• Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon killed at least 60 people and wounded dozens, according to Lebanese authorities. The strikes are among the deadliest since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated last month.
Netanyahu did not receive Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal proposal, spokesperson says
From CNN's Lauren Izso and Irene Nasser
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem, on Monday.
Debbie Hill/Pool/Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not receive a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal proposal, according to his spokesperson, following the resumption of high-level negotiations.
CNN previously reported that Egypt on Sunday proposed a two-day ceasefire in Gaza that would facilitate the swap of four Israeli hostages held in the enclave for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
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In photos: Israeli police clash with protesters in Jerusalem
From CNN's Lex Harvey and Noemi Cassanelli
Hundreds of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and a deal to free the hostages clashed with Israeli police in Jerusalem on Monday.
Police drag a protester away near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on October 28.
Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images
Videos and images showed police using force and dragging protesters away from the demonstration on Azza Street, near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.
Hundreds of people gathered near the Israeli parliament to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage swap deal, in West Jerusalem on Monday.
Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images
Regular protests have been held in Israel since the war began last year, with families of hostages repeatedly urging the government to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
Hundreds of Israelis gather to protest against the government for not reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and to demand a hostage swap deal with Palestinians in Jerusalem on October 28.
Police disperse protesters near the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem on Monday.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
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UN chief warns of "devastating consequences" from Israel’s UNRWA ban
From CNN's Richard Roth and Irene Nasser
Israel’s ban on the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency could have “devastating consequences,” the UN chief warned on Monday.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ remarks come after the Israeli parliament passed two bills: one barring the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees from activity within Israel, and another banning Israeli authorities from any contact with UNRWA in a move that’s expected to severely restrict the vital agency from operating in territories Israel occupies.
“The implementation of the laws could have devastating consequences” for Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, “which is unacceptable,” Guterres said in a statement.
UNRWA, which began by assisting about 750,000 Palestinian refugees in 1950, now serves almost 6 million across the Middle East, including in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank, providing basic needs including food, education, and medical services.
The UN chief also urged Israel to abide by its obligations under international law. “National legislation cannot alter those obligations,” he said.
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At least 60 people killed by Israeli strikes in east Lebanon, health ministry says
From CNN’s Tamara Qiblawi and Hamdi Alkhshali
Successive Israeli strikes in eastern Lebanon Monday night killed at least 60 people and wounded 58, the country’s health ministry said in a preliminary casualty count.
The strikes are among the deadliest in Lebanon since the Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated last month. They targeted multiple cities and towns in the Baalbek-Hermel and Bekaa governorates, the ministry added.
Baalbek-Hermel Gov. Bachir Khodr called it the “most violent day in Baalbek since the beginning of the aggression.”
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
Remember: Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon earlier this month as part of its intensifying conflict with the Iran-backed paramilitary group Hezbollah.
Israel has bombed what it says are Hezbollah targets in Lebanon at an unprecedented intensity, displacing over 1 million people and killing more than 2,000 since mid-September, according to the Lebanese government.
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Palestinian Authority and Hamas condemn Israel's ban on UNRWA
From CNN's Kareem Khadder and Michael Rios
Palestinian Presidency Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudainah poses for a photo during an interview in Istanbul, Turkey on February 24.
Hakan Akgun/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel’s newly passed legislation banning the United Nations’ relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, saying it violates international law.
Rudainah stressed that the move by Israel “violates international law and constitutes a challenge to the UN resolutions that represent international legitimacy,” according to Wafa.
The Palestinian Authority is headquartered in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and exercises nominal self-rule in parts of the territory.
Hamas expressed similar sentiments, saying the move was part of Israel’s aggression against Palestinians and that it aimed to suppress the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.
Hamas said in a statement that the international community and the United Nations should take “firm positions” against Israel for the move and “provide support to UNRWA to ensure the continuation of its work in providing relief to our people.”
UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, has also said Israel’s move violates international law, though this was denied by Knesset member Yuli Edelstein during the passage of the legislation.
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"This would be a fatal step." Western countries criticize Israel's UNRWA ban
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy, Benjamin Brown and Kareem Khadder
An UNRWA worker and displaced Palestinians check the damage inside a UN school-turned-refuge near Gaza City following an Israeli airstrike on October 19.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images
A host of Western countries have sharply criticized the move by the Israeli parliament to ban the UN agency UNRWA from operating in Israel and greatly hinder its humanitarian operations in war-torn Gaza.
