Israel-Gaza live updates: State Department reissues travel alert for Lebanon

(NEW YORK) — 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.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jun 27, 3:03 PM
Pentagon, USAID to review aid delivery via JLOTS pier

The Inspectors General at the Pentagon and the United States Agency for International Development announced Thursday that they will carry out separate reviews of the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza via the JLOTS temporary pier system.

The pier has been operational 21 out of the 42 days since it was first anchored to the beach in Gaza, according to statistics the United States Central Command provided to ABC News. The pier has been attached three separate times because of bad weather.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Jun 27, 11:41 AM
State Department reissues travel alert for Lebanon

As tension continues to simmer along the Israel-Lebanon border, the State Department is reminding U.S. citizens about the risks associated with traveling to Lebanon, urging them to “strongly reconsider.”

“The Lebanese government cannot guarantee the protection of U.S. citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence and armed conflict,” the alert said.

The State Department also notes that while most of Lebanon is classified as a level 3 (reconsider travel) the southern portion of the country, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements are at a level 4 (do not travel).

Officials say this reminder is not a predictor of escalation to come and that the situation in Lebanon is under continuous review.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jun 27, 11:17 AM
Some ambulance service stopped in Gaza due to fuel shortages

As the fight over aid into Gaza continues and as the United Nation cites the dangers to humanitarian workers, the Palestine Red Crescent Society now says 18 of its ambulances — about one-third of its fleet — have been taken out of service due to fuel shortages.

“The fuel quantities entering through the Karm Abu Salem crossing do not meet the medical and relief sector’s needs,” the PRCS said in a statement.

“With the Israeli occupation continuing to keep the Rafah border crossing closed for about 52 days… the PRCS appeals to the international community for urgent intervention to reopen the Rafah border crossing and allow the flow of humanitarian aid, especially fuel,” the agency said.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Jun 26, 8:22 PM
Israel’s Gallant addresses military aid after US visit: ‘Obstacles were removed’

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant shared an update with reporters Wednesday after meeting with U.S. officials on the latest in the Israel-Hamas conflict and rising tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Gallant met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and several other U.S. officials in Washington, D.C. this week.

“During the meetings we made significant progress, obstacles were removed, and bottlenecks were addressed, in order to advance a variety of issues and more specifically the topic of force build-up and supply of munition,” Gallant said.

Gallant said he discussed “several issues,” including “Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, the hostage issue, the transition to the next phase in Gaza, and how this will impact the region.”

During Gallant’s visit to the U.S., Hezbollah released a video message in which the group threatened to attack crucial Israeli buildings if a full-scale conflict were to break out in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched,” Gallant said

Over the past months, the Israeli Defense Forces have eliminated 400 Hezbollah terrorists, according to Gallant.

Regarding the conflict with Hamas, Gallant said, “Hamas as a military formation has been mostly dismantled. We have destroyed most of the Hamas battalions and formations and are now fighting pockets of resistance.”

Gallant thanked the U.S. government and the American public “for their enduring support for the State of Israel.

Jun 26, 4:02 PM
US, Israel worked through ‘misunderstandings’ on weapons shipments, White House says

Israeli and American officials sifted through “every single case” of weapons shipments at a meeting in Washington, D.C., clearing up any “misunderstandings” and making “real progress,” a senior administration official said.

That does not mean, however, that the U.S. is going to begin shipping the large bombs that have been paused since May, after the president aired concerns about their use in highly populated areas, like Rafah. That pause is still under review, the official said.

In terms of other weapons and supplies, though, the official said there were misunderstandings that the delegations worked through stemming from “complexities” in the U.S.’s highly bureaucratic approval system and requests for certain items to be prioritized.

“We were able to go through everything, and I think where there were some misunderstandings, those were clarified — about where certain cases might be in the course of our process, which can be complex,” the senior administration official said.

“There was real progress in a mutual understanding of where things stand, of prioritization of certain cases over others, so that we can make sure that we are moving things in ways that meet the needs of the Israelis, and with the only exception being one shipment of MK-84s [the 2,000-pound bombs] that remains paused and under review,” the official said.

This meeting comes after a video released June 18 by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the U.S. of slowing weapons shipments, which the U.S. has denied.

That video was not discussed in Thursday’s meeting between Israeli Defense Minister Yaov Gallant and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the official said.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Jun 26, 3:29 PM
Netanyahu thanks Sen. John Fetterman for his ‘moral clarity’ during meeting in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., to Israel on Wednesday and thanked him for his “moral clarity.”

