An Iranian official said air defenses intercepted three drones and that there were no reports of a missile attack. Multiple state-aligned news agencies reported that sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program were “completely secure.”
Israel had for days weighed its response to Iran’s unprecedented weekend strikes, most of which were intercepted. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
The US was given advance notification Thursday of an intended Israeli strike in the coming days, but did not endorse the response, the US official said.
The attack came hours after Iran’s foreign minister told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
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Our live coverage of the attack on Iran has moved here.
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Attack was a calculated message to Iran, retired US Army general says
From CNN's Michael Holmes and Elizabeth Wolfe
The attack on Iran early Friday was likely intended as both a retaliatory measure and a cautionary message, a retired US Army Major General told CNN.
For days, Israel has been weighing its response to unprecedented weekend strikes from Iran, which were launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
A US official told CNN that Friday’s attack was an Israeli strike. Israel has declined to comment on it.
“Israel must maintain its vigilance” in case Iran decides to respond with another show of force, retired Major General Mark MacCarley said.
By targeting the Iranian province of Isfahan — the site of significant nuclear facilities —Israel was likely warning that it could easily overwhelm Iran’s defenses, MacCarley said.
“I think that there was a very deliberate thought process on the part of the Israeli war cabinet,” he said.
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Blast heard near Isfahan was caused by air defense firing at "suspicious object," Iranian official says
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi and Irene Nasser
A loud blast heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan was caused by “air defense firing at a suspicious object,” an Iranian senior military commander said, according to Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news agency.
There was no “damage or incident,” said senior military commander Second Brigadier General Mihandoust in Isfahan Province, according to Tasnim.
Three explosions were heard early Friday near the military base where fighter jets are located in the Isfahan province, Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency reported.
Iran’s National Cyberspace Center spokesman, Hossein Dalirian, said air defenses shot down three drones and “there are no reports of a missile attack for now.”
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The Middle East is on edge after a strike on Iran. Here's what we know
From CNN staff
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN on Friday, in a move that threatens to further escalate conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several locations after explosions were heard close to the airport and an army base in the province of Isfahan, state media reported early Friday morning.
What Iranian reports say: Three blasts were heard near a military base where fighter jets are located in northwest Isfahan, Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency reported. Following the strike, Iranian media reported that all facilities around Isfahan are secure, including significant nuclear facilities in the area. Iran’s National Cyberspace Center spokesman, Hossein Dalirian, said air defenses shot down three drones and “there are no reports of a missile attack for now.”
What was the target? That remains unclear, but the US official told CNN the strike’s target was not nuclear. According to FARS, a military radar was a possible target. Ghahjaworstan, where an explosion was heard, is located near Isfahan Airport and “the eighth hunting base of the Army Air Force,” FARS reported.
How did we get here? Tensions remain acute across the Middle East as Israel wages war in Gaza against Palestinian militant group Hamas, an Iranian ally. Meanwhile, a decades-long shadow conflict between Israel and Iran erupted into the open on the weekend when Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that Tehran said was retaliation for a deadly suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Syria.
What Israel says: The Israeli military said Friday they “don’t have a comment at this time” when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran. Israel’s war cabinet has met periodically this week without announcing any definitive action following the Iranian strikes on Israel last weekend.
What the US says: Israel’s allies, including the United States, have called for restraint from Israel in a bid to prevent a regional war. The US “didn’t green light” an Israeli response, another senior US official told CNN. Prior to Friday’s strike, the US expectation was that Israel would not target civilian or nuclear facilities, the second official said.
What happens next? That also remains unclear.Reports of the explosions came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.” He added: “If the Israeli regime commits the grave error once again our response will be decisive, definitive and regretful for them.”
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Iran lifts flight suspensions put in place following reports of explosions
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi and Irene Nasser
Iran has lifted flight suspensions put in place after reports of explosions near a military base in Isfahan province, according to the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organization.
Flights have resumed at Mehrabad Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport, the two major airports in Iran’s capital, Tehran, after being suspended earlier today.
Iran had earlier temporarily suspended all flights heading to the cities of “Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, the airports of the West, North West and South West,” state-run Mehr TV reported.
Iranian state media reports no major disruption to Isfahan's infrastructure
From CNN's Nic Robertson and Elizabeth Wolfe
Following a strike in Iran’s Isfahan province, Iranian state media are reporting that all facilities in the area are secure, including significant nuclear facilities, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson reports.
Though a US official told CNN Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, Israel has not taken responsibility for the attack.
State media is also reporting that they have not had any enemy aircraft come into Iranian airspace, he added.
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Flight en route to Tehran returns to Dubai
From CNN's Sandi Sidhu in Hong Kong
A flight from Dubai to Tehran was diverted back to the United Arab Emirates on Friday morning after Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport closed.
A Flydubai spokesperson told CNN that flights from Dubai to Iran had been canceled.
The flight left for Dubai at 4:10 a.m. (8:10 p.m. ET) and arrived back in Dubai at 5:51 a.m. (9:51 a.m. ET).
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US Secretary of Defense spoke with Israeli Defense Minister earlier Thursday before Israel attacked Iran
From CNN's Mary Kay Mallonee
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant (L) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Getty Images
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant earlier Thursday about “regional threats and Iran’s destabilizing actions in the Middle East,” according to a Pentagon readout.
Austin also discussed “the importance of increasing and sustaining the flow of humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians, including via the new route from Ashdod Port in Israel,” the readout said.
CNN reported Thursday night that Israel had told the US that it would be retaliating against Iran in the coming days, according to a senior US official.
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Iran's air defense downs 3 drones, official says, as state media reports no large-scale strikes
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi and Hamdi Alkhshali
Iranian air defenses shot down three drones Friday, according to a Tehran official, as state media said no large-scale strikes or explosions had been reported following blasts near the central city of Isfahan.
It comes after a US official told CNN Friday that Israel had carried out a strike inside Iran, in a move that threatens to raise regional tensions.
