The head of American diplomacy, who flew from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, is due to land in Tel Aviv on Sunday, August 18, and meet with Israeli leaders. This is the ninth trip to the Middle East by the Secretary of State since the attack by the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas against Israel on October 7. Talks are due to resume next week in Cairo under the auspices of the United States, Egypt and Qatar, but no further steps by Antony Blinken have been announced at this stage as part of this trip. Follow our live stream.
LHamas rejects any American “diktat”. After a new two-day session of negotiations in Doha for a truce, marked by a new American compromise proposal, the Palestinian organization responded by considering that it was a “illusion”. Hamas denounces “the imposition of American dictates” and rejects any revised proposal calling for the implementation of the plan announced at the end of May by Joe Biden.
Civil Defense announces removal of four bodies from rubble in northern Gaza. After Israeli strikes on three houses, four bodies were pulled from the rubble in the town of Jabiliya. In Deir al-Balah, seven Palestinians died in an Israeli bombing of an apartment.
The Israeli army maintains military pressure on Hamas. IDF continues its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army said its troops were continuing their operations in Khan Younis, Rafah (south) and Deir al-Balah. They have “eliminated about twenty terrorists” in the territory and destroyed weapons in the last 24 hours.