“We’ve been through dark times in these months of anguish war, and during that time, I can say that Israel has had no better friend than Sen. Jon Fetterman,” Netanyahu said in a video. “Senator, welcome to Israel. I want to thank you for your courageous statements that show moral clarity and moral courage. And you just say it the way it is, and we appreciate your friendship at all times, but especially these times.”

Fetterman has become outspoken in his support for Israel as some Democrats have increasingly distanced themselves amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He’s been seen carrying a small Israel flag around the Capitol and at one point waived a large Israeli flag from the roof of his home in Pennsylvania as protesters gathered on the street waiving Palestinian flags below.

According to the post on X, Netanyahu told Fetterman that “his standing up to pro-Palestinian demonstrators, while waving an Israeli flag, was courageous and heart-warming.”

In the video, Fetterman told Netanyahu, “We stand with Israel through this, and I am so sorry for what’s been done to this nation, but I’m just in honor to be here today.”

At the end of the video, Netanyahu told Fetterman, “I look forward to visiting you in Washington.”

Netanyahu is set to address Congress on July 24.

-ABC News’ Allie Pecorin

Jun 26, 3:18 PM
Johnson urges Biden to ‘leverage all American options’ to bring hostages home

House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote a letter to President Biden on Wednesday urging the president to “leverage all American options and influence to support Israel in bringing these hostages home.”

“I write today to express grave concern that your administration is not taking sufficient steps to ensure the release of American hostages who are detained by Hamas.” Johnson said. “The United States must do everything in our power to support Israel’s right to self-defense, and work toward the immediate release of hostages, including the remaining American citizens.”

Johnson requested a briefing before July 10 on “the specific ways in which your administration plans to address the increasingly dire situation.”

-ABC News’ Lauren Peller

Jun 26, 1:58 PM
Weapons continue to flow, White House says

In the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that the U.S. has slowed the flow of weapons, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said that all the weapons continue to flow except “only one shipment of high-density, low-precision munitions that has been paused.”

“Israel continues to get arms and ammunition,” Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. “We want to make sure that they have what they need … that commitment will not waver.”

Kirby did repeat the administration’s message that they are “not going to respond” to all of Netanyahu’s public statements.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said after his White House meeting with national security adviser Jake Sullivan, “We have made significant progress in addressing force buildup and munition supply.”

Asked whether the U.S. would support Israel if the war escalated into a conflict on the northern border with Hezbollah, Kirby said more conflict with Hezbollah is not in Israeli’s interest and reiterated America’s support for Israel.

“We want to see no second front opened and we want to see if we can resolve the tensions up there through diplomatic processes,” Kirby said.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Jun 25, 5:56 PM
UN officials meet with IDF on security issues concerning Gaza aid: US official

Officials from the United Nations and the Israel Defense Ministry met to work on addressing security issues impacting aid distribution in Gaza, a U.S. official told ABC News.

Jun 25, 3:38 PM
State Department tries to address ‘breakdown in security’ holding up Gaza aid

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Tuesday addressed concerns that the United Nations could suspend humanitarian operations in Gaza as the conditions its workers face in the enclave have devolved from bad to worse.

“I can tell you this is an issue we have been intensely focused on,” Miller said, adding that the State Department’s special envoy for Middle Eastern humanitarian issues has coordinated with the U.N. and Israeli entities to “try to figure out a way to allow U.N. workers to safely do their jobs.”

Miller noted while some aid was flowing into Gaza through various points of entry and moving through the north, the U.S. had observed “over the past few weeks, a big backlog” at Kerem Shalom — the border between Israel and southern Gaza — due to a “breakdown in security on the ground.” This was caused not by the Israel Defense Forces or Hamas, but by “random looting, and criminal gangs and criminal actors who are attacking trucks,” Miller said.

Miller said U.N. aid workers will be provided with “personal protective equipment, radios and other communication devices so they can communicate with each other and safely move around Gaza.”

Miller said, “Long term, we want to see a cease-fire and the reestablishment of Palestinian-led governance. And ultimately, we have ideas for providing security inside Gaza, providing governance and reconstruction — all of these things that would go to a restoration of law and order. … But that is a long term that in no way accounts for the here and now.”

Miller also argued that the U.S. had a limited role it could play in increasing security for aid workers at this stage, saying it was ultimately an issue that Israel and the U.N. would have to address.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jun 25, 11:54 AM
Over 10,000 people need medical evacuation out of Gaza

Over 10,000 people need to be evacuated from Gaza to receive medical care due to the deteriorating conditions at hospitals in Gaza, according to the World Health Organization.