Iran’s air defense systems were activated in several regions as a precaution against potential aerial threats, according to state news agency IRNA.
Extensive checks in Isfahan, a critical central province with significant nuclear facilities, indicate that all sensitive military and security installations remain secure, with no incidents reported.
Missile defense systems were not activated, IRNA added.
This post has been updated.
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Australia urges its citizens to leave Israel after strikes on Iran
From CNN's Sandi Sidhu in Hong Kong
The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) urged its citizens in Israel to “depart if it’s safe to do so.”
The department warned that “military attacks may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations & diversions & other travel disruptions.”
It is concerned that Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport “may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, & at short notice.”
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Israeli military says they have "no comment" following reports of explosions in Iran
From CNN's Benjamin Brown and Irene Nasser
The Israeli military said they “don’t have a comment at this time,” when asked by CNN about reports of explosions in Iran.
Israel carried out a strike inside Iran early Friday local time, a US official tells CNN. The target is not nuclear, the official said.
The US also said it had advance warning of Israel’s retaliation against Iran but “didn’t endorse” it, a senior US official said.
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"The gloves have come off:" Experts warn an escalating tit-for-tat could have dire consequences
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe
The strike against Iran early Friday is just the latest in an intensifying and uncertain series of attacks in the Middle East.
Should a tit-for-tat between Israel and Iran develop, the conflict between the nations threatens to get “very grim very quickly,” an international relations expert told CNN.
Iran could choose to target Israel through proxies in Lebanon and Iraq, as well as with the help of Hamas in Gaza and the Houthi militant group in Yemen, Ghosh said.
Friday’s strikes have pitched the conflict into “unknown territory,” he said.
CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kim Dozier said this “escalation ladder” between the countries could lead to “something really dire — an all-out back and forth between the two.”
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US had advance warning of Israel's retaliation against Iran but "didn't endorse" it, US official says
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, February 18.
Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Israel had told the US on Thursday it would be retaliating against Iran in the coming days, a senior US official said.
“We didn’t endorse the response,” the official said.
Israel had been weighing a response to Iran’s weekend airstrikes targeting the Jewish state, most of which were intercepted.
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN. The attack came just hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN in an interview that if Israel takes any further military action against it would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
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Why Israel's strike on Iran threatens to push the Middle East deeper into conflict
From CNN staff
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to trigger further deadly conflict throughout the Middle East.
The attack came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
The details of a potential “maximum response” have been planned by Iran’s armed forces, he said.
Israel had for days been weighing its response to Iran’s unprecedented weekend strikes, most of which were intercepted.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
That airstrike destroyed the consulate building and killed at least seven officials, including two top commanders.
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Nuclear facilities are safe in Isfahan province, Iranian state-aligned media says
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi
Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news says nuclear facilities in Isfahan province are “completely secure,” citing a “reliable source.”
Other Iranian media outlets are reporting the same.
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official told CNN Friday. The target of the strike was not nuclear, the official added.
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Israel carries out strike in Iran, a US official says
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
IRGC released a photo that it said showed flashes in the sky of Isfahan, Iran following reports of explosions.
IRGC
Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran, a US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to push the region deeper into conflict.
The target is not nuclear, the official said.
Prior to the Israeli strike Friday (local time), the US expectation was that they would not target civilian or nuclear facilities, another senior US official told CNN.
CNN has previously reported that Israel told the US its response would be limited in scope. US intelligence had suggested Israel was weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack
The range of targets was “never specified in precise terms but nuclear and civilian locations were clearly not in that category,” the second official added.
The US has been urging Israel not to respond to last weekend’s Iranian attack, which President Joe Biden on Thursday called “unprecedented.” The US “didn’t green light” an Israeli response, the second official said.
This post has been updated with the latest developments.
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Oil prices surge, Dow futures sink nearly 500 points on reports of explosions in Iran
From CNN’s Matt Egan and Laura He
A working oil pumpjack is pictured in Taft, California, on September 21, 2023.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Oil prices surged nearly 4% and US stock futures fell sharply Thursday evening amid reports of explosions in Iran.
In recent trading, US oil prices climbed 3.7% to $85.80 a barrel. Brent crude, the world benchmark, gained 3.4% to $90.13 a barrel.
Energy prices moved sharply higher as Iranian news agencies reported explosions heard near Iran’s Isfahan Airport.
The developments drove US stock futures steadily lower, with Dow futures down 480 points, or 1.3%. Nasdaq futures lost almost 2%.
“Israel’s response could determine whether oil supplies are ultimately under threat.”
Gold futures were up 1% at $2,422.4 per ounce in morning Asian trade with investors piling into safe-haven investments.
But stock markets in Asia sank as appetite for risk weakened, according to analysts.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slid 3.5%. South Korea’s Kospi lost 3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 1.5%. China’s Shanghai Composite inched down 0.1%.
This post has been updated with more information.
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Multiple explosions heard near military base in Isfahan province, semi-official news agency says
From CNN's Adam Pourahmadi
Iranian semi-official FARS news is reporting that three explosions were heard near the military base where fighter jets are located in the Isfahan province.
It has been said that the army radar was one of the possible targets and the windows of several office buildings were broken in this area, FARS reports.
The cause of the blasts are not yet known.
Reports of the explosion come hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told CNN that if Israel takes any further military action against Iran, its response would be “immediate and at a maximum level.”
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Outgoing flights from several Iranian airports canceled, Iranian state TV reports
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
Iranian state media Press TV is reporting outgoing flights from several Iranian airports have been canceled, citing an Iranian official.
All flights going to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz had already been suspended, the director of Iran’s public relations for an airport company announced in an interview with state-run Mehr TV.
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Iran's air defense systems have been activated in several provinces, state news reports
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Iran’s air defense systems have been activated in several provinces of the country, state news IRNA reported in the early hours of Friday local time.
