March 16, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Our live coverage of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza has moved here.

An explosion was reported by a merchant ship traversing the Red Sea in the early hours of Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization said in a warning note. 

“The master of a merchant vessel has reported an explosion in close proximity to the vessel,” read the note, published on X on Saturday, adding that no damage was reported and the crew are safe. 

UKMTO said the incident took place 85 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen. It did not specify the nationality or flag of the merchant vessel.

Authorities are investigating the incident with the vessel continuing to proceed to its next port of call.

In recent weeks, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been stepping up their strikes on ships in the Red Sea, which they say comes as retaliation against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.

The head of the World Health Organization said he is “gravely concerned” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Friday he had approved plans for an offensive in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.

“Further escalation of violence in this densely populated area would lead to many more deaths and suffering, especially with health facilities already overwhelmed,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.  

According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israel Defense Forces “is preparing for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population.” 

The White House says it has not received any plans, including on how to get an estimated 1.4 million displaced Palestinians in the city to safety.

The WHO chief said that Palestinians in Rafah do not have anywhere safe to move to, and there are no fully functional, safe health facilities that they can reach elsewhere in Gaza. Many people are too fragile, hungry and sick to be moved again, he said. 

“In the name of humanity, we appeal to Israel not to proceed and instead to work toward peace. This humanitarian catastrophe must not be allowed to worsen,” he added. 

Thousands of protesters filled the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday night, with two separate groups calling for the government to resign and demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza. 

In Tel Aviv: Demonstrators on two main streets of Tel Aviv called on the Israeli government to resign, with some protesters also seen burning fires and scuffling with police in the city.

Protesters blocked Ayalon Highway — a major inter-city freeway in Gush Dan, Israel, in the metro Tel Aviv area — and chanted, “There is nothing more important. Every hostage must come back.” Na’ama Lazimi, a member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, was seen among the protesters on the highway.  

In Jerusalem and Caesarea: Thousands of family members of hostages still held in Gaza demanded the release of their loved ones on Saturday evening. A social media video captured arrests of protesters who were calling for elections near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea. Israeli police said they arrested four in Caesarea and two in Jerusalem.  

What police say: Israel Police said it approved the request to hold the protests, but added that “a number of protesters gathered illegally on Menachem Begin Road and began to violate the order by lighting fires on the road and blocking the movement of vehicles.”

“At the same time, a number of protesters went down to Ayalon and blocked a part off the road while confronting the police,” the statement said, adding that police then “announced that the demonstration was illegal and that they should clear the traffic routes. At this stage, the rioters did not listen to the instructions and the police had to use measures to disperse the rioters in order to stop the offense.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa met Saturday in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, where they discussed a potential ceasefire-hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.

The two officials “discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire of at least six weeks in Gaza as part of an agreement to secure the release of hostages,” according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken pledged support for regional efforts to “promote calm” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as the death toll in Gaza continues to climb. 

Blinken and Al Khalifa also talked about attacks by the Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea area, Miller said, and the two leaders “reaffirmed their shared commitment to international law and freedom of navigation.” 

Mossad Director David Barnea is expected to travel to Doha for further ceasefire talks with the Qataris and Egyptians — who have been the principal interlocutors with Hamas — according to a diplomat familiar with the talks.

The diplomat believes the talks will be held on Monday. Reuters reported earlier that the Israeli intelligence agency’s head is expected to attend.

CNN reported Friday that an agreement, if it happens, is expected to have multiple phases:

But the toughest sticking points may be the Hamas demands that, after the initial exchange of hostages and prisoners, Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and a withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza.

Israel’s government has repeatedly said those terms are unacceptable, and that they still intend to continue the fight against Hamas until “complete victory.”

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that “Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands” but announced that an Israeli team would soon be traveling to Doha to further talks.

Germany, the United States and Jordan have airdropped more humanitarian aid into Gaza on Saturday, according to their militaries.

Germany dropped four tons of aid into northern Gaza, the German Air Force said via the social media platform X, adding that the operation began after Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius approved the country making airdrops over the strip on Wednesday.

The aid drops were executed in a C-130 Hercules aircraft from a “height of about 1000 meters,” according to the statement.

Earlier this morning, the US military and Royal Jordanian Air Force also worked together on an airdrop into northern Gaza “to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict,” US Central Command said.

The aid included 375-pound bundles of rice, flour, milk, pasta and canned food.

“These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries,” the statement added.

More aid needed: This comes as 200 tons of food brought to Gaza from Cyprus by ship is being readied for distribution in the strip, after having been successfully offloaded, according to nonprofit World Central Kitchen.

With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any aid is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. Agencies and officials have repeatedly warned that no method of humanitarian relief can be as effective as delivery by land.

