The US currently assesses that Israel is “not responsible” for Tuesday’s deadly blast at a Gaza hospital that the Palestinian health ministry said killed hundreds.Israel asserts that the bombing was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket, while Palestinian officials have blamed Israel.
Nearly 3,500 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with WHO saying conditions are “spiraling out of control” for millions now trapped in the enclave.
Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,400 people.
The US, Egypt and Israel signal readiness for civilian relief in Gaza. Here's what You should know
From CNN staff
The US, Egypt and Israel have all signaled readiness for aid to begin moving into Gaza, following a high-profile visit to Israel by US President Joe Biden.
The glimmer of hope for civilian relief in Gaza comes one day after a devastating hospital blast in the enclave that likely killed hundreds and infuriated the region.
Here are other headlines you should know:
Hospital blast: The top Democrat and Republican on the US Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence said they are “confident” that Tuesday’s blast as a Gaza hospital was caused not by an Israeli airstrike, but by a failed rocket launch by “militant terrorists.” National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson provided additional details about the US assessment, pointing to intelligence indicating that Palestinian militants in the Gaza strip themselves believed the blast was caused by an errant rocket or missile launch by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ.) Israeli officials have released audio of what they say is Hamas militants discussing the blast and attributing it to a rocket launched by PIJ.
More explosions: Explosions less than 100 meters from the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City were reported Wednesday by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The organization said the blasts “targeted multiple residential buildings and main streets in the area” of Al-Quds Hospital and the main headquarters of the organization in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood in western Gaza City. Meanwhile, Hezbollah conducted six attacks on Israeli military posts along the Lebanese border on Wednesday using guided missiles, machine guns and 57-mm mortars, the militant group said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Thursday local time that they are striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Humanitarian aid: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza to humanitarian aid – after Biden spoke with the leader for more than an hour on Air Force One, the president said. But there is “no update on if and when” the Rafah border crossing will open for the passage of humanitarian aid from Egypt into Gaza, the UN Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Wednesday. The Israel prime minister’s office confirmed earlier Wednesday that Israel will not block humanitarian aid going into Gaza through the crossing, but it will not allow supplies into Gaza from its own territory until Hamas releases all hostages. The Egyptian president on Wednesday blamed Israeli shelling for preventing the vital crossing from re-opening. And the $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the occupied West Bank that Biden announced in Tel Aviv will come from pre-approved funding, the White House says.
Biden in Israel: Biden said he knew he was risking criticism when he came to the Middle East on Wednesday, but that he “came to get something done.” Biden said he was “very blunt” with Israeli leaders when he met with them on Wednesday — and that he laid out the expectation that they would be “held accountable” if they didn’t allow for more assistance for people displaced by the conflict. The president also said he received “no pushback” from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday when he raised humanitarian issues. Biden wouldn’t go into details about attempts to get Americans and other civilians out of Gaza, but he assured that “we’re going to get people out.”
International input: Biden will deliver a primetime address from the Oval Office Thursday about his country’s “response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine,” the White House announced Wednesday. And United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to arrive in Israel early Thursday, in what is set to be his first stop in a two-day trip to the Middle East, Downing Street announced Wednesday. Also, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reaffirmed the country’s unwavering stance against any attempt to transfer the Palestinian population to Jordan.
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Filipino death toll rises following Hamas attack on Israel
From CNN’s Kathleen Magramo and Sophie Jeong
A fourth Filipino citizen has been confirmed dead following Hamas’ October 7 attack in Israel, the official Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported Thursday, citing authorities.
The victim was a caregiver at a communal settlement, PNA reported.
Two Filipino citizens remain missing, according to officials.
On Wednesday, 16 Filipino workers and a child returned to the Philippines from Israel, PNA reported.
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Biden to make case for US to keep funding wars in Ukraine and Israel in upcoming Oval Office address
From CNN's Kayla Tausche
Joe Biden talks to reporters at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, on October 18.
Evan Vucci/AP
President Joe Biden plans to argue the US should continue funding wars in both Ukraine and Israel during an Oval Office address Thursday, according to two administration officials.
The primetime address will take place the eve of the White House requesting north of $100 billion from Congress to deliver aid and resources to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the US border with Mexico. Biden is expected to make the argument that supporting Ukraine and Israel is a matter of US national security at a time when the world is at an inflection point.
Public opinion has been mixed on the conflicts. In a recent CNN poll, nearly all respondents were sympathetic with the Israeli people in the wake of surprise attacks launched by Hamas, but there was no clear consensus on the right level of US involvement. One-third (35%) said the US is providing the right amount of assistance – and another 36% were unsure whether the level of US assistance is appropriate. The US has long provided security assistance with Israel, which receives roughly $4 billion annually under a 10-year memorandum of understanding. The new request would provide billions more.
By contrast, support to sustain aid to Ukraine has waned significantly. An August CNN poll found 55% of respondents said Congress should not pass more funding to aid Ukraine. The partisan divide has been deepening, too: Nearly three-quarters of Republicans opposed more funding for Ukraine, while 62% of Democrats supported it.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the White House and Congress have provided more than $75 billion in funding to Kyiv, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
The Biden administration in August delivered its last so-called supplemental funding request, which encapsulates unique requests beyond traditional government programs. The proposal requested $24.1 billion to aid Ukraine through the end of the year, but Congress failed to approve it during a process to greenlight short-term federal funding.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged to European leaders that the US would be able to secure support for additional aid and, in an interview with Sky News, said Washington could afford financing two wars at once.
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IDF releases drone video it says shows hospital blast scene
From CNN staff
The video released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shows the scene at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza a day after the deadly blast.
IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday released drone video recorded over the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza a day after the deadly blast.
During the video an Israeli drone operator can be heard describing in Hebrew the layout of hospital buildings.
“This here, there is nothing here,” the drone operator says, according to a CNN translation.
Gaza officials have blamed Israel for the blast, which the Palestinian Ministry of Health says killed hundreds of civilians.
But the IDF rejected the allegation, claiming the blast was caused by a “failed rocket launch” by Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants.
CNN cannot independently confirm what caused the explosion.
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Egypt releases readout of humanitarian aid call between el-Sisi and Biden
From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite and journalist Magdy Samaan
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Joe Biden discussed in a phone call Wednesday ways to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.
The talks between the two leaders focused “on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and ways to facilitate the implementation of humanitarian aid,” according to the statement.
Egypt’s statement said officials in the two nations are coordinating with international humanitarian organizations — supervised by the United Nations — to deliver aid.
“Biden expresses his thanks and appreciation for the efforts of the Egyptian leadership towards achieving peace and stability in the region,” the Egyptian statement said.
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How volunteer guards foiled a carefully planned Hamas attack on the kibbutz of Mefalsim
From CNN’s Casey Tolan, Matthew Chance, Florence Davey-Attlee, Scott Glover and Curt Devine
Israeli forces patrol areas along the Israeli-Gaza border on October 10.
Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance/dpa/Getty Images/FILE
When Hamas militants broke through the Gaza fence in this month’s unprecedented attack on Israel, the kibbutz of Mefalsim — less than 2 miles from the border — was on the front lines. Toting AK-47 rifles and grenade launchers, one group of militants headed straight for the community’s gates, while another group moved to destroy its generator, according to security videos and local residents.
That precision, local Israeli security personnel say, was no accident: The fighters seemed to have known exactly where they were headed.
CNN has reviewed documents that Israeli officials say were Hamas attack plans, which suggest that the group collected remarkably granular detail on its targets. But neither of the attacks went according to plan – thanks in part to a handful of volunteer guards who defended their neighbors in dramatic firefights.
Photos of the plan to attack Mefalsim were posted online by an Israeli first responder group, which said it was recovered from the body of a slain Hamas fighter. Two local Israeli security personnel told CNN they independently saw photos of the plan, and it closely matched the Hamas fighters’ tactics during the attack.
The color-coded document includes detailed information about the kibbutz’s guards and security. It says that one group of militants would break through the community’s fence, while others were ordered to “capture soldiers and civilians and to keep hostages” for negotiation.
Yarden Reskin, a member of Mefalsim’s volunteer security force who spent hours exchanging fire with militants – helping prevent any deaths inside the community – said he was shocked by the level of detail.
Another purported Hamas document laying out plans to attack the nearby kibbutz of Sa’ad, which CNN obtained from a senior Israeli government official, was even more chilling. It listed the attackers’ goal as “inflicting the maximum possible human casualties.”
Like in Mefalsim, the plans didn’t come to fruition, with a first responder group and a local resident telling CNN that no residents had died inside Sa’ad.
The difference between the detailed plans and what occurred on the ground is a sign of the chaos that spread during the attack, as Hamas fighters encountered far less resistance from the Israeli military than they expected. Despite the billions of dollars Israel has spent securing its border and developing one of the world’s most renowned intelligence operations, its armed forces were caught off guard.
Here's how the Secretary of State and intelligence agencies are responding to rising anger in the Middle East
From CNN's John Miller
As anger rises across the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a State Department cable to all US embassies and consulates across the world Wednesday.
He ordered diplomatic security officers to convene each embassies’ security committee to conduct emergency reviews of its’ security to determine if it needs to be ramped up.
Blinken’s cable — obtained by CNN — ordered the State Department’s Regional Security Officers (RSOs) to consider whether messages to Americans in those countries need advising of potential areas to avoid or precautions to take. All embassies were directed to report back to the State Department in Washington on whatever steps were being taken.
CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.
CNN reported earlier Wednesday about steps taken at numerous consulates and embassies in the region, including that the US consulate in Adana, Turkey, “will remain closed to the public until further notice” amid ongoing protests, and that the US embassy in Beirut advised Americans to avoid the Awkar area also due to protests.
In the past week, the State Department has raised the travel advisory to the highest level for Israel and Lebanon to warn Americans against going there, and has authorized the departure of some non-emergency US government personnel and family members from those countries.
Meanwhile, law enforcement remains on very high alert across the US.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, along with the National Counterterrorism Center issued a Joint Intelligence Bulletin Wednesday sharing information and a threat assessment advising state and local law enforcement agencies. The bulletin, sent Wednesday and obtained by CNN, specifies that “lone offenders inspired by, or reacting to, the ongoing Israel-HAMAS conflict pose the most likely threat to Americans.”
The bulletin also notes that “the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against faith communities, particularly Jewish and Muslim communities.”
The joint bulletin goes on to say that while Hamas has not specifically called for attacks on US soil, it notes that other foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks in the US and that “may prompt homegrown extremists” to target attacks in the United States at Israeli, Jewish or US Government targets.
CNN’s Jenny Hansler contributed to this report
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Video shows rocket fired from Gaza exploding above Gaza City before explosion at hospital
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy
Video from an Al Jazeera news camera appears to show a rocket fired from a Gaza explosion in flight above Gaza City, which happened moments before an explosion is seen at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.
It is still not clear if they are related.
CNN is continuing to conduct its own investigation into the blast at the hospital, and has not yet made any final conclusions.
CNN began reviewing this video Tuesday shortly after the explosion. Since then, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has pointed to this video as evidence that it was not responsible for the explosion at the hospital.
CNN referenced nearby buildings in the video to geolocate them to an area just west of the hospital.