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Iran says flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz are suspended
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali and Artemis Moshtaghian
All flights heading to the cities of “Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, the airports of the West, North West and South West have been suspended,” the director of Iran’s public relations for an airport company announced in an interview with state-run Mehr TV.
The suspension is effective immediately, but flights have not been canceled, the director said.
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Explosion heard near Iran's Isfahan Airport, Iranian news agencies report
From CNN's Hamdi Alkshali and Artemis Moshtaghian
An explosion was heard in the Iranian city of Ghahjaworstan, located northwest of the city of Isfahan, according to the Iranian semi-official FARS news agency, citing local sources.
“The city of Ghahjaworstan is located near Isfahan Airport and the eighth hunting base of the Army Air Force,” FARS news said.
Iranian Press TV also reported an explosion was heard near the central city.
The cause of this explosion is unknown.
The post was updated with a map.
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At least 8 flights have been diverted over Iranian airspace
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
Flight tracking website Flight Radar 24 shows multiple flights diverted over Iranian airspace early Friday.
CNN counted at least eight flights.
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S&P downgrades Israel's sovereign rating on "heightened geopolitical risk"
From CNN's Luciana Lopez
S&P Global Ratings cut Israel’s sovereign credit rating on Thursday to A+ from AA- on increased geopolitical risk from the war with Hamas and friction with Iran.
Israel’s rating outlook is negative, which means another downgrade could come again at some point.
Credit ratings are used by markets and investors as a guide to how creditworthy they think a borrower is. A lower credit rating means that a lender will generally ask for a higher interest rate in return for money.
Israel’s credit rating is still considered investment grade – a higher tier of ratings than the alternative, commonly referred to as junk ratings – but the S&P move underscores the financial toll on top of the humanitarian effects of the war.
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Iranian foreign minister: If Israel takes action, Iran's response will be "immediate and at a maximum level"
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser and Tara John
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a UN Security Council meeting in New York City on Thursday.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned Israel on Thursday against taking any military action against Iran.
The foreign minister said Iran sincerely hoped Israel would not repeat “the previous egregious error,” referencing the apparent Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy complex in Damascus, Syria.
The missiles and drones that Iran fired against Israel on Saturday were carried out in response to the suspected Israeli strikes and “stayed within a minimum of frameworks,” he said, adding that the intent was to take “equal action,” and “to let it be known we do have the means to respond.” But he warned that if Israel chooses to retaliate, “the next response from us will be immediate and at a maximum level.”
The post was updated with more of the minister’s remarks to Erin Burnett.
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Hamas condemns US veto of Palestinian membership bid at the UN
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Hamas condemned the US for using its veto power against a draft resolution that would have granted Palestine full membership in the United Nations.
The draft — presented by Algeria, representing the Arab Group — received support from 12 countries but was blocked by the US veto.
In a statement released early Friday local time, Hamas criticized the US stance as opposing the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and statehood, and supporting what it termed the “fascist occupation entity” of Israel.
The statement said the US is isolating itself from international consensus supporting Palestinian rights, and called on the international community to pressure the US to change its position and support Palestinian aspirations for an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The statement thanked Algeria, the Arab Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and non-aligned countries that backed the resolution.
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UAE and Iranian foreign ministers discuss stability in the Middle East during key diplomatic call
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the minister of foreign affairs of the United Arab Emirates, spoke on the phone Thursday with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, UAE state news agency WAM reported.
The call focused on addressing the latest “dangerous developments in the region and their repercussions on the regional and international peace and security,” according to WAM.
During the discussion, Sheikh Al Nahyan urged for maximum “self-restraint and working to prevent the expansion of the circle of tension in the Middle East.”
He reiterated that diplomacy and dialogue remain the essential paths to resolving conflicts and securing the region’s stability and safety, according to the UAE state news outlet.
Remember: The conversation comes as Israel mulls its response to unprecedented airstrikes by Iran last weekend, which were themselves a response to a suspected Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria earlier this month.
World leaders are voicing growing concern that the strikes have heightened the risk of a wider war in the Middle East.
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Palestinian presidency condemns US veto on UN membership bid as "unfair, immoral and unjustified"
From CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali
The Palestinian presidency sharply criticized the United States on Thursday for using its veto power to block Palestine’s bid for full membership in the United Nations.
In a statement, the presidency described the veto as “unfair, immoral, and unjustified, and defies the will of the international community, which strongly supports the State of Palestine obtaining full membership in the United Nations.”
The statement accused the US of promoting policies that support ongoing Israeli military actions in Palestinian territories and hinder the peace process, “which has continued to use its veto against the rights of our people.”
The statement said that lasting peace in the region hinges on the end of Israeli occupation and recognition of Palestinian rights, including self-determination and sovereignty over East Jerusalem.
Some background: In September 2011, the Palestinian Authority failed to win UN recognition as an independent member state. A year later, the UN decided that the PA’s “non-member observer entity” status would be changed to “non-member observer state,” similar to the Vatican.
The Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by the Fatah political party, held administrative control over Gaza until 2007, after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections and expelled it from the enclave. Since then, Hamas ruled Gaza and the Palestinian Authority governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The US favors a reformed Palestinian Authority leading both the West Bank and Gaza as part of an eventual independent state. But Israel has rejected the prospect of the Palestinian Authority returning to Gaza after the ongoing war, and has dismissed the idea of establishing a Palestinian state in the territories.
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US vetoes Palestinian application at the UN for statehood recognition
From CNN's Richard Roth and Benjamin Brown
The United Nations Security Council meets at the UN headquarters in New York City on Thursday.
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
The United States vetoed a UN Security Council application granting statehood to Palestinians on Thursday.
The vote was 12-1 — the one being the US veto — and two abstentions.
The US, Israel’s chief ally, said it believes statehood should be dependent on negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The US has “been very clear, consistently, that premature actions in New York, even with the best intentions, will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said earlier Thursday.
