Israel-Gaza updates: Protest erupts in Tel Aviv over cease-fire, hostage deal

The bodies of six hostages were found in Gaza on Saturday.

Last Updated: September 1, 2024, 4:59 PM EDT

As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the latest round of cease-fire discussions continues in the Middle East, even with Hamas rejecting the latest iteration over the weekend.

The United States and its allies continue to plead for a cease-fire deal.

Aug 26, 2024, 3:23 PM EDT

Cease-fire talks moving forward after strikes: Kirby

Cease-fire talks are now moving forward at a working group level in Cairo over the next few days to hammer out specifics, according to National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby.

This weekend's strikes by Israel and Hezbollah have "not affected the actual work on the ground by the teams trying to get this cease-fire deal in place," Kirby told reporters Monday.

PHOTO: Displaced Palestinian children haul water to their tent in a makeshift camp in the perimeter of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip following renewed Israeli evacuation orders for the area on Aug. 26, 2024.
Displaced Palestinian children haul water to their tent in a makeshift camp in the perimeter of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip following renewed Israeli evacuation orders for the area on Aug. 26, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

Kirby also rejected any suggestion that talks broke down this weekend, instead saying they were "constructive" enough to work on "finer details" at lower levels.

"There was no breakdown," he said. "They made enough progress that they were willing to, or needed to transition to a working group level so you didn't need the mediators all there and the leadership there."

Brett McGurk, a top senior adviser on the Middle East at the White House, stayed in Cairo an extra day to kick off the meetings and is still there, Kirby said, adding that all parties are being represented in these discussions.

"One issue that will be for the working groups to flesh out is the exchange of hostages and prisoners that Israel's holding -- what that exchange looks like, how many, some of the details of exactly who will be released on either side and at what pace, those kinds of things," Kirby said.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

Aug 26, 2024, 12:32 PM EDT

Al-Aqsa Hospital still operating despite evacuations

Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah is still operating, despite new temporary evacuation orders from Israeli forces to leave the surrounding area near the hospital.

Out of the 650 patients in Al-Aqsa Hospital, only 100 remain in the hospital that are being treated, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.

A woman sits on a bed in a room of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Aug. 25, 2024.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged they have been "operating in recent days in the Deir al Balah area," but they said the evacuation orders did not include "the hospitals and medical facilities in the area," in response to an inquiry from ABC News.

Three out of 18 water wells are still functioning in Deir al Balah due to "ongoing military operations," the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees said in a post Monday.

A Palestinian woman prepares to evacuate with her newborn from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip following renewed Israeli evacuation orders for the area, Aug. 26, 2024.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News' Diaa Ostaz and Jordana Miller

Aug 26, 2024, 9:07 AM EDT

World Food Programme operations 'severely hampered' in Gaza

The World Food Programme, the U.N.'s worldwide food assistance program, is being "severely hampered" by the "intensifying conflict" in Gaza.

The agency said border crossings have been limited and roads in Gaza have become so unusable that urgent repairs are needed in order to transport basic needs, like food and medicine.

"Transporting food, water, medicine and hygiene equipment is critical for the survival of communities in Gaza today and will be needed for months to come," Antoine Renard, the country director for Gaza, said in a statement. "Roads are part of this lifeline."

PHOTO: TOPSHOT-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT
Displaced Palestinian children wait at a food distribution point in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on August 8, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

Aug 25, 2024, 6:26 PM EDT

Hospital in central Gaza under evacuation order after nearby explosion

Israeli forces issued an evacuation order in the vicinity of the Al Aqsa Hospital, Deir Al Balah, in central Gaza, urging people to flee, according to a statement from Doctors Without Borders Sunday.

"An explosion approximately 250 meters away triggered panic with many choosing to leave the hospital," the organization said.

Children sit in the back of a small vehicle as Palestinians flee with their belongings Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Aug. 16, 2024.
Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images

Of the approximately 650 patients in the hospital prior to the explosion, only 100 remain, with seven in the intensive care unit, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Doctors Without Borders is considering suspending wound care for the time being, while trying to maintain lifesaving treatment, according to the statement.

"This situation is unacceptable," the organization said. "Al Aqsa has been operating well beyond capacity for weeks due to the lack of alternatives for patients. All warring parties must respect the hospital, as well as patients' access to medical care."

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