Among them are five children — four cancer patients and one child with second-degree burns — who were transferred Monday from Al-Ahli Hospital to Nasser Medical Complex, where they will stay for treatment until they’re able to leave Gaza, the WHO said.

Jun 25, 10:49 AM
Israel’s top court rules state must draft ultra-Orthodox into IDF

Israel’s top court has ruled the state must draft the ultra-Orthodox into the Israel Defense Forces.

The move is a blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said, “Draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox are illegal. The defense minister must uphold the law and issue conscription orders to tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox youth who have so far evaded military service.”

Jun 25, 6:18 AM
Fourteen killed in IDF strikes on two Gaza schools, Gaza officials say

The Israel Defense Forces overnight conducted airstrikes on two schools where internally displaced people were sheltering in Gaza City, killing 14 people according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The IDF said the strikes were on “terrorists operating inside two structures” and that the targets were “terrorists involved in holding hostages.”

An IDF statement said that “aerial surveillance checks, precise munitions, and additional intelligence measures were all used in order to mitigate harm to civilians.”

Video filmed by a civil defense first responder at the Abdel Fattah Hamoud school in central Gaza City appears to show an unconscious girl being pulled from flaming rubble at one school. Burns appear to cover much of her body.

According to the Ministry of Health, eight people were killed in that strike, including five children.

Jun 24, 4:36 PM
Netanyahu says he’s committed to Israeli deal proposal that Biden presented

While addressing Israel’s parliament on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he remains “committed” to the Israeli hostage/cease-fire proposal that President Joe Biden had presented.

“Will not end the war until we return all the abductees — 120 abductees — both the living and the dead. We are committed to the Israeli proposal that President Biden welcomed. Our position has not changed,” Netanyahu said.

He added, “We will not end the war until we eliminate Hamas and until we return the residents of the south and the north safely to their homes. … [And] we will thwart Iran’s intentions to destroy us.”

Senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera on Monday evening that “Netanyahu’s statements confirmed our view that he does not want a cease-fire or the return of [Israeli] prisoners. … Netanyahu’s real stance is that he wants to retrieve his prisoners and continue the war.”

“We are ready for genuine negotiations if Netanyahu adheres to the principles outlined by President Biden,” he said. “We are ready for negotiations that achieve a cessation of aggression and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

Jun 24, 4:25 PM
Number of children missing, separated from families in Gaza may be as high as 21,000: Report

The number of children who are missing or separated from their families in Gaza may be as many as 21,000, according to humanitarian aid group Save the Children.

This organization — which has been providing support for Palestinian children in the region since 1953 — reports that likely 17,000 children are unaccompanied and separated, and another 4,000 children are likely buried under the rubble based on data from the United Nations and the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza.

“Children who are missing but living are vulnerable, face grave protection risks and must be found. They must be protected and reunited with their families,” said Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East Jeremy Stoner. “For the children who have been killed, their deaths must be formally marked, their families informed, burial rites respected, and accountability sought.”

Click here to read more.

-ABC News’ Kiara Alfonseca

Jun 24, 4:13 PM
Blinken meets with Israel’s defense minister

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said Secretary of State Antony Blinken is emphasizing several points in his ongoing meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday afternoon.

“No. 1, our ongoing commitment to Israel’s security,” Miller said. “No. 2, the importance of Israel developing robust, realistic plans for the day after the conflict, plans that include a path towards governance, towards security, towards reconstruction.”

“He’s going to emphasize the need to avoid further escalation of the conflict, and then he will, as always, emphasize the need to improve humanitarian access [in Gaza], where we have seen somewhat of a slowdown in access in the south,” Miller continued, adding that Blinken hoped to hear “concrete commitments from [Gallant] to work on that problem.”

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jun 24, 2:28 PM
Pentagon: Only the 1 shipment of 2,000-pound bombs has been delayed

Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments alleging a U.S. slowdown in military aid to Israel, the Pentagon continues to say that only the one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs has been suspended.

“Again, just to clarify, we have paused one shipment to Israel,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Monday.

“Everything else continues to flow on schedule as normal. It is not diminished,” he said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is in Washington, D.C., for meetings with U.S. officials, will meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Ryder said.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Jun 24, 11:32 AM
Looting, smuggling hindering delivery of aid in Gaza: UNRWA chief

“Gaza has been decimated” and life there is a “living hell,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, said in an address to other U.N. officials on Monday.