The video was broadcast live from an east-facing Al Jazeera camera and captures the rocket trail rising into the air just a few seconds after it was launched. The time on the screen reads 6:59 p.m local time.
By geolocating where the Al Jazeera video was taken from, and the direction it’s capturing, CNN has determined the rocket was fired from an area south of Gaza City. The rocket can be seen in the video continuing to rise, until it suddenly veers straight up in the air.
The rocket then is seen making a sharp turn back toward the direction from where it was fired. A streak of fire is seen as the rocket flies significantly faster, continuing back toward the direction it was fired.
Suddenly, the rocket is seen exploding mid-flight, in the air high above Gaza City. The rocket trail is no longer visible. From the video, it is unclear where the rocket ultimately fell.
Retired Col. Cedric Leighton told CNN after reviewing the video that “it’s consistent with a malfunctioning rocket.”
Moments after the mid-air explosion, a flash of light is seen in the video in the east toward the ground. As the camera pans down, an explosion in another area of east Gaza City is seen.
Then, a second flash of light — an explosion — is seen at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital complex.
There is only one rocket trail seen in the video. If the rising rocket was intercepted by another rocket, there would be another rocket trail.
The Iron Dome system is programmed to only intercept rockets that are about to land in Israel. The location of this explosion is in the middle of Gaza and an intercept that far into Gaza would be unusual, according to CNN’s Jerusalem correspondent Hadas Gold.
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IDF says they are striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
From CNN's Hadas Gold and Sarah El Sirgany
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Thursday local time that they are striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
A CNN crew in southern Lebanon heard explosions around this time.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah said it had conducted several attacks on Israeli military posts along the Israel-Lebanon border.
The IDF said they would provide more details on Thursday’s strikes.
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Here's how the Gaza hospital explosion set off a furious scramble before Biden's trip to Israel
From MJ Lee, Kayla Tausche and Natasha Bertrand
Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday, October 18.
Miriam Alster/Pool/Reuters
A deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza hours before President Joe Biden was set to leave the White House for the Middle East set off a furious scramble inside his administration as the president’s advisers tried to ascertain who was responsible as street protests against Israel started raging across the Arab world.
Hours later, the president and his national security team were not confident enough to draw a final determination absolving Israel of responsibility. But the initial information they evaluated strongly suggested that the Israelis were not behind the strike, serving as a green light for Biden’s motorcade to roll out to Joint Base Andrews late Tuesday afternoon, sources familiar with the internal deliberation told CNN.
Had the early evidence examined by the president’s team pointed in the other direction, the White House would have been more inclined to reconsider the trip. But advisers were sensitive about reversing course mere hours after the trip was announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and in the end, they never came close to canceling the trip altogether, sources said.
The first public statement from the White House on the blast — which authorities in Hamas-run Gaza have said killed hundreds of civilians — condemned the civilian casualties and said the administration would continue studying the intelligence. En route to Israel on Air Force One, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby would only go as far as to say, “We certainly recognize that they feel very strongly that — that this was not caused by them,” when asked whether the US would give Israel “the benefit of the doubt.”
Back at home, Biden’s team worked through the night, delivering an initial intelligence assessment in the early morning hours Wednesday, according to a source familiar. The president was briefed on that assessment, leading him to be explicit about who was to blame for the hospital strike: “Based on the information we’ve seen to date, it appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza.”
“As you guys know this was a – let me choose my words here – not many people thought we could get this done, and not many people want to be associated with failure,” he said.
He added that there was a “lengthy, hour or more discussion about whether to go, because had we gone and this failed, you know, ‘The United States failed, the Biden presidency failed, etc.,’ which would be a legitimate criticism.”
Biden said he would have been “putting all them in a tough situation if we didn’t get this done.”
“It had to be, in my view, we either took all the blame… or get it done. And I thought it was worth taking a chance to get it done,” Biden said.
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UK prime minister to arrive in Israel early Thursday for 2-day trip to Middle East
From CNN’s Max Foster and Niamh Kennedy in London
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to arrive in Israel early Thursday, in what is set to be his first stop in a two-day trip to the Middle East, Downing Street announced Wednesday.
“This evening (Wednesday) the Prime Minister will commence a two-day trip to Israel and the wider region to meet counterparts from across the Middle East,” the Downing Street statement said.
Sunak will meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog before “traveling to a number of other regional capitals,” the statement continued.
Sunak will also place pressure on Israel to open a humanitarian corridor into Gaza “as soon as possible” so that British nationals trapped in the area will be able to leave, UK officials said.
The UK Prime Minister described Tuesday’s deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza as a “watershed moment” for leaders in the region and further afield to intensify efforts to avoid “further dangerous escalation of conflict.”
While the statement did not say which regional capitals Sunak will visit, it has been confirmed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit Egypt, Turkey and Qatar in tandem in the “coming days.”
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Biden says he was "very blunt" during meeting with Israeli leaders
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
US President Joe Biden said he was “very blunt” with Israeli leaders when he met with them on Wednesday – and that he laid out the expectation that they would be “held accountable” if they didn’t allow for more assistance for people displaced by the conflict.
Biden said his overall message to everyone was, “if you have the opportunity to alleviate pain you should do it, period.”
“And if you don’t,” he said, “you’re going to lose credibility worldwide.”
Asked specifically what he was “blunt” with the Israelis about, Biden responded, “Everything.”
“I was very blunt on the need to support getting humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to do it quickly,” he said.
The president added that he received “no pushback” from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday when he raised humanitarian issues.
Biden wouldn’t go into details about attempts to get Americans and other civilians out of Gaza, but he assured that “we’re going to get people out.”
Later, he said he was, “hopeful we can get some Americans out as well of Gaza and I’m hopeful we can continue to work toward getting other Americans out through other means as well.”
Palestinian Authority leadership held an urgent meeting Wednesday “to confront ongoing Israeli aggression” following the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital blast in Gaza City, official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The meeting was headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the news agency reported.
During the meeting, the leadership emphasized the need to prevent the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, which they considered a “red line” that cannot be crossed.
The leadership also underscored “the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves” while taking into account “international legitimacy and international law,” according to WAFA.
The news agency reported that the Palestinian leadership announced their intention to follow up on legal cases alleging “war crimes” that have been filed in international courts.
The leadership also resolved to work with “all concerned parties” to provide “medical relief supplies, food, water, and electricity” to the devastated areas of Gaza.
The Palestinian leadership decided to remain in permanent session in order to follow up on developments in the situation around Gaza, WAFA reported.
The blast at the hospital fueled fury across the region over the bloodshed in Gaza, a coastal enclave home to 2.2 million people that has been under siege by Israel for more than a week in retaliation for a large-scale terror attack carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7.
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Biden will deliver a primetime speech Thursday about wars in Israel and Ukraine, White House says
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
US President Joe Biden will deliver a primetime address from the Oval Office Thursday about his country’s “response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine,” the White House announced Wednesday.
The speech will be delivered at 8 p.m. ET from the Oval Office, the White House said.
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Biden says Egypt's Sisi agreed to allow 20 trucks of humanitarian aid through Rafah crossing
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
Biden speaks to re in front of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, onboard of Air Force One en route from Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza to humanitarian aid – after US President Joe Biden spoke with the leader for more than an hour on Air Force One, the president said.
“He agreed that what he would do is open the gate to do two things. One: let up to 20 trucks through to begin with,” Biden told reporters who were traveling with him on his way back from Israel. “My ambassador is— in Cairo now, he’s going to coordinate this. He has my authority to do what is needed to get it done.”
He said he’d been speaking to Sisi the whole time Air Force One was on the tarmac of Ramstein Air Force Base for a refuel. Biden was speaking just over an hour after the plane had landed. “That’s why we haven’t taken off,” he said.
The road into Gaza had to be fixed and potholes filled before the trucks could pass, the president said. He said it would take about eight hours on Thursday to get the work done, and he expected the trucks to be rolling Friday.
The crossing would open only to get aid in, Biden said, not for evacuations.
“For this purpose, not to allow a lot of people out but for this purpose,” he said.
He called it a “very blunt negotiation” with Sisi.
“The commitment is if in fact they cross the border, the UN is going to be on the other side — and then distributing, which is going to take a little time to set up,” he said.
He said that he’d made a commitment that “if Hamas confiscates it or doesn’t let it get through – then it’s going to end. Because we’re not going to be sending humanitarian aid to Hamas.”
Biden called Sisi “very accommodating” and said he deserved some “real credit” for the agreement.
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Hezbollah says it conducted 6 attacks Wednesday on Israeli military posts along the Lebanese border
From CNN’s Sarah El Sirgany and Ben Wedeman in southern Lebanon, Kevin Flower in Jerusalem and Hadas Gold in Washington
Hezbollah conducted six attacks on Israeli military posts along the Lebanese border on Wednesday using guided missiles, machine guns and 57-mm mortars, the militant group said.
Fighters attacked an Israeli tank in el-Raheb, an observation post in Manara and military posts in other four areas, the group said. The attacks took place on the eastern and western sides of the border.
Hezbollah claimed to have inflicted casualties on Israeli troops. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not yet commented on the group’s claim.
Three Hezbollah fighters were killed, the militant group said without providing further details.
Nine rockets fired from Lebanese territory crossed into northern Israel on Wednesday, the IDF said in a statement.
Four of the rockets were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array, it said.
“An IDF (drone) thwarted a terrorist cell which fired mortar shells toward the area of Turmus,” it added.
A CNN team in southern Lebanon heard thuds, booms and a volley of rockets near the Lebanese-Israeli border. The exchange continued for more than two hours.
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Family still hasn't heard from Israeli man who was fishing with friend the morning of attacks
From CNN’s Jessica Xing
An Israeli man who was fishing on a beach north of Gaza with his longtime friend on the morning of the October 7 attacks has still not been in contact with his family.
The family last heard from Danil Kimenfeld after the attacks started and he told them he was going to a shelter, his son Igor Kimenfeld told CNN on Wednesday.
Kimenfeld, who is a US citizen and lives in New Jersey with his wife, said he traveled to Israel on Monday. He said they haven’t received any information from police and instead got “rumors, gossip that there were 60 fishermen around Zikim [beach], most of them found dead except a few who managed to run away.”
Friends of Danil Kimenfeld went to the beach and found his car riddled with bullets and all the fishing gear still in car, his son said.
Igor Kimenfield hopes his father made it to a shelter but he doesn’t know.
Kimenfield gave a DNA sample as part of the search for his father, but was told it didn’t match any of the dead, he said.
Kimenfield described his father as the “anchor” of the family.
“I admire everything about him he is very easy person to love, he was funny, he is super social,” Kimenfeld said of his father.
“I’m trying to be as fun and social and as a great person as he is, very giving and reaching out,” he added. “He was the anchor not only to our family but to the whole distant family.”
The Israelis have responded heroically to such a brutal tragedy, Kimenfeld told CNN.
“The people here are extremely strong. Everybody here knows someone who lost someone,” he said.
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White House National Security Council gives more details on their Gaza hospital explosion assessment
From CNN's Natasha Bertrand
National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson provided additional details about the US assessment that Israel was not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza.
The assessment is based on intelligence that includes “missile activity,” as well as open source video and imagery that the US analyzed, according to a statement from the NSC.
