rape and strangulation in a seminar room in the hospital on Aug. 9. The murder sparked protests and rallies, drawing tens of thousands of people calling for justice. The suspect in custody, Sanjay Roy, stated he is innocent and is being framed.

Many in India see the bill as a step towards justice and assembly members from the opposition BJP party have lent their full support to its passage.

Sujata, a 55-year-old protester who did not want to be identified by her last name, supported the bill. 

“You have to put some examples before the people so they will be aware of the punishment,” she said.

But others saw the bill as a knee-jerk reaction that precludes sustainable change.

“We need to look at not only the act, but what precedes the act,” said Piya Chakraborty, 39, a mental health rights activist. 

She believes India needs to focus on larger systemic reforms addressing rape culture and victim blaming.

The current proposal “is an easy way out for the state to say, ‘We’ve got a law,’” said Jhuma Sen, an advocate practicing at the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court. 

She says parts of the bill are unconstitutional as Indian law forbids the mandatory minimum punishment for any crime as being the death penalty.

Advocates who oppose the death penalty bill say that capital punishment policies do not deter crime. Instead, innocent people are framed and sentenced to death as government bodies rush to reach a verdict and appease the public.

Maitreyi Misra, the director of death penalty mitigation at the non-profit Project 39A, stated that 95% of all Indian death row cases from 2000 to 2015 either ended in acquittals or commutations.

“Procedural safeguards are not being insured,” she said, pointing to flawed interrogations, improper collection of evidence, and lack of representation from lawyers — all common during rushed investigations and trials. “What kind of justice are we aiming to have?”

At the rally that Chakraborty attended soon after she spoke to ABC News, a large blue banner condemned the bill, calling for transparent investigation and justice.

“Justice cannot be reduced to revenge,” she said.

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