April 2, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

Palestinians are standing next to a vehicle in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza , on Tuesday, April 2, where employees from the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Seven aid workers from the non-profit World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli military strike Monday night as they were delivering food to starving civilians in Gaza.

World Central Kitchen said its workers were traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the charity’s logo and “a soft skin vehicle.”

Three British nationals, a dual US-Canadian citizen, along with people from Australia and Poland as well as a Palestinian were killed in the strike.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military “unintentionally struck innocent people” as the Israel Defense Forces pledged to investigate the strike “at the highest levels.” World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres slammed the Israeli government, saying it “needs to stop this indiscriminate killing.”

Here are the latest headlines from the region:

Anti-government protesters gather with signs and candles as they stage a four-day sit-in Jerusalem on Tuesday, April 2, calling for the dissolution of the Israeli government and the return of Israelis held hostage in Gaza by Palestinian militants since the October 7 attacks.

More anti-government protests were held Tuesday in Israel where demonstrators called for the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza.

Israeli media reported several thousand people gathered in front of the parliament building in Jerusalem, marking the third of a four-day wave of protests. They are the largest anti-government protests since Israel’s war with Hamas began on October 7.

Einav Zangauker, mother of a hostage being held in Gaza, criticized Netanyahu, saying:

Images from Jerusalem showed people holding signs accusing the Israeli government of “abandoning” hostages as well as “inciting and instigating” the war.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he apologized to founder Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen after Israeli drone strikes killed seven of its aid workers Monday.

Herzog “expressed his deep sorrow and sincere apologies over the tragic loss of life of WCK staff in the Gaza Strip last night, and sent his condolences to their families and loved ones,” according to a post on X from the presidency.

The Biden administration is outraged by an Israeli airstrike that killed several aid workers in Gaza, the White House said Tuesday, adding US President Joe Biden also spoke with the organization’s founder, José Andrés, to express his condolences. 

Kirby said the White House had seen comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces that they would investigate and said the administration expected the investigation to be conducted “in a swift and comprehensive manner.” 

“We hope that those findings will be made public and that there is appropriate accountability held,” Kirby said. He said a preliminary investigation had already been completed. 

Kirby said one of the victims was a dual-national United States citizen. 

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has become the deadliest for aid workers in more than two decades, according to the Aid Worker Security Database.

In fewer than six months, the number of aid workers killed in Gaza has reached nearly 200 — a higher number of casualties than seen over a year in any other conflict since at least 1997.

Afghanistan, Syria and South Sudan had been the deadliest countries for humanitarian workers in the past 20 years, but annual fatalities during the worst years of conflict there were lower than during the current Israeli offensive in Gaza, data shows.

The Aid Worker Security data includes workers from the United Nations and other nonprofit humanitarian aid agencies. The UN has separately reported more than 170 of its staff members killed since October 7, which is also the highest number of casualties among UN personnel in the agency’s history. Fifteen Palestine Red Crescent Society workers and volunteers have also been killed, according to a UN report on March 29.

The US has a “longstanding commitment” to Israel’s security, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken argued Tuesday as the administration’s arms transfers to the Israel government come under growing scrutiny.

The top US diplomat stressed that commitment has been consistent across Democratic and Republican administrations. “That policy developed over many years, developed into successive agreements between the United States and Israel, long duration, 10 years in this case, to provide military assistance over that timeframe to about $3 billion a year,” Blinken said at a press conference in Paris.

CNN reported Monday the US is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The weapons go toward Israel’s self-defense, replenishment of stocks and supplies, and deterrence from more conflicts, he argued. He also noted that many of the sales were approved years before the war in Gaza, saying “these complex systems can take years.”

He said “every single” arms transfer happens within policy requirements, adding that President Joe Biden’s administration is “going above and beyond the law” to keep Congress apprised.

$18 billion sale of jets: CNN reported Monday the US is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The Al-Shifa medical complex in northern Gaza is “permanently out of service” due to extensive destruction caused by the 14-day Israeli siege, the hospital’s acting director said Monday, calling for the deployment of a field hospital urgently.

Before Al-Shifa siege: The hospital — the largest in Gaza — used to have 750 beds, 26 operation rooms and served 250,000 patients annually, he said.