Watson also pointed to intelligence indicating that Palestinian militants in the Gaza strip themselves believed the blast was caused by an errant rocket or missile launch by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ.) Israeli officials have released audio of what they say is Hamas militants discussing the blast and attributing it to a rocket launched by PIJ.
Read the full statement:
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$100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and West Bank will come from pre-approved funding, White House says
From CNN's Kayla Tausche
The $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the occupied West Bank that US President Joe Biden announced in Tel Aviv will come from pre-approved funding, the White House says.
The United State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration is providing $66 million in existing funding that will cover safe water, emergency food, shelter, hygiene support and healthcare services to Palestinians affected by the conflict, a White House official tells CNN.
The United States Agency for International Development will provide an additional $34 million to cover unanticipated needs as they arise.
The Biden administration reached an agreement with the Israeli government in recent days to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza, where water and food have been bottlenecked in the weeks since war broke out between Hamas and Israel.
Biden also pledged to request from Congress an “unprecedented” aid package for Israel.
Sources have told CNN the request – which would intend to cover funding through September 2024 for wars in Israel and Ukraine, readiness in Taiwan, and security measures at the southern US border – is expected to top $100 billion.
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UN spokesperson: "No update on if and when" Rafah crossing will open to supply aid into Gaza via Egypt
From CNN’s Richard Roth and Caitlin Hu in New York, Sugam Pokharel in London and journalist Magdy Samaan in Cairo
Trucks carrying supplies line up near the Rafah border on Wednesday, October 18, in North Sinai, Egypt.
Mahmoud Khaled/Getty Images
There is “no update on if and when” the Rafah border crossing will open for the passage of humanitarian aid from Egypt into Gaza, the UN Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said Wednesday.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s office confirmed earlier Israel will not block humanitarian aid going into Gaza through the crossing.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday blamed Israeli shelling for preventing the vital crossing from re-opening.
“Egypt did not close the Rafah crossing since the outbreak of the crisis, but that Israeli shelling from the Palestinian side prevented it from opening,” Sisi said at a news conference, speaking alongside visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
El-Sisi also called on the international community to “allow humanitarian assistance to enter the Gaza Strip.”
Intermittent explosions were witnessed throughout Wednesday on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, according to a CNN stringer on the Egyptian side of the border.
Aid convoy drivers and volunteers have been waiting at the Egyptian side of the crossing since the early hours of Tuesday.
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Blasts reported near Gaza's Al-Quds Hospital by Palestine Red Crescent Society
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder
Explosions hit less than 100 meters from Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Wednesday.
Palestine Red Crescent Society
Explosions less than 100 meters from the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City were reported Wednesday by the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society also released a video showing the impact from one of the explosions near the hospital.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the blasts “targeted multiple residential buildings and main streets in the area” of Al-Quds Hospital and the main headquarters of the organization in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood in western Gaza City.
“As a result of this bombardment, shrapnel has penetrated the building where more than 8,000 displaced individuals are located, along with the organization’s staff,” the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.
CNN has reached out the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
On Saturday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said they received an order from Israeli forces to evacuate Al-Quds hospital, which is affiliated with the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
A Palestine Red Crescent Society spokesperson told CNN on Saturday that they did not have the means to evacuate due to those in intensive care units and children in incubators.
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US Senate intelligence committee "confident" hospital blast caused by failed rocket launch, not Israeli strike
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju
The top Democrat and Republican on the US Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence said they are “confident” that Tuesday’s blast as a Gaza hospital was caused not by an Israeli airstrike but by a failed rocket launch by “militant terrorists.”
US Senate Intelligence Chair Mark Warner and Vice Chair Marco Rubio issued this statement Wednesday:
More about the blast: Hundreds of people were killed in the blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel asserts that the bombing was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket, while Palestinian officials have blamed Israel.
The US government currently believes that Israel “is not responsible” for the blast at a hospital, according to the National Security Council, following President Joe Biden’s comments that a Palestinian militant group was behind the strike.
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European Union asks social media platforms to prepare for risk of "live-streaming executions" by Hamas
From CNN's Sharon Braithwaite
The European Union’s (EU) commissioner for internal market Thierry Breton said on Wednesday that he had asked social media platforms to prepare for the risk of “live-streaming executions” by Hamas.
A spokesperson of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades said last week that Hamas will start executing civilian hostages and broadcasting it if Israel targets people in Gaza without warning.
On said Wednesday, Breton said, “But let’s be clear about this approach. By pointing out the responsibility of platforms — and their CEOs — in the management (or lack of management) of illegal content distributed on their platforms, we are sending out a very explicit signal: things have changed in Europe. There is a law. It must be respected.”
“And let me be very clear: the way in which the platforms respond to the Commission’s questions will be included in our files on their compliance with their obligations under the DSA,” he concluded.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) is a regulation in the EU law that aims to create a safer digital space where the fundamental rights of users are protected and to establish a level playing field for businesses.
CNN’s Kareem El Damanhoury contributed reporting to this post.
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Jordan's foreign minister reiterates firm stance against Palestinian population transfer to Jordan
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi speaks during an interview with CNN's Becky Anderson on Wednesday, October 18.
CNN
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reaffirmed the country’s unwavering stance against any attempt to transfer the Palestinian population to Jordan.
He emphasized that such a move would be a violation of international law and could escalate the conflict in the region. Safadi stressed the importance of a two-state solution and urged the international community to work towards peace to prevent further escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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What you need to know about Biden's visit, Israel's agreement on aid, the Gaza hospital blast and more
From CNN staff
Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday, October 18.
Miriam Alster/Pool/AP
During his visit to Israel Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said the country had agreed that humanitarian assistance can cross into Gaza from Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the aid announcement, but he added that Israel will not allow supplies into Gaza from its own territory until Hamas releases all hostages.
Following Biden’s address in Tel Aviv, the US announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and the West Bank “through trusted partners including UN agencies and international NGOs.” Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the UN vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution proposing a humanitarian pause for the delivery of aid to Gaza, saying more time was needed for on-the-ground diplomacy to take place.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know:
Gaza death toll rises: At least 3,478 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to a statement Wednesday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 12,000 others have been injured, the statement added.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday warned of a prolonged conflict with Hamas while speaking to Israeli soldiers, saying the war “will not be short.”
US currently believes that Israel “is not responsible” for Gaza hospital blast: The current assessment is based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information, said a spokesperson for the National Security Council, following Biden’s comments that a Palestinian militant group was behind the blast. The group, Islamic Jihad, has denied involvement. Biden said he cited “the data I was shown by my defense department,” when asked Wednesday what made him confident Israelis weren’t behind the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital blast in Gaza City that Palestinian officials say left hundreds dead overnight.
Biden address: In remarks Wednesday, Biden lamented the loss of life during the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas. But he also cautioned Israelis that while they may feel rage, they should not be “consumed” by it, urging for a two-state solution in pursuit of peace. Biden also stressed that the “vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” and said he grieves “for the families who were killed or wounded” in the hospital blast in Gaza City. CNN cannot independently confirm what caused the blast nor the extent of casualties.
Protests erupt across region: Lebanon and Jordan — along with others countries in the Middle East and North Africa — saw hundreds of protesters take to the streets Tuesday following the Gaza hospital blast.The US embassies in Lebanon and Jordan have advised Americans to avoid crowded areas. Saudi Arabia also called on its citizens to leave Lebanese territory immediately.
Mourning period after Gaza hospital blast: Some countries, including Egypt, Lebanon and Iran, have declared mourning periods following Tuesday’s blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.
US sanctions Hamas: The US Treasury Department said it is imposing sanctions on 10 people connected to Hamas to try to stem revenue flow to Hamas.
Explosions and exchange of fire continue: A total of nine rockets fired from Lebanese territory crossed into northern Israel on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. Elsewhere, anti-tank missiles were fired toward Israeli communities Manara and the Rosh HaNikra, and shots were fired toward an IDF military post in the area of Zar’it along the Lebanese border, the IDF said Wednesday. Meanwhile, intermittent explosions were witnessed throughout the day on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, according to a CNN stringer on the Egyptian side of the border.
Calls for investigation into hospital blast: A senior United Nations official has called for a UN investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deadly Gaza hospital blast. “The UN will certainly want to do its own investigation … And it should be done very soon and very quickly,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told CNN.
A United Nations spokesperson has also declined to acknowledge an Israeli demand that the UN secretary general publicly declare “Palestinian terrorist organizations responsible” for the blast, reiterating instead the need to investigate the incident.
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Displaced people in Gaza lack basic life necessities, says Hamas-run government
From CNN’s Abeer Salman and AnneClaire Stapleton
Displaced Palestinians take shelter in a UN school in Khan Yunis on October 16.
Mohammed Talatene/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
More than one million people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip, including 600,000 people in northern Gaza, according to a statement from the Hamas-run government in Gaza.
The displaced people lack basic life necessities and face catastrophic living conditions due to the cessation of services by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in northern parts of the enclave, the statement said.
On Tuesday, UNRWA released a status report stating that “an unknown number” of displaced people “remain in UNRWA schools in the north,” but said it was “no longer able to assist or protect” them.
The UNRWA report said: “Despite the Israeli Forces’ evacuation order, an unknown number of internally displaced remain in UNRWA schools in the north. UNRWA is no longer able to assist or protect the displaced in those areas and does not have information on their needs and conditions.”
The UNRWA report said that nearly 400,000 displaced people were sheltering in UNRWA installations “in the Middle Area, Khan Yunis and Rafah.” The organization’s logistics base in Rafah was hosting nearly 8,000 people and, “the numbers continue to increase,” the report said.
The statement released Wednesday by the authorities in Gaza also called for an “international investigation” into Tuesday’s deadly blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, repeating the Palestinian claim – denied by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – that it was caused by an Israeli airstrike.
CNN cannot independently verify what caused the explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.
The IDF claims it was due to a “failed rocket launch” by Islamic Jihad, while Palestinian officials have blamed Israel.
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United Nations will want to do its own investigation into deadly Gaza hospital blast, UN official says
From CNN’s Ben Kirby
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths appears on CNN on Wednesday, October 18.
CNN
A senior United Nations official has called for a UN investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday.
Hundreds of people were killed in the blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the center of Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Authorities in Gaza blamed Israel, while the country said its intelligence indicated the cause was a failed rocket launch by Islamic Jihad. The group has denied this.
The US currently believes Israel is “not responsible” for the blast, according to the National Security Council. CNN cannot independently confirm what caused the blast nor the extent of casualties.
Asked whether Israel’s evidence so far to support its denial of responsibility meant the matter was done, Griffiths said, “It’s not done for me, because I’m not in the business of judging human rights abuses and atrocities of that kind.”
A UN investigation might allow important lessons to be learned, he added, “to stop it happening to the next hospital, to the next school, to the next institution where people are fleeing.”
Griffiths also said the UN stands ready to provide humanitarian aid and called for airstrikes to cease in areas where access was needed.
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Rocket sirens sound in Tel Aviv
From CNN's Sugam Pokharel
Sirens warning of possible incoming rockets sounded again in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening local time.
A CNN team on the ground saw a “very heavy explosion” in the sky.
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Jordan's foreign minister explains cancellation of summit with US President Biden
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi speaks to CNN's Becky Anderson.
