April 1, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

The White House confirmed that senior US and Israeli officials are meeting virtually today as the Biden administration works to dissuade the Israeli government from a large military incursion into Gaza's densely populated city of Rafah. 

The officials are also going to discuss "alternative ways of going after Hamas," she said. "I think it’s important that it happen as quickly as it did even though it’s virtual. And we’ll certainly have more to share."

It is taking place after a previously scheduled meeting was called off by the Israeli government after the US declined to block a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Meanwhile tomorrow: President Joe Biden is expected to host a significantly scaled down iftar dinner at the White House on Tuesday to commemorate Ramadan, three sources familiar with the plans tell CNN. Several people who were invited to the dinner have declined, sources said, citing frustration with the administration’s support of Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues. 

Vice President Kamala Harris, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, senior White House aides, and less than dozen invited guests are expected to attend the small gathering, a senior administration official said. Officials are hoping that the dinner will provide an opportunity for the guests to directly speak with the president and share their concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a senior administration official. 

CNN's Khalil Abdallah, Camila DeChalus, and Betsy Klein contributed reporting to this post.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Monday that those detained in Al-Shifa hospital during the military raid are being "treated in accordance with international law."

When asked to respond to Al-Shifa medical staff complaints that staff were forced to strip naked, and that one staff representative was left "half naked for three hours before allowed to talk," the IDF responded: "It is often necessary for terror suspects to hand over their clothes such that their clothes can be searched and to ensure that they are not concealing explosive vests or other weaponry." The IDF said detainees were given back their clothes "when possible to do so."

The IDF claimed they were only detaining people they said were involved in terrorist activity, and releasing others who were not found to be involved. 

Israel's claims come as the military withdraws from Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after a 14-day siege that witnesses and Palestinian officials say has left buildings largely destroyed and bodies strewn across the complex. The IDF said Monday that its troops had killed Hamas militants, and seized weaponry and intelligence documents and that troops had done their "utmost" to keep civilians unharmed. 

But Gaza's Civil Defense reported earlier that at least 300 bodies have been found so far at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The organization added that it was difficult to determine the exact number of people killed as Israeli forces had buried bodies inside and around the Al-Shifa complex and bulldozed nearby roads.

Israel has withdrawn from Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after a 14-day siege that left buildings largely destroyed and hundreds of people dead.

This is what the devastation looks like in images:

The Al-Shifa Hospital complex suffered significant building destruction and bulldozing during the 14 day siege by the Israel Defense Forces, according to new satellite images from Maxar Technologies.

The images, taken on April 1, show that much of the area around the hospital complex in central Gaza City has been leveled. 

Inside the complex, most of the buildings have sustained damage: some have been completely destroyed, others are missing entire facades and roofs. 

The grounds of the entire hospital complex is now covered in a layer of bulldozed dirt. 

The Gaza Civil Defense said that at least 300 bodies have been found at the complex, so far. 

"Injured and dead bodies fill the hospital grounds," Gaza Civil Defense captain Mahmoud Bassal told CNN on Monday, adding, "There are bodies buried in the hospital yards."

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday claimed more than 200 militants had been killed in the hospital. The IDF has repeatedly claimed the Al-Shifa complex was being used by armed militants. 

Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care doctor with Doctors Without Borders, who has just returned from Gaza, told CNN on Monday that they are seeing a "massacre of human and civilian life" in the enclave.

Speaking to CNN from Amman, Jordan, Haj-Hassan said there have been many killings of civilians young and old.  

Haj-Hassan recalled a story about a young boy whose entire family had been killed. She said the boy's sister initially survived but was so badly burned and maimed that he was not able to recognize her.  

"He kept calling her name, he himself had half of his face blown off and is undergoing reconstructive surgery as we speak," she said. "She (the sister) died two days later." Haj-Hassan continued to say that the war has been documented in real time with videos from social media and was "ashamed to be a part of society that is allowing it to happen."

"This is a demise of our collective humanity," Haj-Hassan said. "I hope that that anybody with an awake conscience watching this hears these words and translates them into action," she added.

The Israeli military has withdrawn from Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, following a 14-day siege.

Eyewitnesses described the aftermath of the hospital raid as "like a horror movie," with one journalist saying: “I’m looking around me and I can’t believe what I see."

This video shows the extent of the damage to the hospital:

Senior US and Israeli officials will meet virtually to discuss potential military operations in Rafah on Monday, a US official says. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be at the virtual meeting, according to a US official. National security adviser Jake Sullivan is leading the US side, while national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will lead for Israel, according to another US official and an Israeli official. There will also be representatives of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other Israeli security services present. The meeting is scheduled to last two hours. 

The US officials' primary focus will be stressing "alternative ways" that the Biden administration believes Israel can achieve its goal of dismantling Hamas — without launching a significant military operation into southern Gaza, according to that official. That outcome, US officials have warned repeatedly, is certain to result in a huge number of additional civilian casualties and would be unacceptable to the Biden White House.

The two sides are still working toward an in-person meeting on the issue at some point, the official said. “We anticipate follow up meetings in person following additional work by expert teams,” an official said. 

Thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem over the weekend in the largest protests Israel has seen since the start of the war against Hamas — a significant challenge to the increasingly embattled leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Demonstrators are angry at Netanyahu and his government for not having secured the release of all the hostages taken captive during the October 7 terror attack. While 105 people were released during a temporary truce last year, another 130 that were kidnapped are either dead or still being held by Hamas and other militant groups.

Banners at the protests called on the Prime Minister to resign and for Israel to hold new elections.

Netanyahu has said that the goals of the current war against Hamas are to bring back the hostages, destroy Hamas and remake Gaza so that no militant group can ever carry out the type of attack that Israel suffered last year, in which about 1,200 people were killed.

Families of hostages among protesters: But the families of the hostages and demonstrators that came out over the weekend believe the Israeli government should be more focused on hostage retrieval than any military or security objectives.

Read more about the anti-government protests in Israel here.

Ambulances trying to reach Al-Shifa hospital following the withdrawal of Israeli troops on Monday are finding it "almost impossible because of the damaged roads," Gaza's Civil Defense tells CNN. 

Gaza's Civil Defense reported earlier that at least 300 bodies have been found so far at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City but added that it was difficult to determine the exact number of people killed as Israeli forces had buried bodies inside and around the Al-Shifa complex and bulldozed nearby roads. CNN is unable to independently verify these numbers because of lack of reporting access to the strip. 

Speaking in front of a burning building of the surrounding Al-Shifa hospital right before sunrise as people and rescue groups were still making their way to the complex, Al-Dahshan said they are working despite the limited resources.

"Al-Shifa hospital is completely burnt," he said. "But we want to be close to our people to salvage what we can: put out the fires raging in house, stop the bleeding injuries and remove the decomposing bodies," he added.