“We urgently need a field hospital to treat our injured with a minimum capacity of 180 beds,” he said.

Dire need for medical workers: The director of the nursing department at the complex, Jadallah Al-Shafie, told CNN on Monday that such a field hospital would require returning the medical staff that were forcibly displaced to the south, in addition to other Arab and international professionals.

Abu Saada said numerous doctors and surgeons were killed or arrested by Israeli forces during the first siege in November, as well as in the second siege that ended early Monday. He said he was appointed in his current position as director following the arrest and imprisonment of his predecessor by Israeli forces.

“We don’t have the staff to even go treat the wounded in other places,” Abu Saada said.

People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on April 2. 

Video and images of the deadly airstrike in Gaza that killed seven aid workers from the nonprofit World Central Kitchen appear to show that the strike was carried out by targeted drone missiles, an explosive weapons expert said.

Chris Cobb-Smith, a former British Army artillery officer and munitions expert, told CNN the heavy damage to three vehicles seen in video and images from the scene was consistent with the use of “highly accurate drone-fired missiles,” adding it was “hard to believe” the tragic incident was accidental.   

The drone that fired the missiles would have been operated in conjunction with a surveillance drone, Cobb-Smith said, meaning the Israeli military would have had total visibility of the cars. At least two of the vehicles were branded with the WCK logo on their roofs, the group has said.

The “limited blast” and “considerable localized destruction” seen in photos and videos of the aftermath are also consistent with an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle strike, he added.

Cobb-Smith told CNN missile fragments would be needed to definitively identify the exact munition used in the strike.  

Patrick Senft, a research coordinator at Armament Research Services (ARES), echoed the opinion of Cobb-Smith, saying that the aftermath of the strike “seems consistent with munitions deployed by UAVs.”   

Israeli opposition and Yesh Atid party leader, Yair Lapid, speaks to the press during a party meeting on February 5, in Jerusalem. 

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid will visit Washington, DC, next week, a spokesperson for Lapid told CNN Tuesday.

The spokesperson did not have details about whom Lapid will meet with, but said that the focus of the visit is “strengthening the Israel-US strategic relationship, bringing the hostages back home, the situation in the north, and Israel’s role in the region.”

A recent visit to Washington by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rival Benny Gantz caused massive outrage from Netanyahu.

Both Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, during that visit in early March. At the meeting, top Biden administration officials conveyed their frustrations over the “unacceptable and unsustainable” situation in Gaza. Gantz’s decision to travel to Washington was not sanctioned by the Israeli government, meaning he was not accompanied by the Israeli ambassador in his meetings, according to an official familiar. 

Blinken regularly meets with Lapid during his trips to Israel.

CNN has reached out to the US State Department and National Security Council to see if any officials plan to meet with Lapid.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks during a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on March 26 in Arlington, Virginia. 

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed forces on Tuesday to “maintain an open and transparent line of communication” with international organizations on actions being taken after an airstrike killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza.

Gallant also ordered that a “joint situation room” be opened promptly to coordinate aid distributions between international organizations and the Israel Defense Force’s Southern Command, according to a media statement published after Gallant held a meeting with senior Israeli defense officials.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the agency that controls access to Gaza, expressed condolences to families of WCK “colleagues” who have “worked closely” with COGAT over the past months.

“Our aim is to prevent such events from happening again, ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers as they carry out their crucial tasks,” COGAT wrote on X Tuesday.

The United Kingdom has summoned the Israeli ambassador in London on Tuesday over the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, including three British nationals.

The British Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell summoned Israel’s ambassador to set out the government’s “unequivocal condemnation of the appalling killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British Nationals,” he said in a Foreign Office press release.

Earlier on Tuesday, World Central Kitchen announced that seven members of its team were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza and said it is immediately pausing its operations in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military “unintentionally struck innocent people” as the Israel Defense Forces pledged to investigate the strike “at the highest levels.” 

A US-Canadian dual citizen was killed in the Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy, a US official said on Tuesday.

The airstrike killed at least seven aid workers from a team delivering food to civilians in Gaza, according to WCK and authorities in the enclave. WCK previously said those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as Australian, Polish, UK, and Palestinian workers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military “unintentionally struck innocent people” as the Israel Defense Forces pledged to investigate the strike “at the highest levels.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for a swift and thorough investigation into the strike.