Going on to describe UNRWA’s work as “essential and irreplaceable,” the four countries said the legislation “sets a very serious precedent for the work of the United Nations and for all the organizations of the multilateral system.”
Germany’s human rights commissioner Luise Amstberg warned that these laws if “implemented by the Israeli government in this form” would “effectively make UNRWA’s work in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem impossible.”
The United Kingdom said Israel had a clear obligation under international law to ensure that “sufficient aid reaches civilians in Gaza,” with the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy saying UNRWA was the only agency that “can deliver humanitarian aid at the scale and pace needed.”
Meanwhile, the Belgian foreign ministry deplored that the “strong appeals from the international community have been ignored,” saying that the “eviction” of a UN agency of UNRWA’s status “undermines the multilateral system and the United Nations itself.”
Some background: UNRWA was founded by the United Nations a year after the 1948 creation of Israel that led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in an event known by Palestinians as the “Nakba” (catastrophe).
The agency, which began by assisting about 750,000 Palestinian refugees in 1950, now serves some 5.9 million across the Middle East, many of whom live in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israel has long opposed the agency and sought to dismantle it even before October 7 last year, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 250 hostages. Israeli officials have rejected UNRWA’s definition of which Palestinians are eligible for refugee status, arguing that descendants of the 1948 refugees do not qualify and thus don’t have the right to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel.
Israel passes bills banning the UN Palestinian refugee agency. Here’s what you need to know today.
From CNN staff
Israel has defied international pressure and approved two bills stifling the work of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
Here’s a reminder of some of the latest developments on Monday:
UN agency ban: The Israeli parliament – known as the Knesset – signed off on two laws on Monday evening. The first barred UNRWA from activity in Israel. The second bill banned Israeli authorities from any contact with the UN body. The actions are expected to severely hamper UNRWA’s ability to operate in Gaza and the West Bank.
What is UNRWA? UNRWA was founded by the United Nations a year after the 1948 creation of Israel that led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in an event known by Palestinians as the “Nakba” (catastrophe). The agency now serves some 5.9 million across the Middle East, many of whom live in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
UNRWA chief reacts: Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called Israel’s moves “unprecedented” before adding that it violated international law. “These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza,” he said on X.
Gaza ceasefire talks resume: As high-level talks resumed for the first time in two months, Egypt proposed an initial two-day ceasefire to exchange four Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Further talks are set to take place in the days ahead, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Israeli operations in northern Gaza: More than 1,000 people have been killed since Israel began a large-scale military incursion into northern Gaza earlier this month, Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Gaza civil defense, has said. Basal said intense Israeli bombardment has been continuous for 22 days in Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, among other areas.
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Iran and Israel demand UN Security Council action – against each other
From CNN's Michael Rios
Iran and Israel have demanded the United Nations Security Council take action – against each other.
Envoys to the UN from both countries addressed a meeting of the Security Council Monday, each of them blaming the other for the recent increase in tensions that saw Iran launch around 180 missiles at Israel at the beginning of October and Israel retaliate with airstrikes on Iran on Saturday.
Iranian envoy Amir Saeed Iravani said Israel’s “aggression” in the Middle East required “decisive action” from the council. He argued that ignoring Israel’s actions would undermine the council’s responsibilities.
He also warned that Iran reserved the right to respond to Israel’s attack at a time of its choosing.
For his part, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon warned that any further act of aggression from Iran would have consequences.
He urged the Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran’s military and economic infrastructure, and to take measures to prevent the country from obtaining “nuclear capabilities.”
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Netanyahu: Humanitarian aid "must remain available" in Gaza despite UNRWA ban
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy, Michael Rios and Benjamin Brown
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stressed that “sustained humanitarian aid” must continue to flow into Gaza despite the Israeli parliament passing two laws on Monday banning UNRWA’s operations in the country and severely restricting its ability to work in the enclave.
In a series of social media posts, the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) accused UNRWA staff of being “involved in terrorist activities against Israel” that they must be held accountable for.
“Since avoiding a humanitarian crisis is also essential, sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future,” the PMO added.
UNRWA has vehemently rejected Israel’s accusations, stressing in May that there were “absolutely” no grounds for describing “the institution as a whole” as being “totally infiltrated” by militants.
The agency supports around six million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and elsewhere in the Middle East, providing them with food, education, and medical services.