He also noted there was no unanimity as to whether the applicant met the criteria for membership as a state.
Ziad Abu Amr, special representative of the Palestinians, told the Security Council:
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz commended the US for vetoing what he called a “shameful proposal.”
This post has been updated with the US veto and comments from representatives for Israel and the Palestinians.
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Biden's national security adviser convenes meeting with Israeli counterparts on Rafah
From CNN's Donald Judd
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan convened a meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group “to consult on a series of issues in the wake of Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack against Israel.”
The meeting kicked off as a small group “to discuss the Iran attack and the collective efforts to further enhance Israel’s defense through advanced capabilities as well as cooperation with a broad coalition of military partners,” the White House said in a readout, with Sullivan later briefing the Israeli delegation – led by Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi – on today’s sanctions package on Iran.
The meeting then expanded to a larger group to discuss operations in Rafah.
“The two sides agreed on the shared objective to see Hamas defeated in Rafah,” the readout says. “U.S. participants expressed concerns with various courses of action in Rafah, and Israeli participants agreed to take these concerns into account and to have further follow up discussions between experts, overseen by the SCG. Participants will meet again soon.“
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CIA director expresses "deep disappointment" in Hamas rejection of ceasefire deal
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
CIA Director Bill Burns discussed the difficulties of reaching a ceasefire deal on Thursday and talked about his recent disappointment that Hamas had turned down a proposal put forward in the recent Cairo talks.
“It’s a big rock to push up a steep hill right now,” Burns said in a conversation at The Bush Center. Burns described the proposal that was put forward by the US, Egypt and Qatar as “pretty far-reaching.”
CNN has reported that the proposal included a potential release of some 900 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons for 40 Israeli hostages. Hamas has since told mediators they are only offering 20 women and elderly, sick or wounded male hostages for the first round of a ceasefire.
Burns said that he has met with the families of hostages and that “it breaks your heart because you can see in very human terms what’s at stake here as well.”
Burns concluded, “so we’ll keep working hard at this.”
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Iran warns of decisive response to Israeli military actions at UN Security Council meeting
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian delivered a stern warning against Israeli military actions targeting Iranian interests during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday.
Addressing the council during discussions on the Middle East situation, Amir-Abdollahian stated Iran’s recent defensive measures were complete and urged the international community to prevent further Israeli military operations against Iran.
He further cautioned that any illegal use of force by Israel would provoke a decisive Iranian response, aimed at making Israel regret its actions. The Iranian foreign minister described Iran’s stance as a necessary safeguard against continued provocations, emphasizing the need for international diplomatic intervention to de-escalate tensions and ensure regional stability.
Amir-Abdollahian called on the international community — particularly the security council — to compel Israel to cease its military activities against Iran to prevent further escalation in the region.
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Israeli military confirms Tuesday's strike on Al-Maghazi refugee camp that killed 8 children
From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem
Palestinian women mourn the death of loved ones following Israeli bombardment in Al-Maghazi, central Gaza, on April 16.
Stringer/AFP/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed to CNN that it carried out a strike on Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza on Tuesday — which killed 14 people, including eight children.
The IDF said it is unaware of the number of casualties.
The Israeli military’s response came 48 hours after CNN first reached out for comment, following a CNN report on the strike that showed its deadly aftermath.
“The IDF struck a terror target in Maghazi,” the spokesperson said. “And we’re not aware of the BDA (battle damage assessment) that is claimed to have happened.” The spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the strike or its target, but said the strike is under review.
CNN provided the Israeli military with coordinates of the strike’s location.
Watch the CNN report here:
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Palestinian girl conceived from IVF is killed in strike on Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman, Mohammad Al Sawalhi, and Sana Noor Haq
Shahed Owdetallah
Obtained by CNN
The family members of Shahed Owdatallah considered her a miracle when she was born from IVF in the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in central Gaza, on November 4, 2013. Her parents had waited more than 20 years to conceive.
But her life was cut short on Tuesday, family members told CNN, when the 10-year-old Palestinian girl was killed in an airstrike on the camp. At least 14 people were killed in the targeted attack, including eight children, according to officials at the local Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the attack was an airstrike and is under review.
CNN footage filmed at Al-Aqsa hospital in the aftermath of the strike on Tuesday shows fathers cradling the young and lifeless bodies of children, their eyes red and swollen with disbelief. Other kids look on warily. The sound of shrill screams pierces the walls of the hospital.
Injured Palestinian children are brought to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following an attack at Maghazi refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 16. CNN has added blur to this image to protect identities.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images
Parents told CNN their kids had been playing foosball when the camp was struck.
“A drone strike hit them while they were playing,” said Jaber Abu Jayyab, the father of 9-year-old Lujain. “They were all children.” Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 13,900 children, the Ministry of Health there reported on April 18.
In another scene from the hospital, one boy Mohamad AlNouri, 14, cowers over his younger brother’s body – 8-year-old Mahmoud Khalil AlNouri – which is shrouded in white cloth. “He is still alive,” Mohamad wails out. “Don’t leave him here.”
“Dear God. What did they all do?” one man cries. “What did they all do?”
CNN’s Jennifer Hauser and Ibrahim Dahman contributed reporting.
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Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 71 Palestinians since Wednesday. Catch up on the latest
From CNN staff
At least 71 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Wednesday, the Ministry of Health there reported, raising the total death toll to nearly 34,000 people.
As of April 18, at least 33,970 Palestinians have been killed and another 76,770 people injured, the ministry said.
CNN cannot independently verify these figures. The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its daily release.
Here are the latest headlines:
Deadly airstrike in Rafah: At least 10 family members, including five children aged between 3 and 16, were killed in an overnight airstrike on a neighborhood in Rafah, in southern Gaza, the local hospital reported. The United Nations’ senior humanitarian envoy for Gaza told CNN that Palestinians in the southern city of Rafah are anxiously anticipating Israel’s next offensive. Some civilians have already started moving north to other parts of Gaza, fearing an imminent Israeli incursion into Rafah, the senior official said.
