March 26, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

By Heather Chen, Sana Noor Haq, Aditi Sangal, Elise Hammond, Maureen Chowdhury and Tori B. Powell, CNN

Updated 5:00 p.m. ET, March 26, 2024

What we covered here

At least 12 people drowned off the coast of Gaza while trying to retrieve aid parcels that had been airdropped into the sea, Palestinian paramedics said. Hamas after the incident called for an end to the airdrops, calling them “offensive, wrong, inappropriate and useless.”
A day after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza thanks to a US abstention from the vote, Israeli forces struck targets across Gaza. Israel's foreign minister said Monday that the country "will not cease fire."
Diplomatic talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas do not appear to have been negatively affected by the resolution, a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Israel's military said it killed 180 people in its raid on Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, which is in its second week. An Israeli general vowed to stay until "the last terrorist is in our hands." Witnesses say hundreds of civilians are trapped inside.
Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Gaza and Israel.

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11:43 p.m. ET, March 25, 2024

Hamas says sticking points in Gaza ceasefire deal remain

From CNN’s Mostafa Salem and Kareem Khadder

Hamas pushed back against reports that mediators are waiting for its response to a hostage-prisoner exchange deal, and said more issues remain unresolved.

Israel reportedly agreed to a key issue on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages held in Gaza, according to CNN analyst Barak Ravid and CNN affiliate Channel 11 (Kan News) — both citing unnamed Israeli officials.

According to Ravid, a Hamas response was expected in the coming days.

But Hamas senior officials Basem Naeim and Hussam Badran separately pushed back on the media reports.

Naeim told CNN that “Israeli-American media” are adding pressure on the talks.

“For us, the negotiations are not only centric around the prisoner exchange deal,” he said.

“Israel has not agreed to any of [Hamas] requests related to a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of all forces from the Gaza Strip, even in stages, and the return of all displaced people to their homes,” Naeim said.

Another Hamas official, Hussam Badran corroborated the statement, saying on Hamas’ official page on Telegram that Israel is refusing to give “any guarantees to mediators on basic issues” related to the “lives of people in Gaza.”

“We… are negotiating to reach a clear and specific goal related to the needs and requirements of our people in general and Gaza in particular,” Badran said on Telegram.

11:39 p.m. ET, March 25, 2024

CNN analyst says Hamas response to US proposal on Gaza hostage-prisoner exchange could take days

From CNN staff

A Hamas response to a US proposal for an exchange of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners could take up to three days, according to reporting from CNN analyst and Axios reporter Barak Ravid, who said he has spoken to Israeli officials.

“Those details need to go from Hamas representatives in Doha, who are negotiating, to the person who really calls the shots, and this is Hamas leaser Yahya Sinwar in Gaza who is in a bunker some 100 feet under the ground, so this takes a long time until the message gets to him and until the message gets back,” Ravid told CNN’s Omar Jimenez in an interview on Sunday.

Ravid said the proposed exchange will “definitely include some” US hostages because it will include the release of men over the age of 50.

“The fact that Israel agreed is a result of a US written proposal put forward by the CIA director Bill Burns,” Ravid said.

Ravid earlier reported that Israel has agreed to a US proposal on a prisoner-hostage exchange that would release around 700 Palestinian prisoners, among them 100 serving life sentences for killing Israeli nationals, in exchange for the release of 40 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

CNN affiliate Channel 11 (Kan News) also reported on the proposed deal Sunday, citing senior Israeli sources.

11:53 p.m. ET, March 25, 2024

Israel says plan to recognize Palestinian statehood would be a "reward for terrorism"

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London

Lior Haiat, spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on January 11. Peter Boer/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File

Israel has harshly criticized a plan devised by the leaders of Ireland, Spain, Malta and Slovenia to work towards the recognition of Palestinian statehood, questioning the appropriateness of such a move in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the recognition of Palestinian statehood following October 7 would "send a message" to Hamas that "terror attacks on Israelis" would be reciprocated with "political gestures to the Palestinians."

The spokesperson said that such a recognition would serve as a "reward for terrorism," in a post on X.

During a meeting on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels last week, the leaders of the four EU nations discussed their "readiness to recognise Palestine," according to a joint statement.

The leaders pledged to do so "when it can make a positive contribution and the circumstances are right."

11:37 p.m. ET, March 25, 2024

UN Security Council approves draft resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but US abstains

From CNN’s Richard Roth

The United Nations Security Council approved a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Gaza and Israel on Monday.

The vote was 14 in favor. The US abstained.

11:36 p.m. ET, March 25, 2024

Israel agrees to US proposal on prisoner-hostage exchange and is awaiting Hamas’ response, CNN analyst says

From CNN's Abel Alvarado, Ami Kaufman, Mostafa Salem and Becky Anderson

Israel has agreed to a US proposal on a prisoner-hostage exchange that would release around 700 Palestinian prisoners, among them 100 serving life sentences for killing Israeli nationals, in exchange for the release of 40 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, according to CNN analyst Barak Ravid’s reporting on the recent round of talks in Doha, Qatar.

CNN affiliate Channel 11 (Kan News) on Sunday also reported on Israel’s agreement to the US prisoner-hostage exchange proposal. Kan News cited a senior Israeli official, saying that Israel is ready to make “significant compromises in order to return the abductees home.”

Earlier in the weekend, Ravid, citing an unnamed Israeli official, tweeted that Israel agreed to a US “bridging proposal” on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for every hostage held by Hamas.

A diplomatic source briefed on the matter confirmed to CNN the accuracy of Ravid’s information Saturday but said outstanding issues remain, including the entry of aid and “Israeli military repositioning” in Gaza.

Here's what we know.