CNN
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told CNN the cancellation of a summit with US President Joe Biden was made in response to the deadly blast Tuesday at a Gaza hospital, saying the decision was aimed at creating a more favorable environment for addressing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Jordan and the US continue to work toward a solution for the region, Safadi added, saying that the “role of the US is just indispensable.”
Safadi’s comments come a day after the Tuesday blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Following the blast, Jordan scrapped a planned summit with Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. A White House official told reporters that Biden, who traveled to Israel, would postpone his trip to Jordan after consulting with King Abdullah II.
Authorities in Gaza have blamed Israel for the hospital blast, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed it was a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group denied the Israeli assertion.
The US currently believes Israel is “not responsible” for the blast, according to the National Security Council.
However, in his interview with CNN, Safadi reiterated Jordan’s belief that Israel was responsible, saying:
He urged for an independent international investigation to establish the truth.
Safadi also emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, highlighting the rising casualties and economic impact. He welcomed the news of Israel’s agreement to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt as a potential step toward a ceasefire and stressed the importance of prioritizing peace over war.
“We’re looking for a humanitarian corridor that will bring medicine, food, and other supplies to Gazans. We have a hospital operating in Gaza since 2009. Within a week, it will run out of supplies, and it will not be able to operate. So we haven’t seen that happen. If it happens, that’s a first step to minimize what is a war crime by denying people access to food and water,” he added.
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Israel's war with Hamas "will not be short," IDF official says
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem and Sugam Pokharel in London
The Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday warned of a prolonged conflict with Hamas while speaking to Israeli soldiers.
Halevi added that Israel is “operating according to the law,” saying, “We’re all mad but operate by reason. We’re fighting persistently and remain humans, unlike the other side that’s fighting like animals.”
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US consulate in southern Turkey closes during protests, embassy says
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The US consulate in Adana, Turkey, “will remain closed to the public until further notice” amid ongoing protests over the war between Israel and Hamas, the American embassy said in a security alert Wednesday.
The alert also noted that US government personnel were “instructed to minimize movements” and avoid travel to the consular district.
The US State Department has issued advisories from its embassies throughout the region, including in Beirut and Amman, where there were similar notices advising US citizens of the ongoing protests, many of which have targeted US diplomatic compounds.
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Eyewitnesses say scene of Gaza hospital blast is "truly indescribable"
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi, Kareem Khadder and Eyad Kourdi
The site of the blast at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital is seen on Wednesday.
Mohammed Al-Masri/Reuters
Editor’s Note: This post contains graphic descriptions of violence.
Two witnesses of the deadly blast Tuesday at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza described the scene after the explosion, which the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health has said killed hundreds of people.
One, a doctor who is working with Doctors Without Borders and said he was inside the hospital at the time, described in a post on Facebook seeing “many dismembered bodies” following the blast, including a decapitated child.
The doctor, Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitteh, said he believed the overall death toll would “continue to increase.”
Another witness, Adnan, told CNN the devastation that followed the blast was “beyond normal.”
“If you look over there on the roads, there are body parts all over it, heads and hands of people, hands and brains of children,” said Adnan, who would give only his first name. “It is truly indescribable.”
Adnan pointed out everyday items within the wreckage, like mattresses, pillows, children’s shoes and diapers.
Some context: CNN cannot independently confirm what caused the blast nor the extent of casualties.
Gaza officials blamed Israel, while the Israel Defense Forces said it was the result of a failed rocket launch by Islamic Jihad. That group denied the Israeli assertion.
The US government currently believes that Israel “is not responsible” for the blast, according to the National Security Council.
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9 rockets fired from Lebanon crossed into northern Israel on Wednesday, IDF says
From CNN’s Hadas Gold
A total of nine rockets fired from Lebanese territory crossed into northern Israel on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Four of the rockets were intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defense Array, it said.
Sirens warning of possible incoming rockets sounded in northern Israel near the Lebanon border on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier Wednesday, the IDF said anti-tank missiles were fired toward Israeli communities Manara and the Rosh HaNikra along the Lebanese border. Hezbollah said in a statement that it attacked an Israeli position just south of Manara.
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Israel sharing "misleading disinformation" about hospital blast, Palestinian National Initiative leader says
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi and Abeer Salman in Jerusalem
A view of damage on Wednesday at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Israeli military is sharing “misleading disinformation” regarding the explosion on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, said Mustafa Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI).
Barghouti is a former minister in a Palestinian unity government and a prominent and unaligned activist for Palestinian rights.
Barghouti said that the Israelis had “already threatened the hospital with evacuation” but the staff refused to leave because “it was impossible to transfer critical patients without them dying.”
“The (World Health Organization) has said that moving them would be a death sentence,” Barghouti said.
In a statement Saturday, the WHO said it “strongly condemns Israel’s repeated orders for the evacuation of 22 hospitals treating more than 2000 inpatients in northern Gaza. The forced evacuation of patients and health workers will further worsen the current humanitarian and public health catastrophe.”
CNN cannot independently confirm what caused the blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Palestinian officials blame Israel for the explosion, but the Israel Defense Forces have rejected the allegation, accusing Islamic Jihad of conducting a “failed rocket launch”– a claim the Islamist militant group denies.
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US vetoes UN Security Council resolution for humanitarian pause
From CNN's Richard Roth and Caitlin Hu
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield votes during a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Wednesday.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution proposing a humanitarian pause for the delivery of aid to Gaza, with the American ambassador to the UN saying more time was needed for on-the-ground diplomacy to take place.
Thomas-Greenfield also said the US was disappointed that the resolution — which also called for the release of hostages and condemned terrorism and acts of violence against civilians — made no mention of Israel’s right to self-defense.
UN Human Rights Watch Director Louis Charbonneau condemned the US veto, which he said took place “at a time of unprecedented carnage.”
The UN ambassador for Brazil, the president of the Security Council this month, said in a statement after the US veto that “silence and inaction prevailed,” adding he hoped “efforts by other actors will yield positive results.”
“Hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza cannot wait any longer,” Ambassador Sergio Franca Danese said.
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Explosions observed near Rafah crossing on Egypt-Gaza border
From Asmaa Khalil in Rafah, Egypt
Intermittent explosions were witnessed throughout the day on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing, according to a CNN stringer on the Egyptian side of the border.
A minor explosion was seen in the area between the Gazan and Egyptian sides of the crossing at roughly 4 p.m. local time in Egypt (9 a.m. ET). The cause is unclear.
An Egyptian military drone has been observed flying over the Egyptian side of the border, and what is believed to be an Israeli drone is flying on the other side of the crossing.
Egyptian volunteers gather in Rafah, Egypt, on Wednesday for a funeral prayer for those killed in the blast at the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.
Reuters
Aid convoy drivers and volunteers have been waiting at the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing since the early hours of Tuesday morning. On Wednesday, they performed funeral prayers for the victims of the Gaza hospital blast near the crossing.
Remember: The Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the south of the Gaza Strip has been touted as the last hope for Gazans to escape, and many Palestinians have begun moving in its direction in anticipation. That crossing, however, is currently shut.
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US will provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza civilians through international organizations
From CNN's Donald Judd
The US will provide $100 million in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and the West Bank “through trusted partners including UN agencies and international NGOs,” the White House said in a statement Wednesday.
In remarks from Tel Aviv Wednesday, Biden warned that the aid was meant for Palestinian civilians, not Hamas.
“Israel agreed humanitarian assistance can begin to move from Egypt to Gaza,” he said in Tel Aviv. “Let me be clear — if Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people, and it will end — as a practical matter, it will stop the international community from being able to provide this aid.”
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Saudi Embassy in Beirut calls on Saudi citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon is closely following the developments of the current events in the southern Lebanon region, calling on “all citizens to adhere to the travel ban decision, and to leave Lebanese territory immediately for those who are currently in Lebanon,” it said on Wednesday, according to state news Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Saudi embassy also called on citizens in Lebanon to exercise caution and stay away from places where gatherings or demonstrations are taking place until they leave, according to the SPA .
The statement comes as hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Lebanon Tuesday following a blast at a hospital in Gaza. Demonstrations on Wednesday led to skirmishes between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Police fired tear gas and used water cannons against the demonstrators on Wednesday afternoon, according to local media. Video footage of the protests released by AFP also showed water cannons being used against the demonstrators.
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Israel will allow aid to enter Gaza via Egypt but won't allow supplies to enter from Israel, PM's office says
From Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians sit on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday waiting for the corridor into Gaza to reopen.
Reuters
Israel will not block humanitarian aid going into Gaza from Egypt, according to a statement Wednesday from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But it will not allow supplies into Gaza from its own territory until Hamas releases all hostages.
The statement comes shortly after US President Joe Biden said in remarks in Tel Aviv that Israel had agreed to allow aid into Gaza, with the understanding there would be inspections to ensure the supplies are not diverted or stolen by Hamas.
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US currently assesses that Israel is "not responsible" for Gaza hospital blast
From CNN's Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis and Jeremy Herb
The site of the blast at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital is seen in Gaza City on Wednesday.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images
The US government currently believes that Israel “is not responsible” for the blast at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, according to the National Security Council, following President Joe Biden’s comments that a Palestinian militant group was behind the strike.
A spokesperson for the NSC, Adrienne Watson, said the assessment is based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information.
“While we continue to collect information, our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Watson said in a statement on Wednesday.
Officials told CNN separately that the initial evidence gathered by the US intelligence community suggests that the hospital strike came from a rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
Among the evidence that’s been gathered is a blast analysis that suggests it was a ground explosion rather than an airstrike that hit the hospital, one of the sources said. There was no singular crater suggesting there was a bomb, but there was extensive fire damage and scattered debris that is consistent with an explosion starting from the ground level, according to the source.
That analysis is one datapoint that’s led intelligence officials to lean toward assessing that the attack on the hospital was a rocket launch gone wrong.
Still, the blast analysis is just one of the things being examined by the intelligence community, which has surged intelligence collection assets to the region. US intelligence officials have not made a final assessment and are still gathering evidence, the officials said.
IDF says anti-tank missiles were fired toward Israeli communities along Lebanese border
From CNN's Hadas Gold and Tamara Qiblawi
Anti-tank missiles were fired toward Israeli communities Manara and the Rosh HaNikra along the Lebanese border, Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday.
Hezbollah said in a statement that it attacked an Israeli position just south of Manara.
The IDF said it “is currently striking the origins of the fire in Lebanon, and will continue to strike terror targets” belonging to Hezbollah.
The IDF also said shots were fired toward an IDF military post in the area of Zar’it along the Lebanese border. “IDF soldiers are responding with fire toward the origin of the shooting,” it added.
Hezbollah said it attacked Jal al-Alam, Zar’it and the Bahri positions of Israeli military with guided missiles.
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Biden urges two-state solution to support peace
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Tel Aviv.
Evan Vucci/AP
US President Joe Biden in a Wednesday address in Tel Aviv said he supports the two-state solution in the pursuit of peace.
“Nations of conscience like the United States and Israel are not measured solely by the example of power. We are measured by the power of our example, and that’s why as hard as it is, we must keep pursuing peace. We must keep pursuing a path so that Israel and the Palestinian people can both live safely and securely in dignity and in peace,” he said.