He said the breakdown of civil order and “catastrophic levels of hunger” have caused looting and smuggling that are hindering the delivery of aid.

“Children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration, while food and clean water wait in trucks,” he said.

Lazzarini also provided an update on the allegations that UNRWA staff members were involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.

He said out of 19 cases assigned to be investigated: one has been closed and the staffer was reinstated; four were suspended due to insufficient evidence; and 14 investigations are ongoing.

Jun 24, 11:19 AM
Netanyahu says he’s committed to Israeli deal proposal that Biden presented

While addressing Israel’s parliament on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he remains “committed” to the Israeli hostage/cease-fire proposal that President Joe Biden had presented.

“Will not end the war until we return all the abductees — 120 abductees — both the living and the dead. We are committed to the Israeli proposal that President Biden welcomed. Our position has not changed,” Netanyahu said.

He added, “We will not end the war until we eliminate Hamas and until we return the residents of the south and the north safely to their homes. … [And] we will thwart Iran’s intentions to destroy us.”

Jun 23, 6:41 PM
Israeli airstrike kills eight people in Gaza City: Gaza Ministry of Health

Eight people were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

The IDF said they were targeting Hamas infrastructure and took measures to reduce risk to civilians.

Jun 23, 9:22 AM
Netanyahu claims there was ‘dramatic decrease’ in US weapons shipments

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement Sunday claiming there was a “dramatic decrease” in munitions from the United States starting some four months ago, and said he decided to talk about it publicly because of lack of change behind closed doors.

“Since the start of the war, the U.S. has given us support in spirit and in materiel — defensive and offensive means. But four months ago, there was a dramatic decrease in the munitions coming to Israel from the U.S.,” Netanyahu said in the statement. “For long weeks, we turned to our American friends and requested that the shipments be expedited. We did this time and again. We did so at the highest levels, and at all levels, and I want to emphasize — we did so behind closed doors.

“We received all sorts of explanations, but one thing we did not receive; the basic situation did not change. Certain items arrived sporadically but the munitions at large remained behind,” Netanyahu continued.

“After months in which there was no change in this situation, I decided to give this public expression,” he said. “We did so out of years of experience and the knowledge that this step was vital to opening the bottleneck.”

“In light of what I have heard over the past 24 hours, I hope and believe that this issue will be resolved in the near future,” Netanyahu said, in part.

Last week, Netanyahu publicly claimed the Biden administration is broadly withholding military support for Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas. Biden administration officials flatly denied the allegations.

Netanyahu, referring to a recent meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel, had said he told Blinken, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”

Blinken had later declined to relate exactly what was said in private diplomatic conversations and did not deny that he had assured Netanyahu the U.S. was working to remove bottlenecks inhibiting the supply of American arms and ammunition to Israel.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Shannon K. Crawford

Jun 22, 12:03 PM
42 killed in strikes in north Gaza

Strikes in multiple neighborhoods across northern Gaza today have killed 42 people according to Gaza’s Civil Defense. Videos from the immediate aftermath of the strike show an entire building leveled, children covered in dust.

A bombing of Al-Shati camp killed 24 people, a bombing in Al-Tufaah killed 18 people — the number of casualties is likely to increase — and a bombing in Al-Zaytoun killed 7 people, according to Civil Defense.

Fifty others were injured in the attacks, according to the Hamas media office.

Several others are still trapped under the rubble.

The Israel Defense Forces told ABC News they struck two Hamas military infrastructure sites in Gaza City.

Jun 21, 11:57 AM
Netanyahu says video accusing US of withholding weapons ‘was absolutely necessary’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Punchbowl News that he felt his video publicly accusing the Biden administration of withholding weapons “was absolutely necessary after months of quiet conversation that did not solve the problem.”

“We began to see that we had some significant problems emerging a few months ago. And, in fact, we tried, in many, many quiet conversations between our officials and American officials, and between me and the president, to try to iron out this diminution of supply. And we haven’t been able to solve it,” Netanyahu said.

“I raised this issue with Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken. And I said that we are being told by our Defense Department officials that barely a trickle is coming in. He said, ‘Well, everything is in process. We’re doing everything to untangle it. And to clear up the bottlenecks,'” Netanyahu continued.

The U.S. has pushed back on Netanyahu’s claim, noting that only one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs has been withheld.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that Netanyahu’s video “was vexing and disappointing to us — as much as it was incorrect.”

“No other country is doing more to help Israel defend itself,” Kirby said.