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Israeli attacks killed at least 38 in Lebanon on Sunday, health ministry says
From CNN's Tamara Qiblawi and Hamdi Alkhshali
At least 38 people were killed and another 124 injured by Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Sunday, the Lebanese health ministry said.
More than 2,000 people have been killed andmore than 10,300injured in Lebanon since September 16, when Israel stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah, according to a CNN tally based on Lebanese health ministry statements.
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UNRWA chief says Israel’s ban violates international law
From CNN's Michael Rios
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has criticized Israel’s vote to ban his organization, saying the“unprecedented”move violates international law and risks deepening the suffering of Palestinians.
“This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role toward providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine refugees,” Lazzarini said on X, formerly Twitter.
Lazzarini said Israel’s moves werenothing less than collective punishment against Palestinians, especially those in Gaza.
He argued that the measures violate international law and that failure by the international community to oppose them would weaken international mechanisms established after World War II. “This should be a concern to all,” he warned.
Speaking in the Israeli parliament during the passage of the new laws, Knesset member Yuli Edelstein claimed the move “does not in any way harm humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip” and insisted Israel was acting within the framework of international law.
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Israel is taking action against UNRWA because Hamas infiltrated it, ambassador to UN says
From CNN’s Michael Rios
A damaged sign is pictured at the headquarters of UNRWA in Gaza City on July 12.
Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
Israel is taking action to limit the activities of the United Nations’ Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) because the organization was infiltrated by Hamas many years ago, the country’s ambassador to the UN alleged Monday.
Danny Danon’s comments ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East came shortly before the Israeli parliament - the Knesset - voted to ban UNRWA from operating within Israel, and barred Israeli authorities from any contact with the agency.
Since the war started, Israel has launched an intense campaign to delegitimize the UN body, including accusing some of UNRWA’s employees of association with Hamas’ October 7 attack, alleging they took part in varying capacities.
UNRWA has strongly denied the allegations, but several governments, including the US, suspended funding for the agency earlier this year while the allegations were being investigated.
However, Danon on Monday said Israel would continue working with other UN agencies that support humanitarian efforts, including the WHO and UNICEF.
Netanyahu welcomes but casts doubt on proposal for two-day Gaza ceasefire
From CNN’s Lauren Izso, Niamh Kennedy, Jeremy Diamond and Becky Anderson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday signaled his willingness to accept a deal spearheaded by Egypt for a two-day Gaza ceasefire but cast doubt on its viability.
“If there was a deal for a two-day ceasefire for the release of four hostages, I would take it right away,” Netanyahu said during a closed-door Likud party meeting, according to a member of his political party who was present.
Under the Egyptian proposal announced on Sunday, the ceasefire would facilitate the swap of four Israeli hostages being held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israel.
The Likud party member told CNN that Netanyahu suggested Hamas would not accept the proposal. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Israel did not received an offer to release four hostages in exchange for a 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza,”and that “if such a proposal were made, the prime minister would accept it on the spot.”
A diplomat familiar with the matter also told CNN that it was very unlikely Hamas would accept the proposal, considering the position it has consistently taken in the past year.
Throughout negotiations, Hamas has insisted that any ceasefire proposal must lead to a permanent end to the war in Gaza. Hamas’s current position — in the wake of the killing of its leader Yahya Sinwar — remains unclear.
This post has been updated.
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Israel's ban of UN agency for Palestinian refugees could be devastating for millions
On Monday, the Knesset passed two bills; one barring the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from activity within Israel, and another banning Israeli authorities from any contact with UNRWA – revoking a 1967 treaty that allowed the UN agency provide services to Palestinian refugees in areas under Israel’s control.
Prior to the vote, the US State Department had urged Israel not to pass the legislation, saying the agency plays “an irreplaceable role right now in Gaza.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously warned Israel that passing the legislation could “have implications under US law and US policy.”
Israel has long sought to dismantle the UN body, arguing that some of its employees are affiliated with Hamas, and that its schools teach hate against Israel. UNRWA has repeatedly denied these accusations, saying there is “absolutely no ground for a blanket description of ‘the institution as a whole’ being ‘totally infiltrated.’”
Israel bans main UN agency delivering aid to Palestinians
From CNN's Lauren Izso, Vasco Cotovio, Niamh Kennedy and Andrew Raine
The UNRWA-run Sheikh Radwan Clinic, destroyed during an Israeli bombardment, is seen in Gaza City on February 3.
AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli parliament has approved a pair of laws that bar the main United Nations agency aiding Palestinians - the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) - from operating in Israel and severely hampers its ability to operate in Gaza and the West Bank, despite international pressure.
• The first bill, which bars UNRWA from activity in Israel, was approved with 92 votes in favor, 10 against.
• The second bill, which bans Israeli authorities from any contact with UNRWA – and revokes the 1967 treaty between the two within seven days of its passing – was approved with 87 votes in favor, 9 against.
UNRWA supports around six million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and elsewhere in the Middle East, providing them with food, education, and medical services.
The bills do not bar the agency from operation in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, such as Gaza and areas of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority. But by preventing staff and aid from transiting Israel, the two pieces of legislation mean that UNRWA would see its capacity to respond to events in Gaza and the West Bank significantly curtailed. The agency has long been a target of Israeli criticism, especially after the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack.
This post has been updated.
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US State Department won't comment on two-day ceasefire proposal for Gaza
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
USState Department spokesperson Matthew Miller would not comment on Egypt’s two-day Gaza ceasefire proposal, but noted that the United States is “open to different types of arrangements”
“I don’t want to speak to any specific proposals from the podium. I don’t think it’s helpful to get into them publicly,” Miller said at a briefing Monday.
Miller noted that the US had pursued a shorter pause last November that led to some of the hostages being released.
“And those are the two things we are trying to pursue in our negotiations and in our conversations with other officials in the region,” he said.
Conversations in Qatar: Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks resumed in Doha on Sunday, according to a diplomat familiar with the matter. It was the first round of high-level talks in more than two months. US officials have argued for renewed momentum following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Earlier Sunday, Egypt publicly proposed a two-day ceasefire deal in which four Israeli hostages in Gaza would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Cairo has played a key role in mediating the talks, along with Qatar and the US.
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Further Gaza ceasefire proposal talks to take place "in the coming days"
From CNN’s Lauren Izso, Niamh Kennedy, Jeremy Diamond and Becky Anderson
People walk through a destroyed neighborhood in Gaza City on October 24.
Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
David Barnea, the head of Israeli intelligence service Mossad, returned to Israel after meeting with CIA Director Bill Burns and QatariPrime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office (PMO) said in a statement Monday.
The parties in Doha mainly discussed “a new unified outline” for a Gaza ceasefire-hostage release deal combining “previous proposals” and incorporating the “main issues and recent developments in the region,” the statement said.
Further talks are set to take place “in the coming days” between mediators and Hamas, centered on examining the “feasibility” of formal talks and the “continued attempt to advance a deal,” the PMO statement added.
A diplomat familiar with the matter told CNN that the terms of the prospective deal are by no means “fully baked” and haven’t yet been discussed formally with Hamas.
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German-Iranian national and longtime US resident executed in Iran: state media
From CNN's Benjamin Brown and Hamdi Alkhshali
A German-Iranian national and longtime US resident has been executed in Iran after being convicted of terrorism offences, according to Iranian state media citing the country’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan news agency.
Jamshid Sharmahd was executed Monday morning for “planning and orchestrating a series of terrorist acts,” state-run IRNA and Press TV reported.
Sharmahd was arrested in 2020 by Iranian authorities who claimed he headed a group accused of a deadly 2008 bombing in the city of Shiraz, according to state-run news agencies ISNA and IRNA.
He was sentenced to death in 2022 for “corruption on Earth”, sparking widespread condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments. Amnesty International said he had been sentenced after a “grossly unfair trial.”
CNN has reached out to the German Foreign Office for comment.
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Israel will pursue peace deals with Arab countries after Gaza war ends, Netanyahu says
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Lauren Izso
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem, on Monday.
Debbie Hill/Pool/Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has laid out Israel’s determination to ultimately triumph over its greatest foe, Iran, and even bolster its standing in the Middle East through peace deals with Arab countries when the war in Gaza ends.
Addressing the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday, Netanyahu stressed that according to Iran’s plan, “if Israel falls – the entire Middle East will fall into its hands.”
The Israeli leader also revealed a new future goal for Israel: pursuing peace deals with more Arab countries.
“I aim to continue the process I led and achieve peace with additional Arab countries,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel would be brokering these deals with like-minded countries who are also striving “for a safe, stable and prosperous Middle East.”