What is the two-state solution?: The idea of the two-state solution involves an Israeli state next to a Palestinian state, existing side by side in peace. It has been the goal of the international community for decades, dating back to the 1947 UN Partition Plan, and many nations say that it is the only way out of the conflict. But progress on the goal has been far from easy and has stalled in recent years. The two sides have failed to come to an agreement over several issues central to the solution.
Both claim parts, if not all, of the holy city of Jerusalem as their capital. They dispute where to draw borders and they continue to clash over Israeli settlements in occupied territory. In addition, what happens to the Palestinian refugees who fled what is now Israel after the 1948 war is a point of contention. The United Nations estimates that there are 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in the world.
It would recognize a 1967 demarcation line known as the Green Line to partition Palestinian and Israeli land, subject to land swaps based on negotiations, and it would divide Jerusalem between the two states.
Correction: This post has been updated to correct the number of Palestinian refugees around the world, as estimated by the UN.
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Biden says Israel has agreed to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Evan Vucci/AP
US President Joe Biden said Israel has agreed humanitarian assistance can cross into Gaza from Egypt, warning that any attempts by Hamas to steal the aid would illustrate it has “no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people.”
The US “unequivocally stands for the protection of civilian life during conflict,” Biden said during remarks in Tel Aviv, adding, “People of Gaza need food, water, medicine, shelter.”
“Today I asked the Israeli cabinet, who I met with for some time this morning, to agree to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, based on the understanding that there will be inspections and that the aid should go to civilians and not to Hamas,” Biden said.
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US President Biden to Israelis: "While you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it"
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
US President Joe Biden in an address in Tel Aviv on Wednesday lamented the loss of life during the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas. But he also cautioned Israelis that while they may feel rage, they should not be consumed by it.
Wartime decisions are “never clear or easy,” he said.
“There’s always cost. But it requires being deliberate. It requires asking very hard questions. It requires clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path you’re on will achieve those objectives,” he added.
Biden also stressed that the “majority” of Palestinians are not with Hamas.
“Hamas uses innocents, innocent families in Gaza as human shields, putting their command centers, their weapons and the communications tunnels in residential areas. The Palestinian people are suffering greatly as well,” he added.
He also remarked on Tuesday’s hospital blast in Gaza City, saying, “We mourn the loss of innocent Palestinian lives like the entire world.”
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Countries declare mourning periods following Gaza hospital blast
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Some countries are declaring mourning periods following Tuesday’s blast at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza where the Palestinian health ministry said hundreds were killed.
Syria on Wednesday declared a public mourning for a period of three days, starting October 18.
Egypt declared on Wednesday a three-day state of general mourning.
Iran on Tuesday declared general mourning throughout the country for three days, “in honor of the innocent souls who fell victim to international silence before falling victim to the fire of barbaric aggression.”
Jordan declared on Tuesday three days of mourning to “honor the martyrs of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital and the martyrs of Gaza.”
Lebanon announced on Tuesday that Wednesday is a day of national mourning.
Mauritania declared on Tuesday three days of national mourning following the hospital blast and called on the international community to make sure to stop “immediately” what it described as “genocide” of the Palestinians.
In Gaza,Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday also declared that three days of mourning will be observed for the victims of the blast.
Gaza officials blame Israel for the hospital blast, while the Israel Defense Forces said it was an Islamic Jihad rocket. Islamic Jihad also denied that a failed rocket launch was responsible for the explosion. CNN cannot independently verify what caused the explosion, nor the extent of casualties.
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Satellite image shows aftermath of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital explosion
This satellite image shows the aftermath of the blast Tuesday at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, in which the Palestinian Ministry of Health says hundreds of people were killed.
Palestinian officials have blamed Israel for the blast, while the Israel Defense Forces say its intelligence showed it was the result of a “failed rocket launch” by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The group denied the IDF assertion.
CNN cannot independently verify the blast’s cause nor the extent of casualties.
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US embassies in Lebanon and Jordan issue advisories amid protests in region
From CNN's Ben Wedeman in southern Lebanon, Lauren Kent in London, Michael Callahan and Hamdi Alkhshali
Protesters rally in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday.
Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
The US Embassy in Lebanon has advised Americans to avoid the area of Awkar north of Beirut — where the embassy is located — as demonstrations on Wednesday led to skirmishes between police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons against the demonstrators on Wednesday afternoon, according to local media. Video footage of the protests released by AFP also showed water cannons being used against the demonstrators.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pro-Palestinian protestors tried to break through security barriers near the US Embassy in Awkar.
The embassy remains open but is “prioritizing providing consular services to U.S. citizens in Lebanon,” it said in a security alert, adding, “The Department of State reminds citizens to avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests as some of these have turned violent.”
The US Embassy in Amman, Jordan, issued a similar warning on Wednesday, saying it was aware of calls for a demonstration beginning as early as noon. US citizens should expect a heavy police presence and were advised to avoid crowds.
Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson says fuel shortages are hindering response to hospital blast
From CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton
Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Saber Basal described seeing scenes “beyond imagination” at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital after Tuesday’s blast:
The emergency and rescue organization was “transporting maybe three or four at a time in ambulances,” he added.
Fuel shortages have severely hindered the organization’s ability to operate following the blast, risking “another massacre,” Basal said.
“The Civil Defense is in a bad position and is dealing with a catastrophe, as fuel is running out,” Basal said. “Our vehicles and machinery run on fuel and so without it, we risk facing another massacre, because we will not be able to evacuate the injured and dead to the hospital.”
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First responders thank Biden for his support and visit to Israel
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden shakes hands with Eli Beer during a meeting with Israeli first responders, family members and other Israeli citizens in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
US President Joe Biden met Wednesday with first responders and the families of victims of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, reiterating his public support for the country while offering his sympathies to those impacted.
In turn, first responders who spoke with the president expressed their gratitude for his visit, including one police officer who told Biden during a pull aside, “I would like personally to thank you for your support and the way you are a friend of Israel—I appreciate it, thank you so much.”
One EMT said he and his team — many of them Americans — were proud to serve Israel.
Biden also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who said in a statement after the meeting:
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Biden says he used data "shown by my defense department" to back up claims Israel did not strike Gaza hospital
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
US President Joe Biden said he cited “the data I was shown by my defense department,” when asked Wednesday what made him confident Israelis weren’t behind the hospital blast in Gaza City that Palestinian officials say left hundreds dead overnight.
It comes after Biden’s comments on the explosion earlier Wednesday, when he said, “It appears as though it was done by the other team,” during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Before Biden left for Israel, according to one US official, the government had not yet drawn a conclusion about the source of the hospital bombing, and Biden had instructed his national security team to continue evaluating incoming information.
CNN has asked the White House if the US government has further assessed the cause of the blast since the president’s departure.
Authorities in Gaza have said Israel is behind the deadly blast at the hospital, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
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US Treasury Department imposes sanctions on 10 Hamas "members, operatives, and financial facilitators"
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The US Treasury Department said it took action Wednesday to try to stem revenue flow to Hamas by imposing sanctions on 10 people connected to Hamas.
The new sanctions target “six individuals associated with Hamas’s secret investment portfolio, two senior Hamas officials, and a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange and its operator,” according to the Treasury Department.
In addition, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo announced the administration aims to “build a multinational coalition to go after terrorist financing,” and senior Treasury officials will travel to the region to continue to coordinate.
UK intelligence working "rapidly" to establish facts behind Gaza hospital blast, Sunak says
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy in London
British intelligence services are working “rapidly” to “establish the facts” behind the deadly blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told lawmakers in Parliament Wednesday.
“Our intelligence services have been rapidly analyzing the evidence to independently establish the facts,” he said, reiterating the UK also remains focused on efforts to get vital humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
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Here's a look at how Gaza is cut off from water, power and aid
From CNN's Renée Rigdon and Annette Choi
The humanitarian crisis grows more dire by the hour in the Gaza Strip as Israel has cut off the supply of fuel, water, food and electricity to the coastal enclave.
With Gaza’s sole power plant running out of fuel last week, seawater desalination plants have been shut off, and drinking water is running out for hundreds of thousands of civilians. Hospitals are facing shortages of medical supplies and, in some cases, have been forced to makeshift morgues out of ice cream trucks to manage overflow.
See where the Gaza strip is struggling when it comes to relief aid, water, power and more, along with areas of significant damage:
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Gaza death toll rises to nearly 3,500, Palestinian health ministry says
From CNN's Abeer Salman in Jerusalem
Palestinian emergency services and local citizens carry a victim of Israeli raids in southern Gaza on October 18, in Khan Yunis, Gaza.
Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
At least 3,478 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to a statement Wednesday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
More than 12,000 others have been injured, the statement said.
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Blinken speaks with Palestinian Authority president to express condolences about hospital blast
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in Amman, Jordan on October 17.
Jacquelyn Martin/AFP/Getty Images
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Tuesday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “to express profound condolences for the civilian lives lost in the explosion at the Al-Ahli Anglican hospital in Gaza City,” according to a readout from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
The call between Blinken and Abbas follows an earlier meeting in Amman prior to the hospital blast, in which hundreds of people were reported killed. Authorities in Gaza have said Israel was behind it, while the Israel Defense Forces assert that its intelligence showed it was a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
After the blast, Abbas pulled out of a meeting with US President Joe Biden.
In their call Wednesday, Blinken “emphasized that that the United States unequivocally condemns all terrorism and stressed the United States’ firm commitment to upholding the law of war, to include important protections for civilians.”
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Hezbollah claims responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Israeli tank
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Mohammed Abdelbary, and Sarah el-Sirgany in southern Lebanon
Hezbollah’s military wing has claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israeli tank at the border between Israel and Lebanon early on Wednesday morning.
The attack targeted a Merkava tank and recorded a direct hit “killing and wounding its crew,” according to a statement released by the Iran-backed armed group.
Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that five of its fighters were killed, without providing further details about the date or the location. Its statement did not mention the number of Israeli casualties.
In a separate video released on Wednesday, Hezbollah said it targeted another Merkava tank on Tuesday afternoon at the Israeli army’s Al-Bayad site, and claimed that it “achieved confirmed casualties” with guided missiles.
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Geolocated video shows moment of blast at Gaza hospital
From CNN’s Teele Rebane and Mihir Melwani in Hong Kong
A video geolocated by CNN shows the moment a large blast happened at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza in which hundreds of people are reported to have been killed.
In the video, the sky lights up as a large blast erupts on the hospital grounds, sending a cloud of smoke into the air.
Authorities in Gaza have said Israel was behind Tuesday’s deadly blast, while the Israel Defense Forces assert that its intelligence showed it was a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
CNN cannot independently verify what caused the blast.
US "will continue to have Israel's back," Biden says in meeting with Israeli war cabinet
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden, center left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center right, participate in an expanded bilateral meeting with Israeli and U.S. government officials, on October 18, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Evan Vucci/AP
President Joe Biden pledged US support for Israel in a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the country’s war cabinet in an expanded bilateral meeting in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, saying, “We will continue to have Israel’s back as you work to defend your people.”
For his part, Netanyahu slammed Hamas for committing “this terrible, double-war crime against humanity.”
The Israeli prime minister also addressed the hospital bombing in Gaza overnight, in which preliminary estimates indicate hundreds were killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza,
Authorities in Gaza have said Israel was behind the blast, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was responsible.