Netanyahu said in his July 24 remarks to Congress, he plans “to speak to the broad spectrum of the American people and to cull bipartisan support that is still solid in America.”

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Will Gretsky

Jun 20, 5:59 PM
Flow of aid resumes at temporary Gaza pier: Pentagon

The flow of aid through a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza has resumed after it was preemptively detached from the beach to ride out rough seas, the Pentagon confirmed.

“I can confirm that U.S. Central Command personnel re-anchored and re-established the temporary pier to the Gaza beach yesterday,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday. “As has been the case in the past, Israeli Defense Force engineers provided all the necessary support to ensure the safe and placement of the pier on the beach. And there were no U.S. boots on the ground during the reestablishment of the pier.”

Since resuming overnight, more than 1.4. million pounds of humanitarian assistance has flowed from Cyprus to Gaza, he said.

Overall, more than 9.1 million pounds have been delivered through the corridor since May 17, he said.

Ryder stressed that no end-date has been established for the pier mission.

“We’ll continue to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid via the maritime corridor and as always take necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of the personnel operating the pier to include adjusting to sea states in the eastern Mediterranean Sea,” he said.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Jun 20, 1:56 PM
White House: Netanyahu video was ‘perplexing,’ ‘disappointing’

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the video released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming the U.S. had paused weapons shipments was a surprise.

The video was “perplexing to say the least” and “certainly disappointing, especially given that no other country is doing more to help Israel defend itself,” Kirby told reporters on Thursday.

Netanyahu said in a video Tuesday, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”

Asked if the administration had any sense of why Netanyahu felt it was necessary to release the video, Kirby reiterated their frustration.

“No idea. You’d have to talk to the prime minister about what prompted him to do that. Again, it was vexing and disappointing to us — as much as it was incorrect. So difficult to know exactly what was on his mind,” he said.

Kirby was also asked about efforts behind the scenes to get an apology from Netanyahu over the video. Kirby said, “I think we’ve made it abundantly clear to our Israeli counterparts from various vehicles our deep disappointment in the statements expressed in that video and our concerns over the accuracy in the statements made.”

Netanyahu said in response Thursday, “I am ready to suffer personal attacks provided that Israel receives from the U.S. the ammunition it needs in the war for its existence.”

Kirby also confirmed that national security adviser Jake Sullivan was still holding a meeting on Thursday with high-level Israeli officials.

Kirby said the “wide-ranging meeting” will include “everything that’s going on with the Gaza war, with our support to Israel, with our efforts to get a better sense of how they’re continuing to prosecute operations against Hamas, as well as continuing to talk about the importance of closing on this deal.”

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Michelle Stoddart

Jun 20, 12:02 PM
Netanyahu meets with families of hostages declared dead in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with the families of hostages declared dead in Gaza.

Netanyahu met with rescued hostages right away but has received criticism for not meeting with the families of the dead until now.

“We are committed to returning all of them, all 120 abductees — the living and the victims alike,” Netanyahu said to the families. “We will not give up on anyone.”

The Hostage Center is holding another large rally on Saturday calling for the government to reach a cease-fire deal and bring the rest of the hostages home.

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Jun 19, 7:39 PM
Temporary pier to resume flow of aid

The temporary pier (JLOTS) off the coast of Gaza has been reattached to the beach, according to two defense officials. Aid should begin flowing soon says one of the officials.

Since the pier first became operational on May 7, more than 3,500 metric tons of humanitarian aid have been transported to that beach for distribution inside Gaza.

But the pier has had two lengthy breaks in service, the first time when rough seas broke off sections of the pier, and this latest preemptive move to the port of Ashdod so it could ride out rough seas to avoid a repetition of the first break in service.

-ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Jun 19, 4:32 PM
Top Israeli officials meeting with US on Thursday

Top Israeli advisers Tzachi Hanegbi and Ron Dermer are traveling from Israel to meet with national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House on Thursday, senior administration officials told ABC News.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will also meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in the coming days.

But another high-level meeting focused on Israel’s security, including Iran, has been canceled by the U.S., according to administration officials. The U.S. is looking to reschedule it.

While administration officials said the high-level meeting was never fully finalized on the schedule, other sources inside the White House said there was frustration over Netanyahu’s video claiming the U.S. had paused weapons shipments, which did impact the decision not to hold the meeting.

-ABC News’ Selina Wang

Jun 19, 2:09 PM
IDF spokesman: Hamas is an ‘idea,’ can’t be eliminated

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said in an interview with Channel 13 in Israel that “Hamas is an idea,” adding, “Whoever thinks that it can be eliminated is wrong.”