Critics have urged the US to pressure its ally Israel to loosen its tight siege on the enclave, with Gaza on the brink of famine.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has said 37 people, including children and pregnant women, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential block in central Gaza on Friday night.

CNN is unable to verify the number of casualties from the incident west of the Nuseirat Camp, but video from the scene showed ambulance crews loading bodies wrapped in blankets, as well as extensive destruction.

CNN also obtained video of the dead and injured being brought to Al Aqsa Martyrs’ hospital, including the bodies of several children.

According to medical staff, 35 of the 37 victims were members of one family.

Nuseirat has seen multiple strikes in recent days.

CNN obtained video of another strike in Nuseirat overnight Friday in which seven people were killed.

The Israel Defense Forces released video Saturday of a strike on Friday, saying “several Hamas terrorists” were living in the area.

Witnesses said there was also an overnight strike in the Deir al Balah area of northern Gaza.

Two people said residents had received telephone warnings from the Israel Defense Forces to evacuate within 15 minutes. 

One young man, Abdallah Maghbara, told CNN that people had fled without anything after being warned to “clear the entire block in 15 minutes” and “clear the 10 houses around the house of Nani Abu Baraka.”

He said after 15 minutes, the Israelis told them “they don’t want to see anyone in the street,” adding: “All of a sudden two missiles fell on the entire block and destroyed completely seven buildings, nothing was spared.”

Subhi Baraka told CNN, “we evacuated the area and returned…and as you can see it is like an earthquake of an entire block.”

CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on the strikes.

Correction: This post has been corrected to reflect that there were multiple strikes in several locations, and to clarify where the advance warnings were received.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has said that 63 people were killed as a result of Israeli military operations in the latest 24 hour period.

It said 112 people were injured.

The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its data. CNN cannot independently verify the numbers from Gaza.

The Ministry said that the cumulative death toll since October 7 in Gaza had risen to 31,553, with 73,546 people injured.

 On Friday, the ministry said that children and women constitute 72% of the total fatalities.

The World Central Kitchen (WCK) NGO said Saturday that the 200 tonnes of food brought to Gaza from Cyprus is being readied for distribution in the Strip, after having been successfully offloaded.

WCK said it is preparing a second boat of 240 tonnes of humanitarian food aid for another delivery to Gaza from Cyprus. The food aid includes pallets of canned goods and bulk products – including beans, carrots, canned tuna, chickpeas, canned corn, parboiled rice, flour, oil and salt.

The second boat also has two fork-lifts and a crane to assist with future maritime deliveries to Gaza.

The NGO has not yet confirmed when this second ship will be ready to set sail toward Gaza.

WCK also said it will be providing food for the daily airdrops planned by the Jordanians for every day of Ramadan.

Aid agencies’ warnings: With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any aid is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. Agencies and officials have repeatedly warned that no method of humanitarian relief can be as effective as delivery by land.

In a joint statement, 25 non-governmental organizations called on states to prioritize a ceasefire and increased land-based aid deliveries, warning that maritime aid may set a dangerous precedent that undermines land routes and allows for prolonged hostilities.

Israel will review the latest response from Hamas in the talks for a ceasefire and hostage release, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said Friday, and a delegation is likely to travel to Qatar early next week for further talks.

A diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN it’s “not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to Hamas’ terms in the latest proposal, while another diplomatic source said mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.”

Relatives of hostages gathered in protest outside the Israeli military headquarters on Friday, calling on the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “make a decision that will save our beloved ones.”

Here’s what else you need to know:

The United Nations agency for children on Friday reported an increase in acute malnutrition rates among children in the northern Gaza Strip, with figures doubling within just one month.

According to findings published by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, “1 in 3 children under 2 years of age are today acutely malnourished in the north,” citing information gathered from nutrition screenings conducted by UNICEF and its partners.

At least 23 children have died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza in recent weeks, UNICEF added.

UNICEF’s screenings in February revealed that severe wasting, the most dangerous form of malnutrition, affects 4.5% of children in shelters and health centers, a condition that significantly increases the risk of death without immediate treatment.

“The speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking, especially when desperately needed assistance has been at the ready just a few miles away,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said on Friday.

The health ministry in Gaza reports that 13,450 Gazan children have been killed since October 7. 

A senior Hamas official told CNN that he cannot provide any assurances about the wellbeing of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, but rejected a United Nations special representative’s finding that there is “clear and convincing information” that some of them have been sexually abused.

“I cannot now reassure you, anyone, because all these war prisoners are facing the same bombardment and starvation our people (are) facing on the ground,” said Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, even as he “absolutely” denied the allegations of sexual abuse.