Earlier Wednesday, Biden briefly addressed the hospital bombing during a meeting with Netanyahu, telling the Israeli prime minister that it “appears as though it was done by the other team.”
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Egyptian president suggests Gaza civilians should be relocated to desert inside Israel
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi give a joint press statement during the former's visit to Cairo, Egypt, on October 18.
Michael Kappeler/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi suggested Wednesday that displaced Palestinian civilians in Gaza could be relocated to a desert area within Israel while the current conflict continues.
El-Sisi was speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a news conference in Cairo.
The president emphasized that his country currently hosts 8.5 million refugees and cannot accommodate more while voicing concern over the potential security risks of a significant influx of Palestinians into Egypt.
Sisi condemned the killing of civilians and highlighted the importance of the Palestinian cause among Arab states.
Some context: His words come after King Abdullah II of Jordan warned Tuesday that the displacement of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt is a “red line,” and said there would be no refugees in Jordan and no refugees in Egypt.
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Biden is in Israel after a devastating blast at Gaza hospital. Here’s what you need to know
US President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, beginning a high-stakes visit just hours after a horrifying bombing at a Gaza hospital.
Biden again pledged American support for Israel, telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I wanted to be here today for the simple reason I want the people of Israel, people of the world to know the United States stands.”
“I wanted to personally come and make that clear,” Biden said.
Here are the key headlines on an extraordinary and tense day in the region.
Biden suggests hospital blast was “done by the other team”: The US president told the Israeli leader that the bombing of a Gaza hospital “appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.” But the president added that “there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got a lot — we’ve got to overcome a lot of things.” Authorities in Gaza have said Israel was behind the deadly blast at the hospital, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was responsible for the bombing.
Hundreds feared dead: Preliminary estimates indicate hundreds of people were killed in the blast at the Al-Ahli hospital, which was sheltering thousands of displaced people who were evacuated from their homes during Israeli airstrikes, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement. “The magnitude of the devastation was overwhelming,” one doctor told CNN.
Jordan cancels Biden summit: Jordan scrapped a planned Wednesday summit between Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority after the bombing. “There is no point in doing anything at this time other than stopping this war,” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Al Jazeera Arabic early Wednesday morning. A White House official told reporters that Biden will “postpone” his trip to Jordan after consulting with the country’s King Abdullah II
Protests across the region: Several countries in the Middle East and North Africa saw protesters march after hundreds of people died in the Gaza hospital explosion. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Jordan’s capital Amman, and near the US embassy in Lebanon.
Widespread condemnation: Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that the hospital blast was “a crime and an act of dehumanization.” The hospital is funded by the Anglican Church, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby expressed his devastation at the “appalling” loss of innocent lives. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the families of the victims. “Civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict are a matter of serious and continuing concern. Those involved should be held responsible,” Modi added in a post on X.
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Situation in Gaza is spiraling "out of control," World Health Organization chief says
From CNN’s Akanksha Sharma in Hong Kong
The situation in Gaza is spiraling “out of control,” World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Wednesday.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tedros said that WHO’s supplies have been stuck at the border for four days, adding “every second we wait to get medical aid in, we lose lives.”
He called for the “violence on all sides to stop” and immediate access to “start delivering life-saving supplies” to Gaza.
Some context: On Saturday, Tedros had said that a plane with WHO’s medical supplies arrived in Egypt close to the Rafah crossing into Gaza.
With Gaza’s sole power plant running out of fuel last week, seawater desalination plants have been shut off, and drinking water is running out for hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Hospitals are facing shortages of medical supplies and, in some cases, have been forced to makeshift morgues out of ice cream trucks to manage overflow.
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Doctor at Gaza hospital recounts overwhelming devastation after Tuesday explosion
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Eyad Kourdi
Doctor Fadel Na’eem Na’eem, Head of Orthopedic Department at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, on October 18.
CNN
A doctor at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza has recounted the minutes after the explosion there on Tuesday evening, saying that the magnitude of the devastation was overwhelming.
Dr. Fadel Na’eem, head of the orthopedic department, said he was performing surgery when a deafening blast resounded through the hospital. He said panic ensued as staff members ran into the theatre screaming for help and reporting multiple casualties.
Hamas officials and Islamic Jihad have said the hospital was targeted in an Israeli airstrike. The Israel Defense Forces said it had evidence the explosion was caused by a failed rocket launch by the group Islamic Jihad from a site near the hospital.
After he left the operating theater, Dr Na’eem said he found an overwhelming scene.
“Many people were beheaded. Everywhere there was a big fire,” he said. “The medical team scrambled to tend to the wounded and dying, but the magnitude of the devastation was overwhelming. The number was big and huge that we can’t do anything,” Na’eem said.
He added that a hospital building had been struck on October 14 but staff thought it was a mistake, given that warnings usually precede bombings.
He repeated the claim by Hamas officials that the following day, the hospital’s medical director had received a phone call from the IDF saying that the strike had been a warning and demanding the hospital be evacuated.
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on that claim.
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Gaza officials say IDF had warned al-Ahli hospital 4 days ago that it should be evacuated
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi
A girl tries to collect usable belongings amid wreckage of vehicles after Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was hit in Gaza City, Gaza, on October 18.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
Officials in Gaza said on Wednesday that the Al-Ahli hospital was damaged by two Israeli shells four days ago, after which the Israel Defense Forces warned the hospital’s management to evacuate the premises.
Youssef Abu Al-Rish, the Deputy Health Minister in Gaza, said that two Israeli shells hit the hospital on Saturday.
Al-Rish said that on the following day, the IDF contacted the manager of the hospital, Dr. Maher Ayad, criticizing him for “not evacuating the facility.”
Al-Rish said the IDF had told Ayad that the shells had been a warning. They “told the hospital’s manager, you have been warned yesterday with two shells, so why you haven’t evacuated the hospital till this moment,” Al-Rish said.
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on the claim.
Hundreds died following Tuesday’s blast at the hospital in Gaza City that was sheltering thousands of displaced people, Palestinian officials said. They blamed Israel for the bombing, although Israeli officials said a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad was responsible.
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Biden says American death toll from Hamas attack climbs to 31
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on October 18, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Evan Vucci/AP
US President Joe Biden confirmed Wednesday that the American death toll following Hamas’ attack on Israel has climbed to 31 people.
Following his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden is set to hold a wider meeting with Israel’s war Cabinet.
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Biden tells Netanyahu that Hamas' atrocities "make ISIS look somewhat more rational"
From CNN's Donald Judd
US President Joe Biden again pledged American support for Israel, telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “I wanted to be here today for the simple reason I want the people of Israel, people of the world to know the United States stands.”
“I wanted to personally come and make that clear,” Biden said.
The president condemned Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, saying the group has “committed evils, that, atrocities that make ISIS look somewhat more rational.”
But he acknowledged that while Israel has the right to defend itself, “we have to also bear in mind that a Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and has brought them only suffering.”
Netanyahu, for his part, thanked Biden for his visit, noting: “Your visit here is the first visit of an American president in Israel at a time of war.”
“It is deeply, deeply moving, it speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to Israel, it speaks to the depth of your personal commitment to the future of the Jewish people, and the one and only Jewish state,” he said. “So I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you, Mr. President.”
Netanyahu said: “There’s only one thing better than having a true friend like you standing with Israel, and that is having you standing in Israel.”
Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,400 people.
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Biden tells Netanyahu attack on Gaza hospital “appears as though it was done by the other team, not you”
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on October 18, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Evan Vucci/AP
During a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden told the Israeli leader the deadly bombing of a Gaza hospital “appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.”
“The point is, is that I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion of the hospital in Gaza yesterday, and based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” he told Netanyahu after his arrival in Israel on Wednesday.
Authorities in Gaza have said Israel is behind the deadly blast at the hospital, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was responsible for the explosion that left hundreds dead.
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Biden begins meeting with Netanyahu
From CNN's Donald Judd
President Joe Biden, left, speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Evan VucciAP
US President Joe Biden’s bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is beginning at the Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv.
Biden embraced Netanyahu a short while ago after landing in Israel.
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Biden embraces Israel's prime minister and president on his arrival in Tel Aviv
From CNN's Donald Judd
U.S. President Joe Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18, 2023. REUTERS/
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
President Joe Biden disembarked Air Force One at 11:01 a.m. local time, greeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog with hugs before shaking hands with US embassy Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Hallett.
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Biden to meet with Netanyahu, President Herzog, first responders and families of victims
From CNN's Donald Judd and Kevin Liptak
US President Joe Biden aims to ask “tough questions” but emphasize his relationship as a “true friend of Israel” as he meets with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, according to a US National Security Council spokesperson.
Biden will start his visit by meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by a broader meeting with Israel’s war cabinet, NSC spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One.
“He’ll be asking some tough questions,” Kirby said, including about about “where they think they’re going.”
“He’ll be asking as a friend, a true friend of Israel,” Kirby added.
According to Kirby, Biden plans to emphasize he doesn’t want the conflict to widen. He also aims to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and raise the issue of hostages, Kirby said.
During his visit, Biden is scheduled to meet withIsraeli first responders as well as the families of victims and people still missing or taken hostage, though Kirby couldn’t say if these were families of Americans or Israelis.
Biden will also deliver remarks and meet with Israeli President Herzog before his departure.
On his flight home, Biden plans to speak with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President El-Sisi on the flight home, in lieu of the scheduled summit in Jordan, which was scrapped after Tuesday’s deadly hospital blast in Gaza.
Some context: Biden’s arrival in wartime Tel Aviv marks his most forceful public show of support for Israel since the October 7 attacks by Hamas that left 1,400 Israelis – and dozens of Americans – dead. Other Americans, along with many Israelis, are also being held hostage by Hamas. And at least 3,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the fighting began, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said Tuesday.
Biden’s visit came less than a day after a horrifying blast at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City. Palestinian officials have said hundreds are dead following the explosion at the center of the city and blamed Israel. The Israelis denied responsibility and pinned blame on a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The blast marks a dangerous new phase in Israel’s war with Hamas, which threatens to spill over regionally.
With his visit, Biden seeks to demonstrate staunch support for Israel as it works to eliminate Hamas while also pressing for ways to ease humanitarian suffering in Gaza.
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US Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Israel ahead of President Biden's visit
From CNN's Colin McCullough
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Tel Aviv ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit.
The US president’s arrival in Israel on Wednesday will build on Blinken’s seven-nation, multi-day tour of the Middle East as the US tries to strike a delicate balance between providing unwavering support for Israel’s military operations while mitigating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and stopping the war from spreading to other fronts.
Blinken returned to Israel from Amman, Jordan.
Biden was scheduled to visit Jordan for a summit with King Abdullah II, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss a humanitarian response – but plans were scrapped after Tuesday’s deadly hospital blast in Gaza.
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Israel's military claims lack of structural damage at Gaza hospital rules out airstrikes
From CNN's Richard Greene and Tim Lister
Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari speaks to the press from The Kirya in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18.
Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images
The lack of structural damage at the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City proves Israeli airstrikes didn’t cause Tuesday’s deadly explosion, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Imagery following the blast showed “no cratering and no structural damage to nearby buildings,” IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a news conference Wednesday.
