At least 9,000 women killed in Gaza since October 7, Palestinian Health Ministry says
From CNN's Celine Alkhaldi and Ibrahim Dahman
At least 9,000 women have been killed in Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said in a statement Friday.
Here's what else the statement said about the conditions of women in Gaza:
About 60,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip suffer from "malnutrition, dehydration, and lack of appropriate health care"
About 5,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip give birth every month in "harsh, unsafe, and unhealthy conditions"
The UN's Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which is the main aid agency in Gaza, also posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying an average of 63 women are killed in the enclave per day. "On #InternationalWomensDay, the women in #Gaza continue to endure the consequences of this brutal war," it said.
UNRWA's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said more work is required to support and protect women. "An immediate ceasefire is the minimum," he wrote.
7:45 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
EU joins US to launch maritime aid corridor to Gaza this weekend
From CNN's Amy Cassidy and Chris Liakos
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks as she attends a press conference at the Zenon Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca, Cyprus, on March 8. Yiannis Kourtoglou/Reuters
The European Union is planning to open an emergency maritime aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza this weekend in a joint effort with allies including the US, the chief of the bloc, President Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Friday.
“We are now very close to the opening of the corridor, hopefully this Saturday, this Sunday, and I’m very glad to see that the initial pilot operation will be launched today,” she told reporters in Larnaca, in Cyprus. It came after US President Joe Biden revealed plans to establish a temporary port on the Gaza coast.
Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom will join efforts to launch the corridor, according to an EU news statement. The "complex" operation will be “closely coordinated with the Government of Israel,” the statement added.
What Israel is saying: Foreign ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat welcomed the plan, saying it will “allow the increase of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, after security checks are carried out in accordance with Israeli standards." Haiat urged other countries to join the initiative and said, “Israel will continue to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip in accordance with the rules of war and in coordination with the United States and our allies around the world.”
Calls for more land crossings: Israel's siege on Gaza has drastically diminished essential supplies entering the strip, where Palestinians are facing starvation, dehydration and deadly hunger.
Israeli authorities insist there is “no limit” on the amount of relief that can enter Gaza, but humanitarian groups have repeatedly warned Israel's restrictions on land crossings into the strip has throttled aid distribution efforts.
Sigrid Kaag, United Nations senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told reporters on Thursday the optimal solution is by land, "it’s easier faster, cheaper." She added: “When everything goes through one or two crossings, you can’t expect a miracle."
CNN's Richard Roth and Sahar Akbarzai contributed reporting.
5:32 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
UK to join US in opening maritime aid corridor to Gaza
From CNN's Amy Cassidy in London
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron speaks to the media in Berlin, Germany, on March 7. Sean Gallup/Getty Images
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has announced that the United Kingdom will join the US in opening an emergency maritime corridor off Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to deliver more aid.
“People in Gaza are in desperate humanitarian need,” Cameron wrote on social media on Friday.
"We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it.”
The announcement comes a day after President Joe Biden unveiled plans for the US military to establish a temporary port to bring additional aid into Gaza.
Remember: Israel's severe restrictions on aid entering Gaza have drained essential supplies, condemning Palestinians there to starvation, dehydration, and deadly disease.
Israel insists there is “no limit” on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza, but its inspection regime on aid trucks has meant that relief is barely trickling in. A CNN investigation revealed the most frequently rejected items by the Israelis include anesthetics, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and water filtration systems.
Calls for more aid routes: Melanie Ward, CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK-based NGO, called on US and UK leaders to "ensure that their ally Israel immediately reopens land crossings into Gaza to allow safe and unfettered access for aid and aid workers."
"As the occupying power, it is Israel’s legal responsibility to ensure that the basic needs of the people of Gaza are met. Instead, the opposite is happening," she said in a statement on Friday.
CNN's Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.
5:22 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
IDF denies firing at aid convoy as international criticism over "flour massacre" mounts
From CNN's Elliott Gotkine and Mia Alberti
Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces opened fire at a Gaza City food distribution site on February 29, triggering panic. Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty Images
At least 118 Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces opened fire at a Gaza City food distribution site last week, drawing widespread condemnation.
The Israeli military said Friday that a summary of their initial investigation found its troops did not fire at the humanitarian convoy, but at "a number of suspects" who approached the nearby forces. CNN cannot independently verify the IDF's findings.
A witness told CNN many of the victims were killed when they were run over by trucks in the panic following the gunshots in what has become known as the "flour massacre."
What does the IDF say? The IDF said thousands of Palestinians crowded around the convoy and took the trucks' equipment, during which "incidents of significant harm" occurred to civilians from a stampede and people being run over by trucks. Its troops unleashed "cautionary fire in order to distance the suspects," because they "posed a real threat to the forces at that point."
What do eyewitnesses say? A local journalist in Gaza, Khader Al Za’anoun, who witnessed the incident, said at the time that the chaos only began once Israeli troops opened fire, and that many of the victims were run over by trucks in the ensuing panic.
What do Palestinian officials say? Gaza's health ministry said at least 118 people were killed and more than 700 injured, making it one of the single deadliest killings of Gazans since the war began. CNN cannot independently confirm the figures.
What does the UN say? The UN said most of the injured civilians had gunshot wounds, but that it did not examine any of the dead bodies and so could not say if the same was true for those killed.
CNN's Abeer Salman and Jeremy Diamond contributed reporting.
3:11 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
US military says it shot down Houthi missiles and drones
From CNN's Colin McCullough
US forces shot down four anti-ship cruise missiles and one drone over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Thursday, the US Central Command said.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to pressure Israel and its allies to stop the war in Gaza.