In a wide-ranging and sometimes contentious Zoom interview from his office in Istanbul, Turkey, Naim spoke to CNN on Wednesday about the state of ceasefire negotiations with Israel, the fate of 130 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, and Hamas’ share of responsibility for the widespread devastation unleashed by the Israeli military in Gaza in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,200 people.

During the interview, Naim rejected defining Hamas’ attacks as terrorism, falsely claiming that his organization does not target civilians. Instead, he blamed Israel for carrying out what he claimed is “state terrorism” in Gaza and reiterated Hamas’ calls for Palestinians to join in “armed resistance” against Israel during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began Sunday night.

Israel has denied targeting civilians and accuses Hamas of hiding behind civilian infrastructure. More than 31,000 people, a majority of whom are women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli military campaign began, according to the health ministry in the enclave.

Read more of the wide-ranging interview with Basem Naim.

The Israeli military released a video Friday that it claimed shows “Palestinian gunmen opening fire in the midst of Gazan civilians” as they waited for desperately needed food in Gaza City on Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces’ aerial video does not show clear details on whether the people in the video were carrying guns or opening fire on civilians around them. CNN can not independently verify the content of the video, the location or the time.

The Israel Defense Forces said the events in the video happened “about an hour before the humanitarian aid convoy entered the area” of the Kuwait roundabout in Gaza City on Thursday. The roundabout is an area where aid trucks are known to pass out food and where crowds of people frequently gather.

What Gazans have said: While the IDF denies opening fire on civilians Thursday, the video does not disprove claims made by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza and eyewitness accounts that CNN previously reported.

The health ministry said at least 20 people were killed and 155 were wounded by Israeli shelling as they sought humanitarian aid at the roundabout. Eyewitnesses said the area was struck by what sounded like tank or artillery fire.

A man identifying himself as Ibrahim Al-Najar, who went to Al-Shifa Hospital after the reported attack, said: “We were sitting there, and there was nothing. Suddenly, they bombarded us with shells.”

Israel’s military denied these accounts Thursday.

Violence at aid distributions: Gazans have reported several other attacks by Israeli soldiers on crowds lining up for aid in recent weeks, including Wednesday at the same site as Thursday’s incident.

An Israeli delegation is likely traveling to Doha early next week for further talks on a ceasefire-hostage release deal, an Israeli official with direct knowledge told CNN Friday.

Israel’s war cabinet will convene on Saturday evening to discuss and formulate the guidelines for the delegation, the official said.

The delegation will go to Doha after Hamas submitted a new response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators in the ongoing talks, which the source called “extreme and absurd.”

A second Israeli official who spoke to CNN on Friday said Israel will make a decision by the end of Saturday about the scope of the mandate given to the negotiating team and will authorize the mediators to promote indirect negotiations with Hamas.

The delegation is expected to depart at the beginning of next week, the second Israeli official said.

The Israeli and Hamas delegations are both set to be in Doha at the same time, but not sitting in the same room.

Nongovernmental organization World Central Kitchen, which organized the first aid ship to Gaza, confirmed to CNN Friday that the first pallet of aid has been offloaded successfully into the besieged enclave. 

A spokesperson for the nonprofit, founded by chef José Andrés, said the pallet was offloaded after the ship’s barge was connected successfully to the purpose-built jetty in central Gaza. The jetty was rapidly assembled by workers who began construction on or after March 10, according to satellite images provided to CNN by Maxar on Thursday. 

The Israeli military completed a security inspection on the ship and the aid it was carrying when it arrived, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Friday. The check was to ensure “compliance with safety standards,” the IDF said.

WCK said it also hopes to send a second aid ship to Gaza soon and began loading new supplies onto a vessel docked in the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Friday. 

The 300 tons of aid in the second shipment include “pallets of canned goods and bulk product – including beans, carrots, canned tuna, chickpeas, canned corn, parboiled rice, flour, oil and salt,” it said in a statement. 

They also managed to load a large crane, which they hope “will assist with future maritime deliveries to Gaza.” The NGO has not yet been able to confirm when this second ship will be able to set sail toward Gaza. 

More on aid to Gaza: With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any aid is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. Agencies and officials have repeatedly warned that no method of humanitarian relief can be as effective as delivery by land.

In a joint statement, 25 non-governmental organizations called on states to prioritize a ceasefire and increased land-based aid deliveries, warning that maritime aid may set a dangerous precedent that undermines land routes and allows for prolonged hostilities.

CNN’s Amir Tal and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting to this post

The White House has not seen any plans from the Israeli government related to Rafah, a US National Security Council spokesperson told CNN, following comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Friday approving “plans for action” in the southernmost Gazan city.

“We have been clear about the need to prioritize civilian protection,” the spokesperson said. “We have not seen a plan from Israel related to Rafah.”