Founded by celebrity chef José Andrés in 2010, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a Washington-headquartered charity that delivers food to disaster zones around the world.

It is one of the few charities that had remained operational in Gaza as the enclave faces widespread famine.

It has made headlines in recent years for coordinating food relief for thousands of people after an earthquake devastated Haiti, Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, wildfires scorched Southern California, and a refugee crisis intensified on the Venezuelan border.

In March, the nonprofit led an initiative to ship 200 tons of food aid to Gaza – which it said was the first maritime shipment of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave.

The shipment included enough ingredients for 500,000 meals that World Central Kitchen planned to distribute in the strip, where hundreds of thousands people are on the brink of famine.

People inspect the damaged vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen staff members after Israeli strike on April 2 in Gaza.

The Biden administration has been in touch with World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés in the wake of the deadly Israeli strike on an aid convoy, a senior administration official told CNN on Tuesday.

US officials have also had outreach with all levels of the Israeli government, as well as the United Nations, the senior administration source said.

These communications began when the US first learned of the deadly incident around 6 p.m. ET last night and has continued overnight and this morning, the official said. 

The official said the US noted the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson’s comments about the strike being investigated at the highest levels. The official stressed that the US expects a prompt, complete and transparent investigation that leads to “corrective measures” being taken. 

They said it is “imperative” that all possible measures be taken to protect and facilitate the safe distribution of humanitarian aid.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the deadly attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

Guterres reiterated the importance of following international law and not targeting diplomatic and consular premises or personnel. He also stated that all countries have an obligation to uphold commitments under international law, including international humanitarian law, while urging avoidance of actions that could endanger civilians or civilian infrastructure.

Iran and Syria accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday — which killed at least seven officials — with Iran vowing to retaliate. The Israeli military told CNN it does not comment on foreign reports, but a military spokesperson said Israel believes the target struck was a “military building of Quds forces,” a unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for foreign operations.

In light of the precarious situation in the Middle East, Guterres asked all parties involved to exercise restraint to prevent any further escalations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Paris on April 2.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that the US has spoken to Israel about the strike that killed at least seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza and urged for “a swift, a thorough, an impartial investigation.”

Blinken also offered condolences for “the loved ones, to the families, the friends, the colleagues of those who lost their lives, as well as those who were injured.” He praised the work of the nonprofit and its celebrity chef founder José Andrés.

“They have been doing extraordinary brave work, day in day out, and critical work to try to make sure that people in need get what they need, starting with the most basic thing of all — food — to survive,” he said.

Séjourné condemned the strike, stressing that the protection of humanitarian personnel is “a moral and legal imperative to which everyone must adhere.”

CNN’s Pierre Bairin in Paris contributed reporting to this post.

Palestinians hold empty containers to receive food distributed by aid organizations in Rafah, Gaza, on March 30.

World Central Kitchen (WCK), one of the few organizations delivering desperately needed food to Gaza, announced it was pausing its operations in Gaza following Israel’s strike on aid workers delivering food to starving Palestinians.

Its announcement means there will be even less food reaching the besiege enclave, where aid organizations warn that 2.2 million people do not have enough to eat and half of the population is on the brink of starvation and famine due to Israel’s throttling of aid and widespread destruction.

In March, WCK led the delivery of the first maritime shipment of aid from Cyprus into Gaza, distributing 500,000 meals.

Shortly after WCK announced it was pausing its operations, so did American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), an organization that has provided about 150,000 meals a day to Gazans in coordination with WCK.

Meanwhile, the main agency responsible for aid distribution in Gaza, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), is also struggling to meet the demand for requirements amid ongoing funding suspensions and blockades from accessing parts of Gaza by Israel. The US and 13 other allies pulled funding for UNRWA after Israeli allegations that some of its staff were involved in Hamas’ October 7 attack. However, funding has since been restored by a number of countries, including Canada, Australia, and — as of Tuesday — Japan.

Cyprus’ President Nikos Christodoulides has vowed to maintain the maritime corridor delivering humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Gaza, saying “the tragic events should not discourage us.”

American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) suspended its Gaza operations following an airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers on Monday.