Hagari said IDF trajectory analysis confirmed that rockets were fired from close proximity to the hospital. He said most of the propellant [rocket fuel] was still visible because the trajectory of the rocket was short.
“At 6:59 p.m., a barrage of around 10 rockets was fired by Islamic Jihad from a nearby cemetery. It was at the time, 6:59 p.m. — when there were reports of an explosion at the hospital in Gaza City,” he said.
Islamic Jihad has denied that a failed rocket launch was responsible for the explosion.
CNN cannot independently verify what caused the explosion, nor the extent of casualties.
A view of the surroundings of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital after it was hit in Gaza City, Gaza, on October 18.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
Hagari also said that the IDF had intelligence of “communications between terrorists” discussing rockets misfiring, which included mention of the hospital.
The IDF released audio of a conversation allegedly between two Hamas operatives in which they spoke of a rocket launch from a cemetery near the hospital. According to an IDF translation of the conversation, one of the operatives says: “They are saying that the shrapnel from the missile is local shrapnel and not like Israeli shrapnel.”
Hagari said it was common for rockets fired at Israel to fall short “and cause casualties.”
“We have counted approximately 450 rockets that have fallen short and fell in Gaza during this war,” he added.
In the spirit of “maximum transparency,” the IDF is sharing its evidence with others, including the United States, Hagari added.
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Gaza hospital blast needs to be thoroughly investigated, German chancellor says
From CNN's Inke Kappeler
Wounded Palestinians sit in al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, after arriving from al-Ahli hospital following an explosion there on October 17.
Abed Khaled/AP
A thorough investigation of the deadly hospital blast in Gaza is “imperative,” according to Germany’s chancellor.
Scholz is set to travel to Egypt to meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday, following his meeting with Israeli President Issac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on Tuesday.
Some context: Hundreds died following Tuesday’s blast at the hospital in Gaza City that was sheltering thousands of displaced people, Palestinian officials said. They blamed Israel for the bombing, although Israeli officials said a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad was to blame.
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Israel military produces images it says shows hospital blast caused by failed rocket launch and not airstrike
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi, Tim Lister and Chloe Liu
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday produced a 30-second video it says shows the deadly hospital blast in Gaza City could not have been the result of an Israeli airstrike.
Palestinian officials have blamed Israel for the bombing that is believed to have killed hundreds of people while Israeli officials say a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad caused the blast.
Using images showing fire damage to several vehicles in the hospital parking lot, the montage presented by the IDF suggests that a fire broke out at the hospital as the result of a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad group. The IDF added that there were no visible signs of craters or significant damage to buildings that would result from an airstrike.
Conricus said the IDF was slow to release information because it took hours for the Israeli military to “investigate and get to the bottom of the situation.”
The Islamic Jihad movement denied Israel’s assertions that a failed rocket launch was responsible, claiming that it does not use public facilities such as hospitals for military purposes, according to a written statement published Wednesday which described the Israeli accusations as “false and baseless.”
CNN cannot independently confirm what caused the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital.
The building was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was bombed Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Many victims are still under the rubble, it added.
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Protests break out around the region after Gaza hospital blast
From CNN's Ben Wedeman in Beirut, Aqeel Najim in Baghdad and Caroline Faraj, Jomana Karadsheh, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Adam Pourahmadi and Akanksha Sharma
Lebanese protesters wave Palestinian national flags and shout slogans in solidarity with the people of Gaza in down town Beirut, Lebanon, on October 17.
Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images
Several countries in the Middle East and North Africa saw protesters march after hundreds of people died in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.
Palestinian officials quickly blamed Israel for the blast as the Israelis denied responsibility and pinned the blame on a failed rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. CNN is unable to independently verify what caused the explosion.
Preliminary estimates indicate hundreds of people were killed in the blast at the hospital, which was sheltering thousands of displaced people who were forcibly evacuated from their homes during Israeli airstrikes, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement.
Here’s a look at protests erupting across the Middle East:
Jordan: Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Jordan’s capital Amman. A group gathered near the Israeli Embassy in an attempt to “reach it,” but security forces pushed them away, a security source told CNN. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency also reported the protesters’ attempts to reach the embassy. Jordanian security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds in the capital, two activists told CNN, a claim backed up by social media videos. There have been almost daily protests near the Israeli Embassy over the past week. Approximately 50% of Jordan’s population is either Palestinian or of Palestinian descent.
Lebanon: Hundreds of protesters gathered in the square that leads to the US Embassy north of Beirut and tried to break through security barriers, with police using tear gas to disperse them, according to a CNN team there. CNN’s Ben Wedeman said that as of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday the protests had calmed down after a “chaotic” night. Following these protests, the US State Department issued a warning asking American citizens not to travel to Lebanon, adding that family members and some non-emergency US government personnel will be allowed to voluntarily depart Lebanon “due to the unpredictable security situation.”
Iraq: Hundreds of people took to the streets in Baghdad chanting anti-Israel slogans. Security officials told CNN that dozens of protesters tried to cross a bridge that leads to the Green Zone, but security forces prevented them. The area houses Iraqi government offices and several embassies, including the US Embassy.
Iran: Protests took place outside the French and British embassies in Tehran. Demonstrators could be heard chanting “Death to France, England, America, and the Zionists,” according to a video published by state-run RNA news. Rallies also took place in other cities, including Esfahan and Qom.
Tunisia: Hundreds of people rallied in several areas in Tunis, state-run TAP news agency reported. TAP said “mass protests were held on Tuesday night,” in several areas “in solidarity with the Palestinian people” and against Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Turkey: In Istanbul, security forces used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse protesters who managed to force their way into a compound where the Israeli consulate is located.
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Gaza hospital blast "cannot be justified on any ground," Japan says
From CNN's Emi Jozuka in Tokyo
A view of damage after Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was hit in Gaza City, Gaza, on October 18.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
Japan’s government on Wednesday condemned the deadly hospital blast in Gaza, saying “attacks against hospitals or civilians cannot be justified on any ground.”
In a statement issued Wednesday, Japan’s foreign ministry said it feels “strong indignation on tremendous damage to innocent civilians” and expressed its heartfelt sympathy to the victims, bereaved families and people injured in the blast.
The ministry urged “all parties to act, based on International law, to avoid further civilian casualties” and stated Tokyo would ramp up efforts to secure the safety of civilians and defuse tensions.
Some context: Hundreds died following Tuesday’s blast at the hospital in Gaza City that was sheltering thousands of displaced people, Palestinian officials said. They blamed Israel for the bombing, although Israeli officials said a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad was to blame.
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Church that funds Gaza hospital condemns blast and says enclave deprived of safe havens
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem condemned the deadly explosion that took place at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza on Tuesday.
The diocese oversees the board and administration of the hospital, which is exclusively funded through the Anglican Church by international donations.
The diocese said it was observing a global day of fasting and prayers to end the conflict that “was marred by a brutal attack” on the hospital, it said in a statement.
The diocese announced a day of mourning in all of its churches and institutions.
“Gaza remains bereft of safe havens,” the diocese said and called the blast a crime against humanity.
“The devastation witnessed, coupled with the sacrilegious targeting of the church, strikes at the very core of human decency,” it said, adding that “we assert unequivocally that this is deserving international condemnation and retribution.”
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UN Secretary-General condemns Gaza hospital blast and calls for humanitarian ceasefire
From CNN's Alex Stambaugh and Richard Roth
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on October 18.
Edgar Su/Reuters
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza while speaking Wednesday at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China.
Guterres said he was “horrified” by the hundreds of people killed following the blast Tuesday and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the region.
Guterres emphasized that hospitals along with clinics, medical personnel, and UN premises are protected under international law, according to a statement from UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The Secretary-General also condemned the attack on a UNRWA school in Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza on Tuesday which killed at least six people, the statement said.
“The Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured,” the statement said.
Guterres is expected to travel to Egypt later this week where he will meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and others on the situation in the region, according to Dujarric.
Guterres has previously appealed for the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza and for international aid to be allowed into the enclave. On Wednesday, he said these requests are not “bargaining chips,” but “simply the right thing to do.”
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Hundreds were killed in a Gaza hospital blast. Here's what we know
From CNN's Jessie Yeung, Tara John and Zahid Mahmood
Wounded Palestinians sit in al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City after arriving from a hospital blast on Tuesday.
Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health, described the situation following the blast as “unparalleled and indescribable.”
“Ambulance crews are still removing body parts,” Al-Qudra said in a statement on Wednesday local time, noting that “most of the victims are children and women.”
The number of victims and their injuries “exceeded the capabilities of medical teams and ambulances”, he added.
“Doctors were performing surgeries on the ground and in the corridors, some of them without anesthesia and a large number of injured people are still waiting for operations, and the medical teams are trying to save their lives in intensive care.”
Death toll: The hospital, located in the center of Gaza City, had been sheltering thousands of displaced people who had been forcibly evacuated, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Many victims are still under the rubble, it added.
Hamas, which controls the enclave, said more than 500 people were killed by the bombing. The Palestinian health ministry earlier said preliminary estimates indicate that between 200 to 300 people died in the attack.
Casualties in Gaza over the past 10 days have now surpassed the number of those killed during the 51-day Gaza-Israel conflict in 2014.
Uncertain origins: Palestinian officials have blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident. But the Israel Defense Forces “categorically” denied any involvement in the hospital attack, blaming instead a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, a rival Islamist militant group in Gaza. The US is analyzing intelligence on the explosion provided by Israel to better understand what happened.
Fallout: Several Arab countries harshly condemned Israel following the blast as protests have erupted across the Middle East and North Africa.
Jordan canceled a planned Wednesday summit between US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Instead, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would travel back to Ramallah for an urgent meeting of the Palestinian leadership.
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UN human rights official warns of potential "mass ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians by Israel
From CNN staff
Mourners react next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Palestinians are in grave danger of “mass ethnic cleansing” by Israel, according to a UN human rights official.
In the wake of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said that Palestinians have no safe place to be in Gaza.
“Israel has already carried out mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians under the fog of war,” Albanese said in a news release on Saturday, referencing the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were expelled or had to flee their homes in 1948 and 1967 wars with Israel.
At least 2,778 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza by Israeli bombardment as of Monday, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan rejected Albanese’s claims in an interview with CNN. “This utterly false comment is yet another example of the bias the UN displays when haters of Israel are appointed to these positions.
The only thing Albanese was an expert on was “supporting terrorism and antisemitism,” he said.
“Following many examples of Albanese’s antisemitic comments, including remarks about the ‘Jewish lobby’ and the Holocaust, we know her words are motivated by deep hatred toward Israel,” Erdan said.
During a previous Israeli military campaign in Gaza in 2014, Albanese said on Facebook that: “America and Europe, one of them subjugated by the Jewish Lobby, and the other by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust remain on the sidelines […],” according to a statement from the Mission of Israel to the UN posted in 2022.
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Several Arab countries harshly condemn Israel following Gaza hospital blast
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
After a blast at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds of people on Tuesday, the leaders of several Arab countries have harshly condemned the bombing and joined Palestinian officials in blaming Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces has “categorically” denied any involvement, blaming instead a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, a rival Islamist militant group in Gaza.