“The notion that it is possible to destroy Hamas, to make Hamas disappear, is simply to mislead the public,” Hagari said.

This contradicts statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has said destroying Hamas is the war’s key objective.

Following Hagari’s interview, the IDF said in a statement that it’s “committed to achieving the goals of the war as defined by the cabinet, has been working in this way throughout the war day and night and will continue to do so.”

“The commanders of the IDF and those who serve fight with determination and persistence to destroy the military capabilities and the governmental and organizational infrastructure of Hamas in Gaza, a distinct military goal,” the IDF said. “In his words, the IDF spokesman referred to the destruction of Hamas as an ideology and an idea, and the words were said by him in a clear and explicit manner. Any other claim is taking things out of context.”

In response to Hagari’s comments, the prime minister’s office said, “The political and security cabinet headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu defined as one of the goals of the war the destruction of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities. The IDF is of course committed to this.”

Jun 19, 11:42 AM
Hezbollah leader says they’re not ruling out sending forces into Israel

As tensions between Israel and Lebanon escalate, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah once again threatened to enter Israel with Hezbollah forces.

Speaking at a memorial service for a Hezbollah commander who was killed by the Israeli military, he said entering Galilee in northern Israel “remains on the table if the confrontation develops.”

Nasrallah also claimed Hezbollah has obtained new weapons.

Jun 19, 11:36 AM
Biden’s team enraged, frustrated by Netanyahu’s video: US official

President Joe Biden’s team is enraged and frustrated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s video that criticized the U.S. for withholding certain weapons, a U.S. official told ABC News.

U.S. officials have made clear to the Israelis that Netanyahu’s video is inaccurate and out of line, the official said.

Jun 19, 11:32 AM
US-Israel meeting canceled after Netanyahu criticizes US

A meeting between U.S. and Israeli officials set for Thursday to discuss Iran has been canceled in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on Tuesday that criticized the U.S. for withholding certain weapons, according to an Israeli source familiar with the discussions.

A specific time had not been finalized for the meeting at the time of the cancellation, two U.S. officials told ABC News.

One official said national security adviser Jake Sullivan had been traveling and was looking to reschedule. The U.S. is working with Israeli counterparts to find a different time for the meeting.

Netanyahu said when he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel recently, he told Blinken, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”

“Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that’s the case. It should be the case.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew told Netanyahu Tuesday that the ammunition and weapons that he referred to are in the process of being delivered to Israel, according to the prime minister’s office.

“With the exception of ongoing discussion regarding large diameter munitions, other items are either delivered or in the process of being delivered, or in the normal review process,” the embassy said.

Two U.S. officials involved in approving arms transfers to Israel told ABC News Tuesday that shipments continue to be greenlit as the administration executes on both longstanding orders in the pipeline as well as new requests made after the onset of the war.

The sole exception, the officials said, is the frozen shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs. The officials said the decision to pause that delivery was made by the White House and that, if it’s ultimately lifted, they expect that order will come from the White House, too.

-ABC News’ Selina Wang and Michelle Stoddart

Jun 19, 11:06 AM
Netanyahu tells coalition partners to ‘get a hold of themselves’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is criticizing members of his coalition in a new statement. There have been reports of increased infighting since the war cabinet’s dissolution on Monday.

“We are fighting on several fronts and face great challenges and difficult decisions. Therefore, I demand that all coalition partners get a hold of themselves and rise to the importance of the hour,” Netanyahu said.

“This is not the time for petty politics or for legislation that endangers the coalition, which is fighting for victory over our enemies,” he said. “We must all focus solely on the tasks at hand: Defeating Hamas, returning all of our hostages and returning our residents securely to their homes, both in the north and the south.”

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

Jun 19, 10:35 AM
US-Israel meeting canceled after Netanyahu criticizes US

A meeting between U.S. and Israeli officials set for Thursday to discuss Iran has been canceled in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on Tuesday that criticized the U.S. for withholding certain weapons, according to an Israeli source familiar with the discussions.

Netanyahu said when he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel recently, he told Blinken, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”

“Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that’s the case. It should be the case.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew told Netanyahu Tuesday that the ammunition and weapons that he referred to are in the process of being delivered to Israel, according to the prime minister’s office.

“With the exception of ongoing discussion regarding large diameter munitions, other items are either delivered or in the process of being delivered, or in the normal review process,” the embassy said.