Background: Before the current round of conflict, Israel had been engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to reset its relations with certain Arab states in the Middle East. The pinnacle of this engagement was the Abraham Accords, high-profile normalization agreements signed with the Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in 2020.
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Israeli lawmakers to vote Monday on bills to ban UNRWA
From CNN's Dana Karni and Vasco Cotovio
Israeli lawmakers are set to vote on two bills that would severely hamper the United Nations’ ability to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees in territories occupied by Israel, despite intense international pressure to drop the effort.
The bills, which are scheduled for a vote in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Monday, would prevent staff and aid provided by UNRWA – the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees – from transiting Israel.
The bills do not technically bar the agency from operating in the Israeli-occupied territories such as Gaza and areas of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority, but the legislation would significantly limit UNRWA’s ability to respond to events in those areas.
The agency has long been the target of Israeli criticism, especially after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
The votes are expected to go ahead despite international pressure from the United States and other Western nations.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement calling on Israel to halt the legislation, expressing “grave concern,” especially in light of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“UNRWA provides essential and life-saving humanitarian aid and basic services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and throughout the region,” the statement read.
“Without its work, the provision of such assistance and services, including education, health care, and fuel distribution in Gaza and the West Bank would be severely hampered if not impossible, with devastating consequences on an already critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in northern Gaza.”
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More than 1,000 people have been killed since Israel intensified northern Gaza operations, civil defense says
From CNN's Nechirvan Mando and Vasco Cotovio
More than 1,000 people have been killed since Israel began a large-scale military incursion into northern Gaza earlier this month, Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Gaza civil defense, has said.
Basal said intense Israeli bombardment has been continuous for 22 days in Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, among other areas, adding that Israeli forces have also prevented the civil defense and medical staff from accessing that part of the Gaza Strip.
“Those being bombed in the northern part of the strip will find no medical assistance or anyone to provide medical services,” he said. “We are thus facing a difficult and tragic situation.”
In addition to the more than 1,000 confirmed killed, many others are lying either beneath the rubble or on the streets, Basal added.
“We also call on organizations such as the Red Cross to intervene and allow civil defense and medical teams, as well as hospitals, to carry out their humanitarian duties in northern Gaza.”
“Otherwise, we are facing a serious threat to the lives of over 100,000 citizens who remain in their homes in the northern part of the strip,” Basal concluded.
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Nearly 6 million Palestinians are registered for UN services. A proposed law could affect 2.5 million in need
From CNN's Kara Fox and Henrik Pettersson
A boy carries a humanitarian aid package provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in central Gaza City on August 27.
Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images
Israel’s parliament is considering two bills this week that could significantly restrict the operations of UNRWA, the UN’s relief agency for Palestinians, in territories occupied by Israel. It comes at a time when the UN says the humanitarian crisis has “turned Gaza into the abyss,” with the entire population of northern Gaza “at risk of dying.”
If the bills pass through the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, the UN said that delivery of food, shelter and healthcare “would grind to a halt,” adding that 600,000 children in Gaza alone would lose “the only entity that is able to re-start education – risking the fate of an entire generation.”
The proposed legislation would also see the end of many health, education and social services in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the UN.
The Israeli government has claimed that some UNRWA staff are affiliated with Hamas. Following an investigation by the UN Office of Oversight Services (OIOS), the UN said in August that nine staff working for UNRWA would be fired because they may have been involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The OIOS added that they were not able to independently authenticate information used by Israel to support the allegations. During the investigation, several governments suspended funding for the agency. While most countries have since reinstated their funding for UNRWA, the US has not.
On Sunday, in a joint letter, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea expressed “grave concerns” over the proposed ban in a joint letter.
The US has also expressed concern over the proposed legislation’s impact.
While the move would cut off UNRWA’s operations in Israel and territories it occupies – affecting 2.5 million people – the agency supports millions of other Palestinian refugees in five locations across the Middle East.
Here’s a look at how many Palestinian refugees are registered for UNRWA services – and where.
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Israeli opposition leader Gantz calls on Netanyahu to strike hostage deal, even at a "painful" price
Israeli Minister Benny Gantz addresses the media in Ramat Gan, Israel, on June 9.
Nir Elias/Reuters
Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a deal that would allow for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, even if it comes at a “painful” price.
“The time is more ripe than ever to strive for a rapid plan to return the hostages,” Gantz told a parliamentary meeting of the National Unity party, which he leads.