Anera said its logistics coordinator in Gaza, Mousa Shawwa was killed in an airstrike while sheltering with his extended family in Deir Al-Balah on March 8. He had just returned from delivering humanitarian aid that afternoon and was still wearing his Anera jacket, according to the organization.

Anera said it has provided an average of 150,000 daily meals in collaboration with WCK along with “millions of medical treatments, and thousands of critical emergency aid items” to Gaza since October 7.

The Israeli military’s top general, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, will “personally review” the findings of the Israeli military’s initial inquiry into Israeli strikes that targeted a convoy of World Central Kitchen (WCK) vehicles, an Israeli military spokesperson told CNN Tuesday.

Halevi will travel to the military’s Southern Command headquarters Tuesday evening to conduct the review.

The Israeli strike killed seven volunteers, including a dual US-Canada citizen, an Australian woman, UK nationals, a Polish man and a Palestinian man, according to WCK.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces “unintentionally struck innocent people in the Gaza Strip.”

Palestinians inspect the damages at the area around Al-Shifa Hospital following a two-week Israeli operation in Gaza City on April 1.

Al-Shifa Hospital “is now in ruins” following Israel’s 14-day siege, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Margaret Harris said at a news conference on Tuesday.

“We’ve had contact with the staff. The directors have told us that Al Shifa Hospital is gone, it’s no longer able to function in any way, shape, or form as a hospital,” she said. “Destroying Al Shifa means ripping the heart out of the health system” in Gaza, Harris added.

Harris said WHO is hoping to send a mission on Tuesday to Al-Shifa “to see what we can do, to help, what aid we can provide.” She added that a ceasefire “should have happened months ago, but it must happen now.”

In a briefing Monday, spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the IDF had distinguished between patients, medics and civilians sheltering at the medical complex and militants, adding that it had done its utmost to avoid civilian harm, reaffirming the 14-day siege was an “anti-terror” mission.

At least 300 bodies have been uncovered there so far, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, and one witness described the destructive aftermath as like a scene from a “horror movie.” Determining the precise number of people killed is difficult, it added, because Israeli troops had buried bodies inside and around the complex and bulldozed nearby roads.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israeli forces “unintentionally struck innocent people in the Gaza Strip.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces “unintentionally struck innocent people in the Gaza Strip” in comments on Tuesday.

Netanyahu’s remarks came after at least seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces earlier on Tuesday said they were investigating the strike “at the highest levels.”

In the same statement, Netanyahu said he is being released from the hospital after undergoing surgery to treat a hernia this weekend.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stark warning to Israel on Tuesday, saying Iranians “will punish” Israel after an attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

Monday’s attack on the consulate in Damascus killed at least seven military officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including senior IRGC commanders Maj. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi. Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports, but a military spokesperson said Israeli intelligence suggested the building was not a consulate nor embassy but a military building of the Quds forces.

According to state news agency IRNA, Khamenei wrote that “the evil regime will be punished by the hands of our brave men. By God’s will, we will make them regret this crime and other ones like it.”

Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei’s political adviser and Iran’s former Supreme National Security Council secretary, said Tuesday in a post on X that whether the US knew of Israeli “attacks” or not does not affect its direct responsibility and consequences for strikes in Syria. The US has denied having any knowledge of plans to carry out the attack.

US and Israeli flags burned in protest: People gathered across the Iranian capital Monday night to protest against the bombing of Iran’s consulate in Damascus, which Tehran has blamed on Israel. Protestors could be heard chanting slogans such as “Death to Israel!” and “Revenge! Revenge!” Flags of Israel and the United States were also set on fire during protests.

CNN’s Xiaofei Xu contributed reporting.

An Israeli negotiating delegation will leave Cairo Tuesday, having formulated an “updated proposal” for Hamas.

It added that Israel “expects the mediators to take vigorous action regarding Hamas to advance the negotiations” to find a deal for the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

The Israeli delegation in Cairo consisted of representatives of Israel’s military, Mossad and ISA intelligence services. The ISA, also known as Shin Bet or Shabak, is Israel’s domestic security agency.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said he had authorized an Israeli negotiating delegation to travel to Qatar and Egypt.

Last week, a proposal that had been put forward by CIA Director Bill Burns and accepted by Israel was rejected by Hamas, according to an Israeli official.