Gaza refugee camp badly damaged: Israeli forces have withdrawn from the area of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza after several days of deadly military operations, according to the Civil Defense Directorate in the besieged enclave and geolocated videos show extensive destruction in the area.
In occupied West Bank: The Israeli military has failed to protect Palestinians from violence by settlers in the occupied West Bank and on some occasions participated in these attacks, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
US to vote “no” for Palestinian statehood: The United States will vote “no” on a UN Security Council resolution for Palestinian statehood in the UN, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
Pro-Palestinian protests in US: The New York Police Department entered Columbia University on Thursday to disperse a pro-Palestine protest on campus. The protest began Wednesday as university president Nemat “Minouche” Shafik testified to a House committee over the school’s response to antisemitism.
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Why Qatar is unlikely to pull out of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire talks
Analysis from CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim
The Arab nation of Qatar’s declaration this week that it is reconsidering its role as the key mediator between Israel and Hamas amounted to a public declaration of frustration at criticism of its ties to the Palestinian militant group.
Qatar’s mediation efforts are being misused for “narrow political interests” by some involved in the conflict, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Wednesday, “which required the State of Qatar to conduct a comprehensive evaluation” of its mediation role.
But analysts say the Gulf state is unlikely to completely pull back from the talks.
A close ally of the United States, Qatar has been coordinating with Washington and Egypt to secure the release of the more than Israeli 100 hostages in Gaza, as well as end Israel’s war in the territory.
Nearly $8 million of alleged "terrorist funds" seized in Gaza is handed to Israel's central bank, says defense ministry
From CNN's Benjamin Brown in London
The exterior of the headquarters of the Bank of Israel in Jerusalem on August 23, 2022.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images/File
The Israeli Defense Ministry has handed over nearly $8 million of alleged “terrorist funds” confiscated in Gaza to Israel’s central bank.
The funds, totaling around 29 million shekels ($7.6 million), were recovered in “Hamas strongholds and in the homes of wanted persons” in other locations, the ministry said Thursday.
A specialized military unit had located and confiscated the funds during fighting in the Gaza Strip.
CNN cannot independently verify the claims made by the Israeli defense ministry that the confiscated money is “terrorist funds.”
Some 12 million shekels ($3.2 million) were deposited with the Bank of Israel Wednesday. An additional 17 million shekels ($4.5 million) were handed to the bank last week. The money was counted at a military base in central Israel, which took several hours, the ministry said.
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Palestinians anxiously await potential Israeli offensive in Rafah, UN envoy inside Gaza tells CNN
From CNN’s Brooke Jenner and Adam Pourahmadi
Two Palestinian boys are seen in front of a crater following overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Thursday.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
The United Nation’s senior humanitarian envoy for Gaza told CNN that Palestinians in the southern city of Rafah are anxiously anticipating Israel’s next offensive.
Some civilians have already started moving north to other parts of Gaza, fearing an imminent Israeli incursion into Rafah, she said. Israeli sources told CNN that Israel has delayed its expected incursion into Rafah after Iran’s weekend attack on their country.
Aid problems: Kaag said the UN is struggling to distribute aid without UNRWA, its main agency for Palestinian refugees, and because of the destruction of roads and lack of fuel needed for trucks to move aid around the Strip. She also said she feared Gaza would be damaged for decades to come.
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UK sanctions Iranian military bodies after Israel attack
From CNN's Catherine Nicholls in London
The United Kingdom has announced new sanctions on a number of Iranian military figures and bodies following Iran’s attack against Israel on Saturday.
Six Iranian military entities were targeted, including the General Staff of Iran’s armed forces, the naval wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters (KACHQ), an economic arm of the IRGC, according to a statement from the UK government on Thursday.
Seven Iranian military figures were also sanctioned, including Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Iran’s defense minister, and Major General Gholamali Rashid, commander of KACHQ.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the sanctions “demonstrate our unequivocal condemnation of Iran’s attack on a sovereign state.”
At least 10 members of the same family killed by strike on Rafah, in southern Gaza. Here's what you need to know.
From CNN staff
At least 10 members of the Ayyad family, including five children aged between three and 16, were killed in an overnight airstrike on a neighborhood in Rafah, in southern Gaza, the local hospital reported.
It came as the total number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza rose to 33,970 people, according to the Ministry of Health. Another 76,770 people have been injured, the ministry reported on April 18. CNN cannot independently verify these figures.
Here are the latest developments:
Aid entering Gaza: At least 342 trucks were inspected and transferred into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to Israeli authorities. Before the war, about 500 trucks of supplies reached Gaza every day. Israel insists there is “no limit” on the amount of aid that can enter the strip, but its inspection regime has severely drained supplies, condemning Palestinians there to deadly hunger.
Ten relatives killed in Rafah strike: The mother of the Ayyad family is still missing, according to a CNN stringer at Abu Youssef Al-Najjar hospital. CNN footage showed relatives weeping over the bodies of the deceased wrapped in white shrouds. Many of the children were found with their remains scattered and missing, relatives told CNN.
Violence in occupied West Bank: There were more than 700 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territory between October 7 and April 3, Human Rights Watch reported on Wednesday, citing UN data. The Israeli military failed to protect Palestinians and in some cases participated in these attacks, HRW added.
‘Huge scale of destruction’: Israeli forces left a “huge scale of destruction” after withdrawing from the area of the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal. He estimated that about 500 people had been killed, wounded, detained or gone missing in the attacks. CNN cannot verify the estimate and has contacted the Israeli military.
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Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank at their highest level since 2006, rights group says
From CNN's Tim Lister
Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank increased to their highest level since the UN began recording data in 2006, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
There were more than 700 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territory between October 7 and April 3, HRW reported on Wednesday, citing UN data. Israeli soldiers in uniform were present in almost half of those assaults.