Gantz conceded fighting in Gaza would have to continue “for years,” but added it was important to bring back the hostages.
“The question is whether we will see 101 of our daughters and sons, who were kidnapped due to the greatest failure in our history, during your watch,” Gantz said, referring to the number of hostages still held in Gaza.
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Gaza health ministry urges people with surgical skills to join Kamal Adwan Hospital
From CNN's Kareem Khadder, Dana Karni and Vasco Cotovio
Damage to ambulances at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on October 26.
AFP/Getty Images
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has called on anyone with surgical skills to join the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza to “help save as many wounded and patients as possible,” after an Israeli raid on the facility left it low on supplies and staff.
“The ministry urgently calls on international organizations to promptly dispatch surgical teams to the hospital,” it added.
The ministry explained the hospital had been left without most of its medical staff, accusing Israeli forces of either detaining or expelling most of the facility’s physicians. It said, currently “only one pediatric doctor remains in the hospital across all specialties.”
An Israeli military official said Monday that troops had raided Kamal Adwan Hospital last week following “significant fighting” that took place around the hospital. The official said there had not been firefights inside the hospital, but that troops found weapons and ammunition on the hospital grounds.
During that operation, the official said the IDF detained “more than 100 Hamas terrorists.” CNN cannot independently verify the claim.
At least 30 people who were detained at the hospital were medical staff, according to the nonprofit organization MedGlobal and the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
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Oil prices sink as Israel avoids attacking Iran’s oil fields
From CNN's Anna Cooban
Oil prices tumbled on Monday after Israel’s retaliatory attack on Iran over the weekend avoided hitting Tehran’s critical energy infrastructure.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark sunk 5.8% by 5:34 a.m. ET to trade at $72 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the US oil benchmark, dropped 6% to $67 a barrel.
Israel launched direct strikes on what it said were military targets in Iran early Saturday, in retaliation for the barrage of missiles Tehran launched into Israel earlier this month. The attack appears to have deliberately avoided hitting Iran’s oil fields and nuclear facilities.
Iran vowed on Sunday to respond to Israel’s strikes but said it does not want a wider war.
“The targeted scope of the attack and the absence of an immediate retaliation signal have seen markets price out some of the geopolitical risk premium (related to the conflict),” analysts at Deutsche Bank wrote in a note Monday.
Oil prices have climbed since Israel began targeting Hezbollah — an Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon — in late September, and as Iran has retaliated by launching missiles into Israel.
Investors have grown increasingly concerned that the escalating conflict may disrupt oil flows through the vital Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s southern coast, which could send oil prices soaring. The slim waterway — just 21 miles (34 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point — is “the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint,” according to the US Energy Information Administration.
About one-fifth of the world’s global oil trade passes through the strait every day, according toSimone Tagliapietra, a senior fellow at Brussels-based think tank Bruegel.
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Ceasefire talks not expected to progress until after US election, source says
From CNN’s Dana Karni
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
AP/Getty Images
Hostage-ceasefire talks involving Hamas and Israeli negotiators are not expected to see “significant progress” until a winner is declared in the US presidential election, a source briefed on the talks told CNN.
The source added the latest round of talks, which began in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday, did not focus on achieving a hostage release and ceasefire deal, but rather on jump-starting the process.
The discussions also covered the war in Lebanon, as well as Iran and its regional influence.
Another round of talks is expected in a few days, the source added.
US elections are due on November 5.
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UN body says “entire population” of northern Gaza is “at risk of dying”
From CNN's Karem Khadder and Vasco Cotovio
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the “entire population of north Gaza is at risk of dying,” as Israel continues intense military operations in the area.
“Hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly been killed. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee yet again,” acting Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya said in a statement. “Hospitals have been hit and health workers have been detained. Shelters have been emptied and burned down. First responders have been prevented from saving people from under the rubble. Families have been separated and men and boys are being taken away by the truckload.”
Msuya went on to say that “what Israeli forces are doing in besieged north Gaza cannot be allowed to continue.”
“Such blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war must stop,” she added.
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Iraq accuses Israel of violating its airspace during attack on Iran
From CNN's Aqeel Najim and Irene Nasser
This satellite photo shows damaged buildings at Iran's Parchin military base outside of Tehran, Iran, on October 27.
Planet Labs PBC/AP
Iraq has accused the Israeli military of violating its airspace when it carried out a series of strikes on Iran on Saturday.