The maritime corridor delivering humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Gaza “will continue,” the Cypriot president has vowed.

Nikos Christodoulides described the death of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in Gaza as “tragic news,” at a news conference with the European Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola Tuesday in Cyprus.

The Amalthea Initiative — whereby aid is delivered to Gaza by ship — will continue, “as the humanitarian needs are there,” the Cypriot president said. Two ships, the “Open Arms” and the “Jennifer” have used the port of Larnaca in Cyprus as a base before shipping aid to Gaza.

Earlier on Tuesday, WCK, which has helped lead the maritime corridor initiative, said that it is immediately pausing its operations in the region. President Christodoulides also called for an “immediate and complete investigation” of the incident and expressed “sincere condolences to WCK and the countries who lost their citizens.” 

The United States told Iran it was not involved and had no advance knowledge of Monday’s strike on an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, according to a US official. The communication comes amid concern about the war between Israel and Hamas widening to a broader regional conflict. Iran has vowed retaliation after a strike it blamed on Israel killed two of its top commanders and five others at its consulate in Syria.

“The United States had no involvement in the strike and we did not know about it ahead of time,” according to a National Security Council spokesperson. The US has “communicated this directly to Iran,” the US official said. Axios was first to report this.

On Monday, the State Department said the US was gathering more information about Monday’s strike in Damascus but expressed concerns about any further regional conflict.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said “the United States should be answerable” for the attack. Amir-Abdollahian said Iran summoned the Swiss chargé d’affaires in Tehran early hours Tuesday local time to discuss the incident, given Switzerland’s role in representing US interests in Iran.

A Palestinian inspects near a vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 2, in central Gaza.

At least seven aid workers were killed by an Israeli air strike while delivering food to civilians in Gaza, according to non-profit group World Central Kitchen (WCK) and authorities in the besieged enclave.

Details are still emerging about those killed, but here’s what we know so far:

The victims: Among those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, the group said.

Saif Issam Abu-Taha, a Palestinian driver and translator working with WCK was named as one of the victims by Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese identified the Australian victim as Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom. “This is someone who volunteered in Australia to help people during the bushfires. This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza,” Albanese said.

What Israel is saying: The Israeli military is investigating the deadly strike on WCK aid workers “at the highest levels,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari also said that he had spoken to WCK founder Chef José Andrés and “expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defense Forces to the families and the entire World Central Kitchen family.”

International response:

International organizations and countries have taken to social media reacting to the killing of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in Gaza on Tuesday.

Here’s what they have to say:

Palestinians stand next to a vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza, on April 2.

The Israeli military said Tuesday it was investigating a deadly strike on World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers “at the highest levels.”

“We have been reviewing the incident at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of what happened and how it happened,” a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military said Tuesday.

An Israeli airstrike killed at least seven aid workers from a team delivering food to civilians in Gaza, according to WCK and authorities in the enclave. Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, according to the non-profit.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said he had spoken to WCK founder Chef José Andrés and “expressed the deepest condolences of the Israel Defense Forces to the families and the entire World Central Kitchen family.”

Hagari said that the IDF would investigate the events “thoroughly and transparently”, and the Israeli military had expressed “sincere sorrow” to its “allied nations who have been doing and continue to do so much to assist those in need.”

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi makes a speech at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey, on January 24.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday blamed Israel for an attack on Tehran’s consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus, saying it “will not go unanswered,” state news agency IRNA reported.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced after a meeting with Raisi on Monday that “appropriate decisions” were made in response to the attack, IRNA reported.

The attack killed at least seven officials including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.

Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports, but its spokesperson told CNN the consulate was a “military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building.”

The White House is “heartbroken and deeply troubled” by a strike that killed at least seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza and is urging Israel to investigate the incident, a spokesperson for the National Security Council says.

“Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened.”

Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, according to the non-profit. US officials have been in contact with Israeli officials about the strike, a US official said.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident.

Poland’s foreign ministry confirmed on Tuesday that a Polish national who was a volunteer with the non-profit World Central Kitchen was killed in Gaza. 

The volunteer, Damian Soból, was from the Polish town of Przemyśl, according to the town’s mayor.  