A spokesperson for Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces was preparing for both “the operational side” of a military operation, as well as for the “evacuation of the population.” More than a million Palestinians are in the city, with many of them having been forced to flee there since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

US President Joe Biden said last weekend in an interview that he viewed Israel going into Rafah as a “red line,” which the White House then attempted to walk back. White House officials have said repeatedly that the Biden administration would not condone Israel expanding its military operations into Rafah without a credible plan to protect civilians in the area. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the comments during a news conference in Vienna on Friday with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

“We have to see a clear and implementable plan, not only to get civilians out of harm’s way, but also to make sure that once out of harm’s way, they’re appropriately cared for with shelter, with food, with medicine, with clothing, and we’ve not yet seen such a plan,” Blinken said.

CNN’s Michael Conte contributed reporting to this post.

The US carried out its 11th airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Friday, US Central Command said in a statement.

Two C-130 Hercules aircraft and a C-17 Globemaster dropped 35,700 meals into northern Gaza, as well as 31,800 bottles of water, CENTCOM said. 

“These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial activities,” the statement said.

The effort to airdrop aid into Gaza continues as the US has begun the process of establishing a floating pier to allow in far greater quantities of aid.

Some key context: While the United Nations and aid groups have welcomed the meals, they have warned that maritime or airdropped aid cannot replace aid delivered by land, which since October 7 has been increasingly restricted by Israel. Israel maintains that it is working to respond to the needs on the ground in Gaza.

The first batch of humanitarian aid by sea reached Gaza on Friday, intended to provide the equivalent of one meal each for a quarter of the enclave’s more than 2 million people — of whom hundreds of thousands are on the brink of famine.

The nonprofit spearheading the operation, World Central Kitchen, said it is working with international partners to open a maritime aid corridor, and that it has “another 500 tons of aid in Cyprus ready to be loaded on future boats.”

With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any assistance is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. And some have warned it risks setting a “dangerous precedent” where land-based aid is undermined and hostilities continue.

“States cannot hide behind airdrops and efforts to open a maritime corridor to create the illusion that they are doing enough to support the needs in Gaza,” wrote 25 non-governmental organizations in a joint statement calling on governments to prioritize a ceasefire and land-based aid deliveries.

The ship is carrying 200 tons of aid. By comparison, one truck can carry about 20 tons of aid, and an average of about 94.5 trucks were getting into Gaza every day through two crossings as of last month. That’s far below the 500 trucks that entered through the Rafah crossing alone before the war started.

Land crossings into Gaza remain heavily restricted by Israel. Aid agencies have accused Israel of imposing arbitrary and contradictory criteria that obstruct the entry of relief into the war-ravaged territory. Israel insists there is “no limit” on the amount of relief that can enter.

A diplomat familiar with ceasefire deal discussions told CNN that it “is not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to the terms in Hamas’ latest response, adding that he’s waiting for the Israeli reply and “not celebrating yet.” 

Upon receiving the latest proposal, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that “Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands” but an Israeli delegation is being sent to Doha for further talks.

The diplomat confirmed to CNN the contours of the latest proposal that were reported by Reuters, which include:

A diplomatic source previously told CNN that mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.”

The Spanish aid ship Open Arms has begun unloading cargo after reaching the shoreline of central Gaza on Friday, according to a journalist on the ground working for CNN.

Workers have begun loading the 200 tons of food aid on smaller boats off the shore of the Gaza City neighborhood of Sheikh Ajleen. 

The ship was organized by the nongovernmental organization World Central Kitchen and set off from Cyprus on Tuesday.

The delivery comes as northern Gaza is on the brink of famine as aid deliveries fall short, according to the head of the UN World Food Programme. The number of children dying of malnutrition and dehydration in the area is rising, including two newborn girls on Monday, a pediatrician at the Kamal Adwan Hospital said.

Khader Al-Za’anoun of WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, contributed reporting for this post.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “approved the plans for action in Rafah,” his office said in a statement Friday.

“The IDF is preparing for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population,” the Prime Minister’s office said.

The announcement followed a meeting in Tel Aviv of the Israeli security cabinet. No further details were immediately available.

There are an estimated 1.4 million people in Rafah in southern Gaza, many of whom have been displaced several times from other parts of Gaza. 

The Prime Minister’s office also said that “Regarding the hostages - Hamas’s demands are still ridiculous. An Israeli delegation will leave for Doha after the Security Policy Cabinet discusses Israel’s position.”

Remember: Israel intends to move displaced Palestinians from Rafah to “humanitarian enclaves” in Gaza before any Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assault on the last remaining area in Gaza the military has not yet reached, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Wednesday. 

The IDF does intend to invade Rafah, he said, calling it “something we need to do.”

But the timing of the assault depends on “the conditions to allow it,” Hagari said.