Two U.S. officials involved in approving arms transfers to Israel told ABC News Tuesday that shipments continue to be greenlit as the administration executes on both longstanding orders in the pipeline as well as new requests made after the onset of the war.

The sole exception, the officials said, is the frozen shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs. The officials said the decision to pause that delivery was made by the White House and that, if it’s ultimately lifted, they expect that order will come from the White House, too.

Jun 18, 4:59 PM
Pentagon says US withheld 1 shipment to Israel, defensive security assistance will continue

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the U.S. continues to withhold a single shipment of heavy bombs to Israel and that a final decision on that shipment hasn’t been made.

Ryder declined to address Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that the U.S. is slowing weapon shipments to Israel in general.

“We are absolutely committed to Israel’s inherent right to defend itself,” Ryder said. “Since Hamas’ vicious attack on Oct. 7, we’ve rushed billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel to enable them to defend themselves. And we are going to continue to provide them the security assistance they need for defense.”

Two U.S. officials involved in approving arms transfers to Israel told ABC News that shipments continue to be greenlit as the administration executes on both longstanding orders in the pipeline as well as new requests made after the onset of the war.

The sole exception, the officials said, is the frozen shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs. The officials said the decision to pause that delivery was made by the White House and that, if it’s ultimately lifted, they expect that order will come from the White House, too.

While the process of actually delivering approved transfers happens across a wide network, including the Department of Defense and private companies, the officials said they weren’t aware of any other holdups that might be perceived as a bottleneck.

In the first weeks and months of the conflict, the Biden administration worked to speed up deliveries to Israel. On two occasions in December, Secretary Antony Blinken invoked an emergency authority to expedite arms sales to Israel, bypassing congressional approval.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Shannon Crawford

Jun 18, 3:02 PM
Biden’s special envoy calls Hezbollah-Israel conflict ‘urgent’

The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field.”

White House officials are worried about a second war front opening between Israel and Lebanon at Israel’s northern border, dispatching a top aide to President Joe Biden to the region.

Amos Hochstein, a special envoy and deputy assistant at the White House, met Tuesday with Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament.

“It’s in everyone’s interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically. That is both achievable and it is urgent,” Hochstein said, according to a transcript provided by the White House.

When asked if the two countries are on the brink of war, Hochstein said he believes a diplomatic solution is possible, adding, “But this is a very serious situation that we are in.”

This meeting followed Hochstein’s in-person meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials on Monday.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Monday that the administration was concerned about the war in Gaza widening to Lebanon.

“If we weren’t concerned about the possibility of escalation and a full blown, second front there, to the north, we wouldn’t still be involved in such intense diplomacy that Mr. Hochstein is over there right now,” Kirby told reporters in a press call.

-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty

Jun 18, 2:21 PM
Netanyahu criticizes US for withholding certain weapons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement Tuesday criticized the U.S. for withholding certain weapons.

Netanyahu said when he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel recently, he told Blinken, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”

“Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that’s the case. It should be the case.”

Netanyahu then quoted former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

“During World War II, Churchill told the United States, ‘Give us the tools, we’ll do the job,'” Netanyahu said. “And I say, give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.”

At a news conference Tuesday, Blinken declined to relate exactly what was said in private diplomatic conversations and did not deny that he had assured Netanyahu that the U.S. was working to remove bottlenecks inhibiting the supply of American arms and ammunition to Israel.

Blinken did repeatedly underscore the Biden administration’s commitment to Israel’s defense.

“It’s very important to remember that our security relationship with Israel goes well beyond Gaza. Israel is facing a multiplicity of threats and challenges including in the north, from Hezbollah, from Iran, from the Houthis in the Red Sea, from various groups that are aligned against Israel and in many cases beholden to Iran,” Blinken said.

President Joe Biden “will do everything he can to make sure that Israel has what it needs to effectively defend itself against these threats,” Blinken said. “And a big part of that, as well, is making sure that in providing that assistance to Israel, it has a strong deterrent, which is the best way to avoid more conflict, to avoid more war, to avoid what we’re already seeing in Gaza spreading to other areas.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is surprised by Netanyahu’s claim of the U.S. withholding weapons.

“We generally do not know what he’s talking about,” she said Tuesday.

Jun 18, 11:12 AM
Netanyahu criticizes US for withholding certain weapons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement Tuesday criticized the U.S. for withholding certain weapons.

Netanyahu said when he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel recently, he told Blinken, “It’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.”

“Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that’s the case. It should be the case.”

Netanyahu then quoted former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

“During World War II, Churchill told the United States, ‘Give us the tools, we’ll do the job,'” Netanyahu said. “And I say, give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.”