Soból is among at least seven aid workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike while delivering food to civilians in Gaza, according to World Central Kitchen and authorities in the enclave. Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, according to the non-profit.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said he had “personally” asked the Israeli Ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne for “urgent explanations.”

“He assured me that Poland would soon receive the results of the investigation into this tragedy,” Sikorski said, adding Poland’s Ministry of Justice has opened its own investigation. 

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident.

Aid organizations around the world on Tuesday mourned the killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza.

The director of the World Food Programme in Palestine praised their “life-saving” work in a post on X.

Open Arms, a non-profit rescue organization, called their deaths “Irreparable human losses.” 

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, expressed grief over the repeated deaths of aid workers in the conflict.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), expressed his condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims.

The aid workers were killed by an Israeli airstrike, according to WCK and authorities in Gaza.

Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, according to the non-profit.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident.

Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, China on March 12.

China has condemned the killing of seven people working for non-profit World Central Kitchen in Gaza.

The aid workers were killed by an Israeli airstrike, according to the charity and authorities in Gaza.

He said civilians “should not be targeted, and the safety of international humanitarian aid workers should not be threatened.”

Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, according to the non-profit.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident.

China has condemned a deadly strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria, which Tehran blamed on Israel.

Iran has vowed to retaliate after the bombing, which is a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that has appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

The UK is “urgently seeking further information” on the death of a British aid worker killed in Gaza, its foreign office said on Tuesday.

The British national was one of seven aid workers working with non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK) who were killed by an Israeli airstrike, according to the charity and authorities in Gaza.

The office called for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected, saying too many civilians have been killed and that they wanted to see greater care to avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.

Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, the non-profit said.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident.

Emergency and security personnel inspect the site of a strike that hit a building annexed to the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital Damascus on April 1.

Iran has vowed to retaliate after a bombing of its embassy complex in Syria that it blamed on Israel — a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

Here’s what we know about the attack:

Who was killed in the strike? The strike killed at least seven officials, including Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), and senior commander Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi.

Zahedi is the most high-profile Iranian target killed since former US President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020.

How may Iran respond? Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani warned that Tehran “preserves the right to take reciprocal measures and will decide the type of response and punishment against the aggressor.”

Iran’s most powerful paramilitary ally, Hezbollah, warned that Israel would pay for the attack. Hezbollah has been embroiled in daily crossfire with Israeli forces since the war in Gaza started.

Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports, but its spokesperson told CNN the consulate was a “military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building.”

How does the strike escalate regional tensions? While Israel has long targeted Iran and its proxies in Syria, its alleged attack in Damascus is a significant escalation due to both the location and the target. The consulate building, which includes the ambassador’s residence and is located next to the Iranian Embassy, is considered sovereign Iranian territory.

Read the full story.

A view of a vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza, on April 2.

Gaza’s General Directorate of Civil Defense has condemned the “targeting” of non-profit World Central Kitchen’s aid workers after seven were killed in a strike, and said it held the Israeli government accountable.

The directorate said World Central Kitchen has “a major role in providing and securing aid and food for our people in the Gaza Strip and providing food and clothing for the displaced near the checkpoint.”

The statement called for the protection of aid workers in line with international law.

The directorate also called for the protection of aid workers in line with international law.

At least seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday, according to the aid group.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was “conducting a thorough review” of the incident.

Saif Issam Abu-Taha, a Palestinian driver and translator working with non-profit World Central Kitchen, was one of the aid workers killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza on Monday, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

The driver was among at least seven aid workers killed, despite the team traveling in what the organization referred to as “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the charity’s logo.

Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, and the United Kingdom, the non-profit said.

A person looks at a vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen (WCK), including foreigners, were killed in an Israeli airstrike, in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza, on April 2.

Seven aid workers, including multiple foreigners, from a team delivering food to starving civilians in Gaza have been killed in an Israeli military strike, according to non-profit group World Central Kitchen and authorities in the besieged enclave.

World Central Kitchen said its aid workers were traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars branded with the charity’s logo as well as “a soft skin vehicle”.

Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and a Palestinian, the group said.

“The love they had for feeding people, the determination they embodied to show that humanity rises above all, and the impact they made in countless lives will forever be remembered and cherished,” Gore said.