In a statement Monday, an Iraqi government spokesperson said Iraq had sent a letter of protest to the United Nations to condemn the alleged Israeli breach.
Israel said on Saturday it had struck military targets inside Iran in response to earlier Iranian attacks, again raising fears that the long-running confrontation between the two powerful militaries could escalate into an all-out regional war. Asked if it had used Iraqi airspace, the Israeli military said it can’t elaborate beyond what was already published.
Iran earlier claimed Israel had used Iraqi airspace to carry out the attacks and accused the US of complicity. The US has said it was notified about the strikes but was not directly involved.
According to the Iraqi statement, Iraq’s prime minister has told the country’s foreign ministry to raise the alleged Israeli violation with US officials.
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Foreign ministers of 7 countries urge Israel to halt bill to expel key UN agency
From CNN’s Irene Nasser
Foreign ministers of seven countries have called on Israel to halt legislation that would prevent the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees from working in Israel – a move that would potentially impact the lives of millions.
The bill, due to be brought to the Israeli parliament this week for a vote, would prohibit any Israeli official from providing services or dealing with employees of UNRWA and forbid the agency from operating in Israel. The agency has long been a target of Israeli criticism and relations between Israel and the UN have slumped amid the war in Gaza.
The foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom expressed “grave concern” over the legislation in a joint statement.
“Without its work, the provision of such assistance and services, including education, health care, and fuel distribution in Gaza and the West Bank would be severely hampered if not impossible, with devastating consequences on an already critical and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, particularly in northern Gaza.”
The ministers urged the Israeli government to “abide by its international obligations” and to “live up to its responsibility to facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms” to the civilian population.
More context: The Israeli government claims that some of UNRWA’s staff are affiliated with Hamas. UNRWA has strongly denied the allegations, but several governments suspended funding for the agency earlier this year while the allegations were investigated.
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What to know from Israel and Gaza on the weekend
From CNN staff
A Palestinian inspects the damage after an overnight Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on October 27.
Stringer/AFP/Getty Images
Dozens of Palestinians were killed in Israel’s military operations in northern Gaza over the weekend, including a raid on a hospital where hundreds of people had been sheltering alongside patients.
Meanwhile, the fallout continued from Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, with each country appearing to move toward de-escalation as world leaders urged the sides to avoid a wider war.
Here’s what to know from the weekend:
In Gaza:
• An Israeli strike killed several people at a school west of Gaza City on Sunday, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense. Video from the scene showed victims being placed in pick-up trucks, including at least two children, and several people who appeared to be dead on the ground. Israel’s military claimed it targeted Hamas operatives in the strike.
• Nearby, about 40 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings in Beit Lahiya late Saturday, health officials said. Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, the spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, said Sunday that in addition to those killed, more than 80 people had been wounded in the strikes on a residential area in the city.
• The head of the World Health Organization called attacks on health care in Gaza “deplorable” and the conditions in northern Gaza “catastrophic.” The “devastation and deprivation” caused by Israel’s military in the north of the enclave is “making the conditions of life untenable” for Palestinians there, the spokesperson for the United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres said.
In Israel:
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s strikes on Iran had severely damaged Tehran’s defense capabilities, without providing further details on what was targeted. Iran said Israel attacked military facilities across the country Saturday morning, killing one civilian in addition to four army personnel, and causing “limited damage.”
• More than 30 people were injured and one was killed when a truck rammed a bus near a military base in central Israel on Sunday, according to Israeli emergency services.
Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks have begun in Doha, source says
From CNN’s Becky Anderson and Mohammed Tawfeeq
Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks in Doha “have begun,” a diplomat familiar with the matter told CNN on Sunday.
Top negotiators from the United States, Israel and Qatar were slated to meet in Doha on Sunday to discuss efforts to reach an agreement, CNN reported on Thursday.
This is the first round of high-level talks in more than two months. US officials have argued for renewed momentum following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Earlier Sunday, Egypt publicly proposed a two-day ceasefire deal in which four Israeli hostages in Gaza would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Cairo has played a key role in mediating the talks, along with Qatar and the US.
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Israeli strike kills several people sheltering at school near Gaza City, Civil Defense says
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman and Tim Lister
Palestinians inspect their belongings after an Israeli air strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on October 27.