"Between the hours of 3:35 p.m. and 4:55 p.m. (Sanaa time), United States Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes against four mobile Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and one Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM said it also shot down three drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden.
Escalating attacks: Three crew members were killed when a Houthi ballistic missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday — the first fatal attack by the Houthis since they began targeting vessels.
12:01 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
US military will build a temporary pier to deliver aid to Gaza, Biden says. Catch up here
From CNN staff
US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced plans for the US military to establish a temporary port along the Gaza coast to bring desperately needed additional humanitarian aid into the war-torn strip.
Speaking during his State of the Union address, Biden said the structure on the Mediterranean coast would receive "large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters."
A senior US administration official also said earlier that Israel has "prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza," a development that comes after weeks of increasing US pressure as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
The Israeli government allowed just a quarter of the planned UN and humanitarian partner aid missions to enter areas of northern Gaza in February, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Thursday.
Here's what else you should know:
Ceasefire impasse: Sources say US Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns is in the Middle East this week as ceasefire talks appear to have come to a standstill.A Hamas delegation left Cairo after days of talks, with no obvious breakthrough in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases. A deal appears unlikely to happen by the start of Ramadan, which the US had been aiming for, according to sources.
Food crisis: Children in Gaza who survive bombardment "may not survive a famine,” World Health Organization chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus warned amid reports of surging cases of child malnutrition in the enclave. As Israel’s severe restrictions on aid entering Gaza drain essential supplies, displaced Palestinians have told CNN they are struggling to feed themselves and their children. Health officials in Gaza also say the strip is in grave need of blood and donation equipment from the international community.
Settlements expansion: The UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process condemned Israel’s plan for new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank. The UN urged Israeli authorities to cease all settlement activity and reiterated that settlements are illegal under international law.
Cross-border clashes: Lebanon has recirculated its “vision” aimed at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel to mediating countries this week, a Lebanese official told CNN. The Lebanese vision, first presented at the UN Security Council in January, calls for a “full and balanced implementation” of UN resolution 1701 that ended the war in 2006, the official said.
1:33 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
Biden addressed Israel's war in Gaza in his State of the Union speech. Here are the takeaways
From CNN staff
Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the US Capitol on Thursday. Shawn Thew/Pool/Reuters
US President Joe Biden acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” conflict in Gaza in his State of the Union remarks Thursday, calling on Hamas to release all hostages and urging Israel to “do its part,” to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave.
"Israel has a right to go after Hamas" following the October 7 attack, Biden said, but he added that Israel also has a "fundamental responsibility" to protect civilians in Gaza.
"This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined," he said.
Here are the main takeaways from Biden's speech:
Hostages pledge: Biden promised to bring home American hostages held in Gaza since October 7, saying his teams have been "working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for at least six weeks." At least six Americans are believed to be among 99 hostages who are still alive. "I pledge to all the families that we will not rest until we bring their loved ones home," Biden said.
Temporary aid port: The president announced plans for the US military to establish a temporary port to bring additional aid into the war-torn strip. The pier on Gaza's Mediterranean coast would receive "large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters," Biden said. "Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross-fire," he added.
Two-state solution: Biden reiterated US support for a two-state solution to help bring a lasting peace to the Middle East, saying "no other path" would guarantee that "Palestinians can live with peace and dignity" alongside guaranteeing Israel’s security and democracy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously rejected calls for Palestinian sovereignty.
Iran threat: Creating stability in the Middle East also means "containing the threat posed by Iran," Biden said. He highlighted the US-led international coalition of more than a dozen countries in the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels are attacking commercial shipping. Biden said he had "ordered strikes to degrade Houthi capabilities and defend US forces in the region" and "will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and military personnel."
1:37 a.m. ET, March 8, 2024
CIA director is in the Middle East amid ceasefire talk impasse, sources say
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
CIA Director Bill Burns is seen during a Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide in March 2022. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images/File
US Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns has traveled back to the Middle East, according to a US official and another source familiar with the trip.
Burns’ trip comes as negotiations to broker a ceasefire in Gaza appear to be at an impasse and are unlikely to be resolved before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The source said Burns was in Egypt on Wednesday before traveling to Qatar on Thursday.
Burns is not expected to stop in Israel on this trip, the US official said. There also likely won't be a "quad" format meeting with the Egyptian and Israeli intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister, as there was in Paris two weeks ago.
Burns has been leading the Biden administration’s efforts to reach a ceasefire deal. He met with Qatar’s prime minister in Washington earlier this week.
Qatar and Egypt are the main interlocutors with Hamas, and talks have taken place in Cairo this week.
Hopes dim: A Hamas delegation left Cairo with no obvious breakthrough in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases. A deal appears unlikely to happen by the start of Ramadan, which the US had been aiming for, according to sources.
11:16 p.m. ET, March 7, 2024
Biden says US military will open temporary aid port in Gaza
From CNN staff
US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced plans for the US military to establish a temporary port along the Gaza coast to bring desperately needed additional humanitarian aid into the war-torn strip.
Speaking during his State of the Union address, Biden said the structure on the Mediterranean coast would receive "large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters."
"This temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day," Biden said. "But Israel must also do its part. Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross-fire."
No US boots will be on the ground in Gaza, the president said. It was not immediately clear when the port would be up and running.
Earlier, a senior Biden administration official said the additional assistance would be coordinated with Israel, the United Nations and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. Initial aid shipments will come via Cyprus, the official said.
New land crossing: A senior US administration official also said earlier that Israel has "prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza," a development that comes after weeks of increasing US pressure as the humanitarian crisis worsens. The Israeli government allowed just a quarter of the planned UN and humanitarian partner aid missions to enter areas of northern Gaza in February, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Thursday.