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Jake Sullivan at a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 20.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will travel to Saudi Arabia this week to continue talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about a normalization deal between Israel and the kingdom, according to a US official. 

No major breakthroughs are expected from the meeting, the official added. 

Sullivan’s visit comes less than two weeks after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited “good progress” in the ongoing talks during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

The potential deal, which many view as a major hurdle that may prove too challenging to pull off — especially while Israel is at war in Gaza — would have many elements, including a US military agreement with Saudi that would support its development of a civilian nuclear program, US officials have told CNN.

But the details of that portion of the deal, as well as many other aspects, remain in the works, the US official said Monday. 

Axios was the first to report on Sullivan’s visit. 

Some background: Just weeks before Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel, Saudi Arabia said it was inching closer to normalizing diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. But months of war in Gaza have left the Arab world seething, jeopardizing any potential deal.

Emergency and security personnel gather at the site of strikes, which hit a building next to the Iranian embassy, in Damascus, Syria, on Monday.

Iran has vowed a “decisive” response after a strike it blamed on Israel killed two of its top commanders and five other officials at its consulate in Syria, in what may be the most dangerous escalation outside of Gaza since the start of the Hamas-Israel war nearly six months ago.

Iranian authorities and state media named senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders Mohammed Reza Zahedi and Haji Rahimi among those killed.

Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports, but its spokesperson said the consulate was a “military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building.”

The Quds Force is a unit of Iran’s IRGC responsible for foreign operations.

Here are the latest developments in the region:

Minister of Foreign Affairs for Japan Yoko Kamikawa during a meeting in Warsaw, Poland, on January 8.

Japan has lifted its funding suspension of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa said Tuesday.

Israel has accused at least 12 staffers from the UN Relief and Works Agency of being involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks and has alleged that about 12% of the UN Relief and Works Agency’s 13,000 staffers are members of Hamas or other Palestinian militant groups. UNRWA says it has fired 10 of the 12 accused staffers and that the other two are dead. CNN cannot confirm the allegations.

Japan’s move came after a meeting on Saturday between Kamikawa and Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of UNRWA.

In the meeting, Lazzarini laid out the steps the agency was taking to “improve screening and education to ensure neutrality of UNRWA staff,” according to a statement from Japan’s foreign ministry on Saturday.

UNRWA also agreed to establish a new framework with Japan on project management and monitoring to ensure “transparency and traceability of projects,” the ministry added.

Some background: UNRWA is the primary humanitarian aid group in Gaza. About 2 million Gazans rely on the agency for aid, with 1 million people using UNRWA shelters for food and healthcare amid the fighting in the enclave.

Zomi Frankcom in Deir-al-Balah, Gaza.

An Australian is among members of the aid organization World Central Kitchen who were killed in Gaza, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.

Australia has contacted Israel, Albanese said, adding that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has “requested a call-in from the Israeli ambassador to Australia” to “ask for accountability.”

The prime minister sent his deepest condolences to her family.

Passports of the officials working at World Central Kitchen who were killed in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza on April 1.

At least five aid workers, including foreigners, who were delivering food to starving civilians in Gaza have been killed in an Israeli military strike, according to non-profit group World Central Kitchen and authorities in the besieged enclave.

Videos obtained by CNN show the bodies of multiple people wearing World Central Kitchen vests following an airstrike in the central city of Deir Al-Balah. Passports from Britain, Poland and Australia are seen in the footage.

World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés confirmed the five deaths to CNN.

“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he added.

The IDF said it is “conducting a thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

Hamas condemned the attack in a statement on Tuesday, urging the international community and the United Nations to “take action.”

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Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a press conference at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beirut, Lebanon February 10.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has blamed Israel for Monday’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, but also said that the United States was responsible for it because it supports Israel.

The top diplomat’s comments underscore the increasing strain between Tehran and Washington, with Iran pointing fingers at the US for its support of Israel.

Conveying the stern message in a post on X, Amir-Abdollahian said the Swiss chargé d’affaires in Tehran was summoned by Iran’s Foreign Ministry early Tuesday to discuss the incident, given Switzerland’s role in representing US interests in Iran.

Some background: The Israel Defense Forces hasn’t commented publicly on the strike that Iran said killed two commanders and several others. But IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari disputed that the building was a consulate. “This is a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus,” he said. Separately, The New York Times reported that four unnamed Israeli officials acknowledged that Israel carried out the attack.