Mahmoud Issa/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
An Israeli strike killed several people at the Asmaa school west of Gaza City on Sunday, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
Video from the scene showed victims being placed in pick-up trucks, including at least two children, and several people who appear to be dead on the ground.
The Hamas-run Government Media Office later said three of the dead worked for Hamas-affiliated media outlets.
The Civil Defense said crews were able to retrieve a number of bodies and wounded people, and that rescuers were still searching for missing people under the rubble.
The school compound in Al-Shati refugee camp, where hundreds of displaced people are staying, has been struck several times during the war.
Israel’s military claimed it targeted Hamas operatives in the strike. It alleged that a Hamas command and control center was embedded in the compound and said it took steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.
After a previous strike targeting what it said were Hamas operatives in the compound, the IDF had said Hamas “systematically, intentionally and strategically places its infrastructure and operates from within civilian areas.”
Remember: Renewed Israeli military operations in northern Gaza have once again displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians, and left many others dead from bombardment. Authorities in Gaza say the Israeli military has stopped aid from reaching parts of the area.
Iran says it does not seek war with Israel but vows "an appropriate response"
From CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq, Nechirvan Mando, Dana Karni and Hira Humayun
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia on October 24.
Iranian Presidency/Anadolu/Getty Images
Iran vowed Sunday to respond to Israel’s strikes on the country this weekend, which Tehran says killed five people, but said it does not want a wider war.
The Iranian president warned tensions would escalate if Israel “continues its aggression and crimes” and accused the United States of “provoking the regime into committing these crimes.”
IRNA also quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying Iran was not seeking war, but adding that it would respond to any aggression by Israel at an “appropriate time.”
What Israel is saying: Israel’s chief of the general staff, Herzi Halevi, warned on Sunday that any threat against his country would be dealt with militarily. He added that Israel had “used only a portion” of its military capabilities during Saturday’s strikes on Iran.
“We will now see how things develop. We are prepared for all scenarios in every arena,” he said.
Keep in mind: Israel had a relatively muted public posture immediately after the strikes, which was intentional, according to a source familiar with the government’s thinking, aimed at giving Iran the opportunity to downplay the strikes and avoid further escalation.
Israeli military is making life "untenable" for Palestinians in northern Gaza, UN chief warns
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman and Catherine Nicholls
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an interview at the United Nations headquarters on September 16, in New York City.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
The “devastation and deprivation” caused by Israel’s military operations in northern Gaza is “making the conditions of life untenable” for Palestinians there, the spokesperson for the United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres said Sunday.
Israel has been bombarding northern Gaza for weeks, after saying it received intelligence that Hamas is rebuilding in the area.
Israeli authorities are continuing to deny attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need, Dujarric said, “with few exceptions, putting countless lives in peril.”
A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released Tuesday claimed that, in the first three weeks of October, only four out of 70 planned aid movements into Gaza were facilitated by Israeli authorities.
A UN-led campaign to vaccinate children in Gaza against polio has also been postponed in the north of the Strip, Dujarric said, “putting the lives of thousands of children at risk.”
“This conflict continues to be waged with little regard for the requirements of international humanitarian law,” the spokesperson continued.
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Israeli MP behind bill to expel key UN agency accuses US of interfering with process
From CNN's Dana Karni and Tim Lister
An Israeli MP behind a bill that would prevent the main UN agency in Gaza and the West Bank from working in Israel has accused the US ambassador in Israel of lobbying opposition leaders to block the move.
If the bill passes in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, this week, it will prohibit any Israeli official from providing services or dealing with employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency and forbid UNRWA from operating in Israel.
Several countries, including the US, have expressed concern over the impact of the bill.
The Israeli government has claimed that some of the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) staff are affiliated with Hamas. UNRWA has strongly denied the allegations, but several governments suspended funding for the agency earlier this year while the allegations were investigated.
The MP, Yulia Malinovsky, told CNN that US Ambassador Jacob Lew has contacted several opposition leaders, including Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, in an effort to get the legislation stopped.
She described the US pressure as unacceptable.
The US State Department told CNN that as a matter of policy, it would not comment on private diplomatic conversations.
But it said that the proposed legislation would make it impossible for UNRWA to operate and would leave a “vacuum that Israel would then be responsible for filling.” A spokesman said UNRWA provided vital services in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan.
UNRWA has long been a target of Israeli criticism and relations between Israel and the UN have slumped amid the war in Gaza.