Intensified violence by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank since October 7 has displaced more than 1,200 people, including 600 children, from rural herding communities, HRW said. At least 17 Palestinians have been killed and 400 wounded, while Palestinians have killed seven settlers in the West Bank since October 7, the UN said.
In one of the villages – Wadi al-Seeq near Ramallah – attacks involving armed settlers in civilian clothes and an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unit on October 12 displaced about 180 people alone, including 90 children, residents and human rights groups told HRW.
Allegations of harassment by Israeli solders: HRW said it had spoken to 27 witnesses of the attacks and viewed videos that residents filmed, showing harassment by men in Israeli military uniforms carrying M16 assault rifles. HRW said that the IDF had not responded to its questions about the attacks.
The “forcible transfer or deportation and the extensive destruction and appropriation of property in occupied territory are war crimes,” according to HRW.
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Rights group says Israeli military has ignored or taken part in attacks on Palestinians in occupied West Bank
From CNN's Tim Lister
A picture taken in the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah city shows the nearby Israeli Shilo settlement in the background, in the occupied West Bank on February 18.
Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli military has failed to protect Palestinians from violence by settlers in the occupied West Bank and on some occasions participated in these attacks, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.
Increased violence by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank since October 7 has displaced Palestinians from 20 communities and entirely uprooted at least seven communities, HRW reported on Wednesday.
The reported added that “the military has not assured displaced residents that it will protect their security or allow them to return, forcing them to live in precarious conditions elsewhere.”
HRW says it investigated several attacks, including those that forcibly displaced all residents of villages near Hebron and Ramallah in October and November last year, none of whom “have been able to return.” The Israeli military either rebuffed or refused to answer requests to allow residents to return, the report added. CNN has requested a response from the Israel Defense Forces to the HRW report.
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Israel says 342 aid trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman and Tim Lister
At least 342 aid trucks were inspected and transferred to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to Israeli authorities, as human rights groups raise urgent calls for more relief to reach Palestinians facing severe hunger and dehydration across the enclave.
Within Gaza, 153 aid trucks were distributed, 97 of which contained food, said COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing aid into the strip. The agency said that 104 pallets containing tens of thousands of packages of aid were airdropped into northern Gaza.
A total of 90 trucks reached northern Gaza, COGAT added, where food shortages are reportedly worst after Israeli forces concentrated their offensive in the area in the early days of the war.
Barely trickling in: Before the war, about 500 trucks of supplies reached Gaza every day. Israel insists there is “no limit” on the amount of aid that can enter the strip, but its inspection regime means aid is barely trickling in.
Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of enacting “imposed starvation” on Palestinian children, which is a war crime, the agency said. Israel denies the accusation, despite widespread evidence of malnutrition in Gaza.
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Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 33,970 Palestinians, health officials say
From CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman and Eyad Kourdi
Relatives of Palestinian victims who lost their life after an Israeli airstrike take their bodies from morgue of El-Najar Hospital for burial in Rafah, Gaza, on April 18.
Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty Images
At least 71 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health there reported, raising the total death toll to nearly 34,000 people.
As of April 18, at least 33,970 Palestinians have been killed and another 76,770 people injured, the ministry said.
CNN cannot independently verify these figures. The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its daily release.
‘Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks’: Human Rights Watch and Oxfam last month accused Israel of carrying out “indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks in violation of international law” and imposing collective punishments on the civilian population.
CNN’s Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.
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"They were children sleeping." Ten family members killed in airstrike on Rafah, hospital officials say
From CNN's Kareem Khadder and Abeer Salman in Jerusalem, and Tareq Al Hilou in Rafah
At least 10 family members, including five children aged between three and 16, were killed in an overnight airstrike on a neighborhood in Rafah, in southern Gaza, the local hospital reported.
The mother of the Ayyad family is still missing, according to a CNN stringer at Abu Youssef Al-Najjar hospital, were CNN footage showed relatives weeping over the bodies of the deceased wrapped in white shrouds.
Those killed had been displaced multiple times from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, in Gaza City, in northern Gaza, an uncle told CNN. In the aftermath of the attack, many of the children were found with their remains scattered and missing, relatives added.
“They were displaced from one place to another,” Suzan Abu Touha, who says her sister was among the dead, told CNN. “They were terrified and scared and running from one place to another and they didn’t find a place – and this is the place they found. Where are they supposed to go?”
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Extensive destruction to refugee camp in central Gaza after reported withdrawal of Israeli forces
From CNN's Kareem Khadder, Ibrahim Dahman and Tim Lister
Palestinians gather around residential buildings destroyed during an Israeli raid in Nuseirat, Gaza, on April 18.
Doaa Rouqa/Reuters
Israeli forces have withdrawn from the area of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza after several days of deadly military operations, according to the Civil Defense Directorate in the besieged enclave.
Geolocated videos show extensive destruction in the area, with several apartment blocks destroyed or heavily damaged.
The Directorate said that its crews had been able to recover several bodies from under the rubble, but the removal of others would require heavy excavation equipment.
Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told CNN the situation was “tragic.”
Basal estimated that about 500 people had been killed, wounded, detained or gone missing in the military operation. CNN cannot verify the estimate and has contacted the Israeli military about the scope and purpose of its operations in Nuseirat.
The mayor of Nuseirat, Iyad Maghari, said that a week of Israeli assaults in the area had “deprived residents of the most basic human services, such as water, sanitation and waste collection.”
Maghari said about 25,000 square meters of roadways, water wells and generators that pumped water had been destroyed.
He said that about 20,000 tons of waste had accumulated in the streets and around shelters due to the lack of fuel and the destruction of municipal vehicles, leading to a problem with vermin.
The sewage system had been extensively damaged, he said, with more than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of pipes destroyed.