An Israeli air force F-15 war plane flies near the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, Israel, in June 2023.

The Biden administration is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The transaction, which would amount to the largest US foreign military sale to Israel since the country went to war with Hamas on October 7, comes as the administration is also expected to notify Congress soon of a large new sale of precision-guided munitions to Israel, the people said.

The new sales of some of the US’ most sophisticated weaponry underscore the extent to which the US continues to support Israel militarily, even as Biden administration officials criticize Israel’s operations in Gaza, which have killed more than 32,000 Palestinians since October, according to the Gaza Ministry of health.

The sale is likely to be hotly debated in Congress, particularly by members of the president’s party. US weapons sales to Israel have come under intense scrutiny in recent months and Democratic lawmakers have called for restricting military aid to Israel until it allows more humanitarian aid into Gaza and does more to protect civilians there.

Since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, the United States has made more than 100 foreign military sales to Israel. Most of those have fallen under the specific dollar amount that requires a notification to Congress, an official familiar with the matter previously told CNN.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to shut down news network Al Jazeera following the passage Monday of a sweeping law allowing the government to ban foreign networks perceived as posing a threat to national security.

Netanyahu said he intended “to act immediately in accordance with the new law” to stop the Qatari-based news outlet’s activity, according to a post on social media platform X following the passage of the law.

Al Jazeera, which has produced dogged, on-the-ground reporting of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, slammed the decision in a statement, vowing it would not stop the network from continuing its “bold and professional coverage.”

The new law gives the prime minister and communications minister authority to order the temporary closure of foreign networks operating in Israel – powers that rights groups say could have far-reaching implications on international media coverage of the war in Gaza.

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The attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday may be the most dangerous escalation outside of Gaza since the start of the Hamas-Israel war nearly six months ago.

The attack is the latest in a recent string of apparent Israeli strikes in Syria that targeted the IRGC and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. So far, the attacks have not provoked a response outside the scope of months-long skirmishes on Israel’s border with Lebanon — despite repeated threats by Iran and Hezbollah’s leadership to respond to Israeli attacks in kind.

Iran’s regional allies say they entered confrontations with Israel on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza, where over 32,000 people have been killed, according to local authorities. This has boosted their regional popularity and shored up their political positions domestically. But they have sought to avoid an all-out conflagration, a relief to Washington, which has thrown its weight into preventing a regional war.

That may be an untenable position after today’s strike, which has again brought the region to the brink of an expanded war.

Iran has promised a “decisive” response after a deadly strike on its consulate in Damascus, Syria, that it blamed on Israel.

Iranian ambassador in Damascus, Hossein Akbari, accused Israel of the attacks, alleging that the building “was targeted with six missiles from Israeli F-35 warplanes.”

Syrian state media Syrian Arab News Agency reported that “an Israeli act of aggression targeted on Monday afternoon a building in Mezzeh neighborhood in Damascus,” causing “massive destruction.” CNN cannot independently verify the claims.

Akbari said Israel’s attack was “against all international laws” and Iran “will be decisive in our response.”

Seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp officials were killed in the attack, including senior Iranian commanders Mohammed Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, according to an IRGC statement.

Israel response: Israel’s military said it does not comment on foreign reports, but a military spokesperson said:

Israel’s military has withdrawn from Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after a 14-day siege that witnesses and Palestinian officials say has left buildings largely destroyed and bodies strewn across the complex.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its troops had killed Hamas militants and seized weaponry and intelligence documents.

Medical crews are working to recover hundreds of bodies scattered across the grounds at Al-Shifa, with at least 300 bodies found so far, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.

Determining the precise number of people killed is difficult, it added, because Israeli troops had buried bodies inside and around the complex and bulldozed nearby roads.

Raed al-Dahshan, director of operations at Gaza’s Civil Defense, told CNN it is “almost impossible” for ambulances to reach the hospital due to damaged roads in the city.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said 900 suspected militants had been detained during its two-week operation. More than 500 of these had been identified as members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hagari said Monday, adding some of those detained are “commanders and significant people.”

CNN is unable to verify the number of bodies inside Al-Shifa independently because of the lack of reporting access in Gaza.

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