April 10, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that Israel "must be punished and it will be," for a deadly bombing of its consulate in Syria.

The airstrike, which Iran blamed on Israel, destroyed the consulate and killed seven Iranian officials, as well as at least six Syrians, according to Iranian state television. Iran subsequently vowed revenge.

Iran has vowed retaliation — an escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

Some context: Israel has intensified its longstanding military campaign against Iran and its regional proxies following the October 7 attack by Tehran-backed Hamas.

The strike in Damascus is a significant escalation because the consulate is considered sovereign Iranian territory, raising the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

What Israel says: After the strike, the Israeli military said it would not comment on foreign reports. But a military spokesperson said Israel believed the target was a “military building of Quds forces” — a unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responsible for foreign operations.

In response to Iran's warnings on Wednesday, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz said: “Once Iran directly attacks Israel — that’ll be a turning point."

He said Israel would respond "inside Iran" in the case of an attack.

President Joe Biden offered one of his sharpest rebukes of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza, describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the conflict as a “mistake” and calling for a halt to the fighting.

Biden's comments add to mounting US criticism of Israel's war in Gaza.

Hours before the president's interview aired, the Biden administration dismissed Netanyahu’s pronouncement that a Rafah offensive date was set as bluster fueled by the prime minister’s tenuous political standing at home, senior administration officials told CNN.

Here are the latest developments in the conflict:

An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed 14 people on Tuesday, according to Dr. Khalil Al-Dikran, the spokesperson of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

He told CNN most of those killed were women and children, and 30 others were seriously injured. The information was also confirmed by the Civil Defense in Gaza.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.

The attack happened on the last night before Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important holidays of the Islamic calendar, marking the end of Ramadan.

In a video posted on social media, several children are seen being rushed into the hospital, where doctors inspect them on the floor — their bodies dusty and covered in blood. Another video shows the uncovered bodies of three dead children next to other bodies wrapped in blankets. 

US President Joe Biden described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the war in Gaza as "a mistake” in one of his sharpest critiques of how the Israeli government is prosecuting the conflict against Hamas. 

Biden made the comments in an interview with Univision that was taped just days after Israeli military strikes killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, which sparked anger and frustration throughout the White House. 

The president added that he’s calling for Israel to agree to a ceasefire and that there is “no excuse” for not sending in humanitarian aid. 

The Biden administration is dismissing Benjamin Netanyahu’s pronouncement that a date has been set for a ground offensive into Rafah as bluster fueled by the Israeli prime minister’s tenuous political standing at home, senior administration officials told CNN.

The prime minister has been struggling to balance his stated goal of eliminating Hamas with the tremendous pressure of reaching a ceasefire that would see Israeli hostages freed. Israeli officials argue that four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah that must be taken out.

The administration's private view: Privately, multiple senior administration officials chalked up Netanyahu’s pronouncement to bravado.

The administration's public statements: Top officials have publicly questioned Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel has decided on a time to mount an offensive into Rafah. American officials have reiterated that the US has not seen anything resembling a comprehensive plan from the Israelis on how they would carry out such an operation, including first moving the majority of the estimated 1.5 million civilians out of Rafah. 

Here's what top US officials have been saying:

Read the full story.

Egyptian leaders have reaffirmed to the Palestinian Authority their commitment and efforts to resolving the conflict in Gaza.

The leaders discussed the need to speed up the introduction of a ceasefire and more humanitarian and medical aid. The leaders also talked about how to prevent further military escalation and displacement of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Abbas thanked his Egyptian counterpart for his support in "mobilizing international consensus" toward an end to hostilities and the recognition of the Palestinian state. 

The call comes amid negotiations in Cairo between Israel and Hamas. The United States, Egypt and Qatar are mediating the talks aimed at accomplishing a prisoner exchange deal and a pause in fighting. 

The families of American hostages who are being held by Hamas in Gaza said they had a productive meeting Tuesday with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh is one of the eight Americans held in captivity, said that the families are thinking about all the hostages as she said they are demanding results – not progress.  

“We want results," she said. "And we are so grateful and thankful to the American administration and Congress to all of the support, but we need results. We need our people home.”

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, said they are encouraging all parties involved to reach a deal as negotiations continue in Egypt.

The vice president’s office said Harris “expressed her continued support for these families” as she provided an update on US efforts. 

Tuesday saw the highest number of aid trucks to enter Gaza since October 7, according to Israel’s agency that controls access to Gaza.

After inspection, 468 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were transferred to Gaza on Tuesday, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said.

Additionally, 303 packages carrying "thousands" of meals were airdropped over Gaza on Tuesday, Israel’s military said. Humanitarian organizations have warned that airdrops are "good photo opportunities but a lousy way to deliver aid."

Before the conflict, an average of 450 to 500 trucks would enter Gaza daily with supplies, according to United Nations figures. The previous highest number had been reached on Monday, with 419 trucks entering the Strip.