Israeli government formally rejects "international dictates" regarding a permanent settlement with Palestinians
From CNN's Lauren Iszo in Tel Aviv
The Israeli government on Sunday unanimously backed a decision to reject "international dictates" regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting that he would ask for a formal vote "in light of remarks that have been heard recently in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally force a Palestinian state on Israel."
"Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians," his office said in a statement, adding that any settlement would be reached "solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions."
The UK has also said it would consider recognizing a Palestinian state, with the United Nations calling the opposition to one "unacceptable."
11:02 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
About 70 health care workers arrested in Israeli raid on Nasser Hospital, Gaza's health ministry says
From Abeer Salman, Alex Stambaugh and CNN staff
Israeli forces have put Nasser Medical Complex "completely out of service" and rendered it unable to handle critical cases, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health said Sunday.
The comments back up a similar claim from the World Health Organization, which said its teams were not permitted to enter on Friday or Saturday.
Ministry spokesperson Dr. Ashraf Al-Qidra claimed around 70 health care workers were arrested by Israeli forces and 80 patients have been transferred out of the hospital to an unknown location.
Only 25 medical staff remain in the medical complex, and they are unable to handle cases requiring critical care, Al-Qidra said.
For three days, electricity has been cut off to the complex, halting the supply of oxygen and water, Al-Qidra said. So far, seven people have died as a result, he said.
CNN cannot independently verify casualty figures in Gaza due to limited access to the area. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment.
Nasser Hospital used to be the largest functioning hospital in the enclave. Israeli forces raided it on Thursday, detaining a number of suspects, after days of an intense bombardment.
The Israeli military said it had credible evidence that Hamas had previously held hostages at the hospital, and that the bodies of deceased hostages may be at the hospital, but did not publicly release that evidence.
8:31 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
Russia has invited Hamas and all other Palestinian factions to Moscow, Palestinian Authority PM says
From CNN's Alex Stambaugh
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh speaks at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, February 18, in Munich, Germany. Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images
Russia has invited all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to meet in Moscow on February 26, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Sunday.
Shtayyeh said the Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by the Fatah political faction, is still seeking unity with Hamas, however, "there are some prerequisites," including an "understanding on issues that have to do with resistance."
"We will see if Hamas is ready to come to ground with us, we are ready to engage. If Hamas is not ready to come to ground with us that's a different story. But we need Palestinian unity," the prime minister said.
When pressed about the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, Shtayyeh said there is "no way we accept any killing of any innocent people."
Political feud: Hamas has been long caught in a political war with the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank and engages in security coordination with Israel.
Hamas sees themselves as the "true resistance" that "are actually doing something," while the Palestinian Authority is "basically asleep at the wheel," Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and director of its Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs, told CNN in October.
11:05 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
Gaza's largest remaining functioning medical facility is out of service after Israeli raid, WHO says
From Alex Stambaugh and CNN staff
Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 22, 2020. Abed Zagout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Nasser Hospital in Gaza is no longer functioning after a raid by Israeli special forces, the World Health Organization said.
WHO teams were not permitted to enter the hospital in southern Gaza on Friday or Saturday "to assess the conditions of the patients and critical medical needs," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the statement posted on X, adding scores of patients remain inside.
"There are still about 200 patients in the hospital. At least 20 need to be urgently referred to other hospitals to receive health care; medical referral is every patient’s right," he continued.
"The cost of delays will be paid by patients’ lives," Tedros added, before urging that access to the patients and hospital should be facilitated for WHO staff.
Nasser Hospital was previously the largest remaining functioning medical facility in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military claims they have credible evidence that Hamas had previously held hostages at the hospital, and that the bodies of deceased hostages may be at the hospital. However, it has not publicly released that evidence.
CNN has reached out to the Israeli military regarding Tedros' claims.
Nasser Hospital has experienced critical shortages of fuel, oxygen and medical supplies. Before the Israeli military's raid on it on Thursday, hundreds of civilians were forced by Israeli forces to leave the hospital, which they had been using as a shelter.
5:35 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
Death toll from Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza rises to at least 68, hospital tells CNN
From CNN's Abeer Salman and Lauren Izso
Palestinians inspects the damage caused by Israeli bombardment in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on February 17. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The death toll from airstrikes that hit central Gaza on Saturday has risen to at least 68, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told CNN Sunday.
Video obtained by CNN from Al-Aqsa shows injured children among those being rushed in for treatment, as well as dead bodies, including a deceased baby, wrapped in cloth on the hospital floor.
Israel said Saturday it successfully struck Hamas targets in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah neighborhoods.
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said they killed more than 10 Hamas militants in central Gaza over the past day, as well as conducted strikes on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis that they said killed approximately 15 militants.
CNN cannot independently verify the number of casualties on the ground.
On Saturday, the UN said Palestinians living in the southern city of Rafah were reportedly fleeing towards Deir al-Balah ahead of an anticipated Israeli ground invasion.
2:27 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
US threatens to veto new Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN Security Council
From CNN's Richard Roth
US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, delivers remarks on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on January 30. Fatih Aktas/Anadolu/Getty Images
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has warned that if the Algerian proposed resolution calling for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza were to come up for a vote at the UN Security Council as drafted, it will not be adopted by Washington.
In a statement Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield said the US had been working on a deal between Israel and Hamas which would see the release of hostages and bring a pause in the fighting for at least six weeks.
Over the past week, US President Joe Biden has had multiple calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as leaders from Egypt and Qatar, to push this deal forward, she said.
"We believe this deal represents the best opportunity to reunite all hostages with their families and enable a prolonged pause in fighting, that would allow for more lifesaving food, water, fuel, medicine, and other essentials to get into the hands of Palestinian civilians who desperately need it," the ambassador said.