Jun 17, 2:58 PM
End of Rafah operation weeks away: IDF

The Israeli military is “weeks” away from wrapping up the main part of its controversial ground invasion in and around Rafah in southern Gaza, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told ABC News.

“We are there to dismantle the military framework of the [Hamas’] Rafah Brigade,” Hagari said on Monday.

“We are weeks now just from achieving this goal,” he said.

The Israeli military now controls over 60% of the Rafah area, Israeli defense officials told ABC News on Monday.

-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge, Hugo Leenhardt and Dana Savir

Jun 17, 1:49 PM
Israeli forces kill ‘key’ Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that its soldiers have killed Muhammad Mustafa Ayoub, describing him as a “key operative” in Hezbollah’s rocket and missile department in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah confirmed Ayoub’s death in a brief statement.

Jun 17, 8:54 AM
Israeli war cabinet disbanded, official says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded his war cabinet, the small group of government officials who had been tasked with overseeing decisions about the war against Hamas, a spokesperson said.

The prime minister said there was “no more need for an extra branch of government,” the spokesperson said.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Jun 17, 6:37 AM
Netanyahu’s security cabinet to handle war decisions, Israeli official says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government’s security cabinet will now make decisions about the war against Hamas, an Israel official told ABC News.

Netanyahu is now expected to make critical decisions on the war during small ad hoc meetings while seeking final approval from the wider security cabinet.

The decision came about a week after one of three core members of Netanyahu’s war cabinet’s said he would resign from the influential body.

Israeli minister Benny Gantz on Sunday, June 9, said he would resign from both the coalition government led by Netanyahu and the prime minister’s war cabinet.

The war cabinet had been formed on Oct. 11, in the days following the Oct. 7 surprise terrorist attack by Hamas militants.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey

Jun 16, 6:41 PM
Israeli security cabinet discusses steps to ‘strengthen’ West Bank settlements

The Israeli political security cabinet “discussed steps to strengthen settlements in the West Bank, among other things, in response to countries that unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state after October 7,” in a meeting on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized Palestine as a state at the end of May. Separately, 143 of the 193 members in the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution stating that Palestinians qualify for full-member status at the United Nations at the beginning of May, according to the New York Times.

The cabinet also discussed “a series of reactions against the Palestinian Authority following its actions against Israel in international bodies,” the statement added.

The Israeli minister of defense and the deputy prime minister “requested an additional period of time to make their comments,” the statement says, and then the prime minister will “bring all the proposals to a vote at the next cabinet meeting.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Jun 16, 4:35 PM
Biden cites pain of Muslims in Gaza in Eid al-Adha holiday statement

President Joe Biden issued a statement Sunday commemorating the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha in which he acknowledged the pain and suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza.

“In Gaza, innocent civilians are suffering the horrors of the war between Hamas and Israel.,” Biden said. “Too many innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Families have fled their homes and seen their communities destroyed. Their pain is immense.”

Biden added that his administration is working to end the war and make progress toward a two-state solution.

“And I strongly believe that the three-phase ceasefire proposal Israel has made to Hamas and that the U.N. Security Council has endorsed is the best way to end the violence in Gaza and ultimately end the war,” Biden said.

Biden also cited the conflict in Sudan as well as the targeting of Muslim communities in Burma and China.

He used the holiday to celebrate the contributions of the Muslim community in America and also to say that he is committed to fighting Islamophobia in the United States.

“Hate has no place in America, whether it is targeted at American Muslims, Arab Americans including Palestinians, or anyone else,” Biden said.

He added, “In the spirit of Eid al-Adha, let us all renew our commitment to values that unite us — compassion, empathy, and mutual respect — which are both American and Islamic.”

ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Jun 16, 5:49 AM
Netanyahu not briefed before ‘tactical pause’ announcement, Israeli official tells ABC News

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heard the reports on Sunday about a daily “tactical pause” along an aid route, he contacted his military secretary and made it clear that this was unacceptable to him, an Israeli official told ABC News.

After an inquiry, the prime minister was informed that there was no change in Isreal Defense Forces policy and that the fighting in Rafah would continue as planned, the official said.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari released a statement in Hebrew shortly after announcement saying the pause will affect a single aid route.

“There is no cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, and the fighting in Rafah continues,” Hagari said. “Also, there is no change in the introduction of goods into the Gaza Strip.”

-ABC News Jordana Miller, Victoria Beaule and Kevin Shalvey

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