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"Insidious campaign" underway to end UNRWA operations, chief tells UN Security Council
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Manveena Suri
UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on UNRWA at UN headquarters in New York on April 17.
Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
The head of the UN’s main relief agency in Gaza (UNRWA) has said that an “insidious campaign” is underway to end its operations, warning of “serious implications for international peace and security.”
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the agency was being “denied permission to deliver this aid and save lives.”
UNRWA has been under fire since Israel alleged that some of its employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack. Israel has long campaigned for UNRWA, the main distributor of aid in Gaza, to be disbanded. Israel has also banned UNRWA from operating in Gaza’s north.
More than a dozen countries pulled funding for UNRWA after the allegations, some of which have resumed donations.
Lazzarini said children were “bearing the brunt of this war,” with more than 17,000 separated from their families and “left to face the horror of Gaza alone.”
He also warned that “a man-made famine is tightening its grip” across Gaza.
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Israeli airstrike kills 8 people from 1 family in Rafah, hospital officials say
From CNN's Kareem Khadder
Palestinian women mourn the death of loved ones outside Al-Najjar hospital following overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah, Gaza, on April 18.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
An Israeli airstrike killed eight people from one family in Rafah on Wednesday night, according to a journalist working for CNN, citing hospital officials.
The airstrike occurred in the Al-Salam neighborhood the the southern part of Rafah.
The bodies of the victims – all belonging to the Ayyad family, who were displaced from Gaza City in the northern part of the enclave – were brought to the Abu Yousuf Najjar hospital.
The eight killed included five children, according to a list provided by a hospital official.
CNN has asked the Israeli military for comment.
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Erez crossing used to get food into Gaza for first time, World Food Programme says
From CNN's Tim Lister
A general view over the Erez crossing point near the border with the Gaza on April 7 in Southern Israel.
Amir Levy/Getty Images
Food supplies have entered northern Gaza for the first time through the Erez crossing, which Israel agreed to open earlier this month, according to the World Food Programme.
The UN food agency said three convoys crossed via Erez on April 14, 15, and 16, with 25 trucks carrying around 404 metric tonnes of food parcels and wheat flour.
UN agencies have said that getting aid to northern Gaza has been incredibly challenging because of Israeli restrictions, ongoing combat, and debris blocking roads.
Israel earlier this month approved the reopening of the Erez crossing for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks, as well as the use of the Ashdod Port for aid. The announcement came hours after US President Joe Biden pushed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow more aid into Gaza.
The first aid shipment to Gaza via the Ashdod Port was transferred on Wednesday.
Gaza is facing a worsening hunger crisis as tonnes of aid have been held up at various land crossings. Humanitarian workers and government officials have previously told CNN that there’s a pattern of Israeli obstruction of aid into Gaza.
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Middle East "on edge of regional war," EU foreign policy chief warns
From CNN’s Sophie Tanno
EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell speaks with journalists during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting at Capri, Italy, on April 18.
Ciro Fusco/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The EU’s top diplomat warned Thursday that the Middle East is on the brink of a regional war, and that European leaders must ask Israel for a “restrained answer” to Iran’s weekend airstrikes.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria earlier this month.
Borrell said that “humanitarian support has increased very little” for Gaza and that the aid reaching the enclave was “very insufficient.”
His comments come a day after British Foreign Minister David Cameron urged the world’s largest economies to coordinate sanctions against Iran, to show a “united front.”
The EU has announced it would widen sanctions against Iran following the Islamic Republic’s attack
“We have decided to put in place sanctions against Iran, it is a clear signal that we want to send,” European Council President Charles Michel said Wednesday at an EU summit.
It's morning in the Middle East. Here's what you should know
From CNN staff
A Palestinian child plays near a building destroyed by earlier Israeli bombardment in Gaza City on April 8.
AFP/Getty Images
More than 13,800 children have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war on October 7, according to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
And “one child is injured or dies every 10 minutes” in Gaza, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women said in a statement.
More than 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since the war began, 6,000 of whom left 19,000 orphaned children behind, the statement said.
CNN cannot independently verify these numbers due to a lack of media access to Gaza.
Here are the latest developments in the region:
Response to Iran’s attack: Israel’s war cabinet has yet to decide on a response to Iran’s weekend attack. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will make its “own decisions” when responding. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is not in the war cabinet, said Israel’s response should inflict a “disproportionate toll” and “rock Tehran.” The US expects the reaction to be limited in scope, sources told CNN.
Mediation concerns: Qatar says it will re-evaluate its role in international mediation efforts led by the country on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal. Qatar’s prime minister criticized the misuse of its efforts for “narrow political” gains. While he did not mention anyone by name, the comments followed a statement by US Rep. Steny Hoyer on Monday that if Qatar fails to apply pressure on Hamas to reach a deal, “the United States must reevaluate its relationship with Qatar.”
Fatal IDF raid: Residents in Beit Hanoun in northeastern Gaza said the Israeli military on Monday fired shots and rounds of artillery shelling before surrounding three schools early Tuesday morning, including one where hundreds of people were sheltering, and detained dozens. The Israeli military said it killed militants in the area, and raided a complex that included two schools after receiving “intelligence that terrorists from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists organizations were located in the building and using civilians present there as human shields.”
Refugee camp death toll rises: The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza has risen to 14, including eight children, according to hospital officials.
Aid to Gaza: The first aid shipment to Gaza to be delivered into Ashdod Port was transferred, according to the Israeli military. The IDF said eight World Food Programme trucks carrying flour entered via the Kerem Shalom Crossing after being inspected at Ashdod.
Hezbollah targets: Israeli fighter jets struck alleged Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon after 18 Israelis were wounded when the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group attacked a village in northern Israel. The IDF said three civilians were among the 18 people wounded, the rest being soldiers.