"The resolution put forward in the Security Council, in contrast, would not achieve these outcomes, and indeed, may run counter to them...
"For that reason, the United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted."
Last Wednesday, Arab countries in the UN reaffirmed their support for the Algerian draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as unimpeded humanitarian relief amid Israel's looming ground invasion of Rafah.
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour urged the UN to act and said the group believes there is "massive" support for the proposed resolution.
In her statement Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield called on the UN Security Council to instead ensure "any action we take in the coming days increases pressure on Hamas to accept the proposal on the table" and that the US would continue to engage in diplomacy, adding that the US "will be candid" with Israeli and regional leaders regarding expectations for the protection of Rafah's more than one million civilians.
"It is critical that other parties give this process the best odds of succeeding, rather than push measures that put it — and the opportunity for an enduring resolution of hostilities — in jeopardy."
12:17 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
It's morning in the Middle East. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
A woman runs to the scene to see her relative after an Israeli attack in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on February 17. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
At least 50 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on central and southern Gaza on Saturday, according to doctors at hospitals in the strip. The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a series of Hamas "command and control centers" in central Gaza.
These are the biggest headlines from the war on Saturday:
Airstrikes kill dozens, doctors say: At least 44 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured due to Israeli airstrikes on multiple neighborhoods in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Saturday, a doctor from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said. Video obtained by CNN from Al-Aqsa shows injured children among those being rushed in for treatment, and dead bodies wrapped in cloth on the hospital floor, including a deceased baby. The IDF said its jets hit Hamas targets in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah neighborhoods. In the southernmost city of Rafah, a hospital director told CNN that new Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 people.
Israeli offensive looms in Rafah: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military has a "realistic" plan for an anticipated ground operation in the city, claiming there is room for displaced Palestinians to move north, but "we have to do it in an orderly way." Palestinians crammed into the city say they have nowhere left to go, but some have been trying to flee northward as Israeli airstrikes ramp up.
Dire situation at Nasser Hospital: Medical personnel, patients and displaced people remain trapped inside southern Gaza’s Nasser medical complex, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said in a statement Friday night local time. In a statement issued Saturday, the IDF said operations were still underway in Khan Younis, where the hospital is located, with “approximately 100 individuals suspected of terrorist activity being apprehended.” Israeli special forces entered the hospital complex on Thursday, alleging that Hamas militants were inside.
Status of hostage and ceasefire deal: As talks on a deal seem to be at an impasse, Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani emphasized the urgent need to end the conflict and prevent escalation while speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. He said a ceasefire should not be conditional to a hostage deal. Meanwhile, Israel’s Coordinator for the Captives and the Missing Gal Hirsch told CNN on Saturday that Hamas' demands for a hostage deal are “delusional,” which Netanyahu later echoed.
Protests: Police arrested 12 people during pro-Palestinian marches in London Saturday, according to the Metropolitan Police. About 250,000 demonstrators participated, according to Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organized the event to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In Israel, thousands took to the streets of Tel Aviv and Caesarea on Saturday, calling for the dismissal of Netanyahu and his government. The prime minister called for "unity," saying, "The last thing we need now is a new election."
US strikes on Houthi targets: The US said it made two successful strikes on Houthi rebel targets in the Red Sea out of self-defense on Friday. The US identified one of the weapons, a missile, as an "imminent threat" to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region. The group maintains the attacks in the Red Sea are intended to pressure Israel and its allies to stop the war in Gaza.
12:08 a.m. ET, February 18, 2024
More than a dozen killed in airstrikes on Rafah, according to hospital director
From CNN's Abeer Salman, Eyad Kourdi and staff
Palestinians residents examines the rubbles of destroyed buildings following Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza on February 16. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty Images
Two Israeli airstrikes on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza killed at least 13 Palestinians, Dr. Marwan Al-Homss, the general director of Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar Government Hospital, told CNN on Saturday.
According to Al-Homss, the first airstrike hit a location in northern Rafah, leading to the deaths of six members of a family, including women and children. A second strike in an open area where displaced residents had sought refuge killed at least seven people, including four children, a woman, a man and a teenager, according to Al-Homss.
Israel claims it is targeting Hamas in Rafah. On Saturday, Israel’s Coordinator for the Captives and the Missing Gal Hirsch told CNN the Israeli military is doing "everything we can to avoid possible damage."
Looming Israeli ground offensive: Israel has been bombarding Rafah with airstrikes for weeks and says it is committed to a ground offensive in the city. The alternative “is to surrender to Hamas and to sacrifice 134 people,” military spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN Tuesday, referring to the Israelis held hostage in Gaza. “That is not an option from Israel’s perspective,” he said.
Israeli airstrikes killed more than 40 people in central Gaza on Saturday, doctor says
From Eyad Kourdi and CNN staff
Members of a family whose child was killed by an Israeli attack on Nuseirat camp mourn as the child's lifeless body is brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza on February 17. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
At least 44 Palestinians were killed and dozens more were injured due to Israeli airstrikes on multiple neighborhoods in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Saturday, a doctor from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital told CNN on Saturday.
Doctors from Al-Aqsa and Al-Awda hospitals earlier told CNN at least 30 people had been killed.
Video obtained by CNN from Al-Aqsa shows injured children among those being rushed in for treatment, and dead bodies wrapped in cloth on the hospital floor, including a deceased baby.
The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a series of Hamas "operational command and control centers" in central Gaza Saturday. The IDF said its jets hit Hamas targets in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah neighborhoods.
The number of people killed in Gaza since October 7 has risen to 28,858, with 68,291 people injured, the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said Saturday. Israel estimates about 10,000 Hamas militants have been killed since October 7.
CNN can’t independently verify the casualty figures in Gaza due to limited access to the area.