Here’s where these Arab countries stand:
Saudi Arabia “categorically rejects this brutal attack, which is a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, including international humanitarian law,” the kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II called the bombing “a heinous war crime that cannot be tolerated,” adding that “Israel must immediately stop its brutal aggression against Gaza,” according to a statement released by his office on Tuesday.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi condemned “in the strongest terms” the bombing as “a clear violation of international law and the provisions of international legitimacy and humanity,” according to a statement released by his office.
The United Arab Emirates condemned what it called “the Israeli attack” and called on the international community “to intensify efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life, to avoid further fueling the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and to advance all efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace, while preventing the region from being pulled into new levels of violence, tension and instability,” according to a statement from its foreign ministry on Tuesday.
Iraq’s government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi called the hospital blast “a war crime,” alleging that Israeli forces “have crossed all the lines,” in a statement released on Tuesday.
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President Joe Biden is due to land in Israel in the coming hours. Catch up on the latest here
From CNN staff
US President Joe Biden is traveling to Israel on Wednesday for an extraordinary wartime visit amid growing international pressure to address the crisis in the Middle East.
Biden was also due to attend a meeting scheduled in Jordan with several Arab leaders — but the summit was canceled in the wake of a blast at a Gaza hospital that likely killed hundreds of people.
The hospital was sheltering thousands of displaced people when it was bombed Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Palestinian officials blamed Israeli airstrikes. But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has “categorically” denied any involvement in the blast, blaming instead a “failed rocket launch” by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Here’s what else you need to know:
Biden’s visit: The US president’s focus will be on managing a complicated situation and less on securing clear deliverables, according to two sources close to the matter. It’s a clear signal of the White House seeking to manage expectations after a major portion of the trip was scrapped at the last-minute. The presence of Biden, who places a premium on personal diplomacy, is meant to show solidarity with the US’ closest allies and to deter rogue actors in the region from opening up a second front in the war.
Health services on the brink: Food and water supplies are running low in Gaza, where 20 out of 23 hospitals were offering partial services because fuel reserves are “almost totally depleted,” the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said. UN agencies have warned that stores are less than a week away from running out of food and Gaza’s last seawater desalination plant has shut down, bringing the risk of further deaths, dehydration and waterborne diseases.
Aid supplies stuck: Meanwhile, vital humanitarian aid is piling up at Gaza’s shuttered border, despite diplomatic efforts to open a corridor from Egypt. The UN and other agencies have said they need assurance of safe passage for any potential aid convoys. On the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, a miles long convoy of aid awaits entry into Gaza, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told CNN. “Until now, there is no safe passage that has been granted,” he said.
Israeli airstrikes: While the IDF has said it does not target hospitals, the UN and Doctors Without Borders say Israeli airstrikes have struck medical facilities, including hospitals and ambulances. On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes hit two densely populated refugee camps and an UNRWA school housing displaced people in central Gaza, killing at least 18 people and injuring scores of others, Palestinian officials said. The IDF said a high-level Hamas commander was killed in the strikes.
Fears of wider conflict: Regional leaders raised concerns of fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah in the north, and Syria, as strikes at the border become a flashpoint for wider conflict. The IDF said on Tuesday shots were fired toward several locations on the security fence between Israel and Lebanon. Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned if the “atrocities” against Gaza persist, “Muslims and resistance forces could lose patience,” and no-one would be able to prevent their actions.
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White House: Biden plans to ask Israel tough questions "as a friend" during Tel Aviv visit
From CNN's Betsy Klein
US President Joe Biden plans to ask “tough questions” as a “friend” to Israel when he spends his Wednesday in Tel Aviv — a trip meant as a forceful public show of support, but also a push for easing a growing humanitarian crisis.
Biden will first meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a restricted bilateral meeting, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One in a preview of Wednesday’s trip. That meeting will later broaden to include other US officials and the Israeli War Cabinet.
In those meetings, Kirby said the president is “going to get a sense from the Israelis about the situation on the ground, and, more critically, their objectives, their plans, their intentions in the days and weeks ahead.”
Pressed later on what those tough questions would be, Kirby said it would not be “adversarial” but rather, “in the spirit of a true, deep friend of Israel.”
Hostages held by Hamas will also be a key topic of discussion, Kirby said, as Biden seeks to find out more from his Israeli counterparts about “where they are, what condition they are in, if they are being moved.”
And he will make the case for the “sustained” flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Kirby added.
Later Wednesday, Biden will meet with some families impacted by the violence of the past week, including some who have lost loved ones in Israel, and some who “still don’t know the fate of their loved ones.” Some of those family members have loved ones who are being held hostage, though it was not immediately clear whether they are Americans.
After that, Biden will make public remarks in Tel Aviv, which will be covered by traveling press. And he is also expected to “speak directly” with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Though Biden’s trip to Amman, Jordan, was canceled, Biden is expected to speak with leaders in the region on Wednesday night as he returns to Washington.
“The President intends to speak with both (Palestinian Authority) President Mahmoud Abbas and (Egyptian) President (Abdel Fattah el-) Sisi on the flight home,” Kirby said.
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UN Security Council to hold meeting on Middle East
From CNN's Richard Roth and Mariya Knight
The United Nations Security Council will hold an open meeting Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET on developments in the Middle East, including the blast at a Gaza hospital.
Both Israel and Palestinian officials are expected to speak at the meeting, which was requested by Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
The blast at the Gaza hospital is expected to be a major topic of the meeting.
Russia requested the open meeting of the UNSC following the blast, Russia’s first deputy to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said on Telegram.
Palestinian officials have blamed Israel for the hospital blast, while Israeli officials say a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad is to blame.
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Biden is traveling to Israel. Here's what he's looking to accomplish during his wartime trip
From CNN's Phil Mattingly, Kevin Liptak, Kayla Tausche, MJ Lee, Jennifer Hansler and Alex Marquardt
While the trip will amount to a dramatic show of support for Israel as it prepares the latest stage of its response to last week’s Hamas attacks, it will also act as Biden’s strongest push for easing the suffering of civilians and allowing those who want to leave Gaza out.
That mission got more complicated Tuesday as Biden was about to take off on Air Force One for the region — a planned summit with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was canceled after an explosion at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds.
Palestinian officials quickly blamed Israel for the blast as the Israelis denied responsibility and pinned the blame on a failed rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The high-stakes diplomacy with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his interlocutor of four decades, underscores the delicate balance Biden is striking as he embarked upon the last-minute wartime visit Tuesday evening.
The White House had attempted to balance the public and military support for Israel with the reality that Arab partners are critical to Biden’s approach by going to Jordan for a summit with the key Arab leaders. But the last-minute scrapping of that meeting meant Biden would no longer go to Amman and instead faces a new diplomatic headache.
At stake on the trip to Israel are the lives of millions of civilians, including Americans, currently stuck in the coastal Palestinian enclave where a humanitarian crisis is underway as Israeli troops mass at its borders ahead of an expected ground invasion.
While there was no explicit stipulation from the US that Israel not launch its invasion until Biden leaves the region, that’s the understanding among American officials who have spent the past several days debating and planning the president’s visit, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
No safe passage yet for aid to Gaza, Egyptian foreign minister says
From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau, Ami Kaufman and Christiane Amanpour
A miles-long convoy of humanitarian assistance between the Egyptian cities of El-Arish and Rafah was awaiting the possibility of entering Gaza on Tuesday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said.
Shoukry said the Rafah crossing was bombed four times over the past few days. He added that four Egyptian workers were injured while trying to repair some of the damage caused by the blasts.
“The crossing has sustained damage, the roads, access roads between the Egyptian and Gaza side have severe damage and need repair,” Shoukry said.
Egypt does not have “any authorization or clear, secure routes for those convoys to be able to enter safely and without any possibility of their being targeted,” he said, adding that trucks carrying humanitarian aid were parked on the side of the road.
Asked whether Egyptian authorities would accept and welcome refugees, the foreign minister voiced concerns.
Shoukry also condemned Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israeli civilians, calling them “totally unacceptable.”
It is “horrendous to see whatever imagery of targeting civilians. it’s totally unacceptable,” he said. “Civilians should not be in anyway subject to any form of military activity, and it was a shock,” he said.
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Jordan cancels planned summit with Biden and Middle East leaders following deadly hospital blast
From CNN's Ben Wedeman, Alex Marquardt, Nikki Carvajal and Kevin Liptak
Jordan has canceled a planned Wednesday summit between US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority after a blast at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds of people, the country’s foreign minister announced.
Biden was scheduled to visit Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday after making a trip to Tel Aviv earlier in the day.
A White House official told reporters that Biden will “postpone” his trip to Jordan after consulting with the country’s King Abdullah II and taking into consideration the days of mourning announced by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The White House made the announcement shortly after the Biden boarded Air Force One en route to Israel.
Palestinian officials have blamed Israel for the hospital blast, while Israeli officials say a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad is to blame.
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What to know about Rafah Crossing — the last hope for civilians in Gaza to escape war
From CNN's Abbas Al Lawati and Mohammed Abdelbary
As Israel responds to the October 7 attacks by Hamas, it has rained down bombs on Gaza, shut off the supply of water, electricity, food and fuel, and blockaded the coastal enclave by land, air and sea.
Where Palestinians will go is anyone’s guess. A border crossing with Egypt in the south, located in Egypt’s north Sinai, has been touted as the last hope for Gazans to escape, and many Palestinians have begun moving in its direction in anticipation.
That crossing at Rafah however is shut, with aid unable to get into Gaza.
Here’s what we know about the crossing:
The importance of Rafah crossing: Before the war started, Israel had two crossings with Gaza: Erez, which is for the movement of people, and Kerem Shalom, for goods. Both were heavily restricted and have been shut since the war began. That has left the Rafah Crossing with Egypt as the territory’s only entry-point to the outside world. According to United Nations figures, an average of 27,000 people crossed the border each month as of July this year. The border was open for 138 days and closed for 74 this year until that month. Closures often depend on the security and political situation on the ground. While Israel has no direct control over the crossing, Egypt’s closures often coincide with Israel’s own tightening of restrictions on Gaza.
What’s it like to cross Rafah border: Only Gazans with permits as well as foreign nationals can use it to travel between Gaza and Egypt. Gazans wishing to cross the border often have long waits. Jason Shawa, a Palestinian American from Seattle who lives in Gaza, says the process has taken him a minimum of 30 days, but wait times could last up to three months. On the day of departure, a bus would take travelers from the Palestinian side of the border to the Egyptian one, where they would wait hours for Egyptian authorities to receive and process visa applications. Many travelers are turned away there, Shawa said, adding that Palestinians are regularly mistreated there.
What’s it like now: Israel has struck the crossing multiple times since the war began. Asked about the bombing, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said on Tuesday: “When we see Hamas targets moving, we will take care of it.” Dozens of trucks are on the Egyptian side of the crossing waiting to get into Gaza. Egypt has said there has been no progress in efforts to open it.
Egypt’s reluctance to open the crossing: The United States has been pressuring Egypt to establish a humanitarian corridor for civilians in Gaza, as well as for foreigners. Egypt, which already hosts millions of migrants, is uneasy about the prospect of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees crossing into its territory. More than 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi last week said his country is trying to help — within limits. Many have also fumed at the idea of turning the Gazan population into refugees once again by displacing them from Gaza. Most Gazans are registered by the UN as refugees, whose ancestors came from areas that are now part of Israel.