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Death toll from strike on central Gaza's Al-Maghazi refugee camp rises to 14, hospital officials say
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
Relatives of the Palestinians who were killed in Israeli attacks at Al-Maghazi Refugee camp mourn in central Gaza on April 16.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images
The death toll from an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Al-Maghazi refugee camp has risen to 14, including eight children, according to Al-Aqsa hospital officials.
The airstrike hit the refugee camp in central Gaza on Tuesday, with initial reports saying 13 people — including seven children — were among those killed.
The Israeli military said the incident is under review.
Footage of the strike: Graphic video, obtained exclusively by CNN from eyewitness Nihad Owdetallah, showed several casualties scattered on the floor, including children, with blood streaming around the area.
In the video, dozens of people appear to be running around in panic, screaming and trying to count and carry the dead bodies. A foosball table covered in dust is seen among the dead bodies.
Footage shot for CNN from inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital showed a continuous flow of casualties and wounded people being ushered in, as the emergency room is crowded with patients, including several wounded children, crying out on the floor. Family members were seen crowding over their loved ones’ dead bodies, kissing them, holding onto them, and sobbing.
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Qatar will conduct "comprehensive evaluation" of its mediation role in ceasefire negotiations
From CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali, Raja Razek and Larry Register in Atlanta
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani listens to a question during a press briefing in Tehran, Iran, on January 29, 2023.
Vahid Salemi/AP
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed concerns Wednesday over the state of international mediation efforts led by Qatar to help reach a hostage and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Al Thani, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister, criticized the misuse of Qatar’s efforts for “narrow political” gains by some involved, undermining the broader goal of peace and humanitarian relief, “which required the State of Qatar to conduct a comprehensive evaluation.”
He emphasized the sensitivity of the ongoing talks and highlighted the challenges faced in bridging gaps between conflicting parties. He also pointed out the inconsistency between private assurances and public statements by involved parties, describing such actions as counterproductive.
While he did not mention anyone by name, the comments followed a statement by US Rep. Steny Hoyer on Monday that said if Qatar fails to apply pressure on Hamas to reach an agreement on a deal to release hostages and establish a temporary ceasefire, “the United States must reevaluate its relationship with Qatar.”
On Tuesday Qatar’s Embassy to the US in Washington issued a statement saying it was surprised by Hoyer’s remarks, adding that while the country shares the congressman’s frustrations, it does not control Israel or Hamas.
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Nearly 14,000 children killed in Gaza since war began, UNICEF says
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Mourners carry the bodies of children, who were killed in a strike in Rafah, during their funeral on February 9.
Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images
More than 13,800 children have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Thousands have been injured and thousands more are on the brink of famine,” she said during a news conference in New York.
In a separate statement, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women said that “one child is injured or dies every 10 minutes” in Gaza. And that more than 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since the war began, and 6,000 of them left 19,000 orphaned children behind.
UNICEF communication specialist Tess Ingram, who recently visited Gaza, said in Geneva on Tuesday that what struck her was the number of wounded children she saw.
CNN cannot independently verify death numbers due to a lack of media access to Gaza.
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Israeli military says it killed militants in northern Gaza raid
From CNN's Benjamin Brown
The Israeli military said it killed and arrested several militants during an operation in the civilian area of Beit Hanoun in the northeastern Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had raided a building complex that included two schools after receiving “intelligence that terrorists from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists organizations were located in the building and using civilians present there as human shields.”
CNN is not able to independently confirm the claims made by the IDF.
The IDF said it told civilians to leave the building before entering during its joint operation with the Israel Security Agency, Israel’s domestic security agency, also known as Shin Bet or Shabak.
What Gazans told CNN: People living in the area said Israeli military vehicles began an operation there on Monday afternoon, firing shots and rounds of artillery shelling.
Residents said that Israeli forces had surrounded three schools early Tuesday morning, including one where hundreds of people had been sheltering.
They ordered people to leave the schools and detained dozens of men, including some elderly people and teenagers over the age of 15, according to residents. An elderly woman who had been sheltering in one of the schools said Israeli soldiers came in the middle of the night and arrested several men and women.
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First aid shipment to Gaza through Ashdod Port enters Gaza
From CNN’s Benjamin Brown
The first shipment of aid to Gaza to be delivered into Ashdod Port was transferred Wednesday, according to the Israeli military.
The Israel Defense Forces said eight World Food Programme (WFP) trucks carrying flour entered via the Kerem Shalom Crossing after being inspected at Ashdod.
Israel earlier this month announced its decision to facilitate aid deliveries via the port.
At the time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the development but said the “real test” would be to see whether aid was “effectively reaching people who it needed throughout Gaza.”
CNN has reached out to the WFP for comment.
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Hardline Israeli minister calls for "disproportionate" response to Iranian attack that will "rock Tehran"
From CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London and Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks to the press on February 5, 2024, in Jerusalem.
Amir Levy/Getty Images
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that Israel’s response to Iran’s attack should inflict a “disproportionate toll” and “rock Tehran” to deter Iran from future strikes.
Smotrich said Israel’s response to Iran’s missile and drone attack should make Tehran “regret the moment they even thought about firing” and be “fierce, severe and inflict a disproportionate toll.”
Smotrich, who is technically also a minister in Israel’s defense ministry due to a deal struck in coalition agreements, told Israel’s Army Radio (GLZ) that the nature of Israel’s response would “shape [Israel’s] position in the Middle East.”
The response, he said, “should rock Tehran, so everyone there will realize they shouldn’t mess with us,” he said, adding that “this is the language spoken in the Middle East.”
The minister, who is head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, also said that Israel should maintain its strategic ties with the United States and other partners but must prevent itself from finding itself in a “bear-hug, which will limit and make us incapable.”
Key context: Smotrich is not a member of Israel’s war cabinet, which the security cabinet has authorized to decide on how to respond to the Iranian attack.
As tensions in the region intensify, many world leaders have urged restraint as Israel weighs the size and scope of its response to Iran.
