Biden will express frustrations after death of aid workers in call with Netanyahu tomorrow, official says
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April 3, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

By Heather Chen, Antoinette Radford, Tori B. Powell, Maureen Chowdhury and Aditi Sangal, CNN

Updated 12:45 a.m. ET, April 4, 2024
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9:39 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Biden will express frustrations after death of aid workers in call with Netanyahu tomorrow, official says

From CNN's MJ Lee

People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 2.
People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 2. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

US President Joe Biden will speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, according to a US official.

This would mark the two leaders' first conversation since Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in a strike in Gaza.

In the aftermath of those deaths, a senior administration official said Biden is “angry” and “increasingly frustrated." The president is fully prepared to make his point of view known to Netanyahu in their conversation, the official added.

“He will express those frustrations,” the official said.

White House officials have emphasized that the US’ stance in supporting Israel’s current military operation remains unchanged.  

There has been no “shift in policy,” the official said, but rather a shift in "the president’s frustrations.”

And while the aid worker deaths will serve as the urgent backdrop, Biden is also expected to discuss other issues, including ramping up humanitarian aid to Gaza, the ongoing hostages and ceasefire deal talks, as well as the US’ concerns about a potential ground incursion into Rafah.

The post has been updated with more details from a senior administration official.

5:46 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Biden set to speak to Netanyahu after expressing outrage over death of aid workers. Catch up on the latest 

From CNN staff

World Central Kitchen has yet to decide when it will resume its humanitarian operations in Gaza after seven workers were killed Monday night in an Israel airstrike.

WCK founder José Andrés accused Israel of systematically targeting the aid convoy. 

A United Nations aid agency is also suspending its movements at night for at least 48 hours, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said after the attack that, according to a CNN analysis, appeared to have consisted of multiple precision strikes.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, who expressed outrage over the strike, will speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, according to a US official.

Here's the other news from the region:

  • Rafah offensive: The White House is looking to have an in-person meeting with senior officials from Israel next week about potential military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after holding a virtual meeting earlier this week. Meanwhile, a statement signed by 13 leading humanitarian and human rights organizations Wednesday called for urgent international action to stop Israel from escalating military operations in Rafah.
  • Protests in Israel: Family members of the hostages held in Gaza stormed into a gathering of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Wednesday. Video posted to X by the Knesset showed family members stepping over seats and putting handprints in yellow paint on the glass above the parliament. Meanwhile, opposition figures have called for fresh elections as Netanyahu faces pressure amid war.
  • US on ceasefire: Biden “expressed his commitment to continue working to secure an immediate ceasefire as part of a deal to free the hostages and significantly increase humanitarian aid into Gaza,” during a contentious meeting with Muslim leaders at the White House on Tuesday, administration officials said on Wednesday.
5:51 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

World Central Kitchen has yet to decide when to resume Gaza operations

From CNN's Vasco Cotovio in Jerusalem

World Central Kitchen (WCK) said in a statement Wednesday that a determination has not yet been made about when the non-profit will resume operations in Gaza. 

WCK said all of its aid ships are now back in Cyprus 

WCK suspended its operations in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes killed seven of its team members on Monday.

More about WCK: The non-profit has provided food aid in warzones and regions recovering from natural disasters since its founding by chef José Andrés in 2010. Andrés created the organization after traveling to Haiti that year to cook for civilians following a devastating earthquake. Since then, the WCK has quickly become one of the world’s foremost food aid providers.

4:32 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Aid boat left Gaza without offloading most of its cargo after deadly strike, Cyprus says

From CNN’s Chris Liakos and Niamh Kennedy

A cargo ship with humanitarian aid approaches the port of Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 3 after pausing the mission of delivering humanitarian aid for Gaza.
A cargo ship with humanitarian aid approaches the port of Larnaca, Cyprus, on April 3 after pausing the mission of delivering humanitarian aid for Gaza. Yiannis Kourtoglou/Reuters

A boat carrying roughly 332 tons of humanitarian aid left Gaza without offloading most of its cargo following the deadly Israeli military strike which killed several aid workers, according to the Cypriot foreign ministry.

The vessel organized by the non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK) set sail back to Cyprus following the strike on Monday that killed seven WCK staff, said Theodoros Gotsis, a spokesperson for the ministry. 

After unloading some cargo on Monday, workers had planned to unload a further 240 tons of aid, Gotsis said Wednesday. But, after the strike, the WCK announced an immediate pause to operations in the region.

3:55 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Israel's military says it’s increasing recruitment and calling up reservists for air defense

From Tamar Michaelis and Sugam Pokharel

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it’s going to increase recruitment and will call up reservists for its air defense.

“Following an IDF situational assessment, it was decided to increase manpower and draft reserve soldiers to the IDF Aerial Defense Array,” the military said.

It comes as Iran has vowed to retaliate after it accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday. The bombing was a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that once again appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.

4:00 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Biden expressed commitment to ceasefire and hostage deal during contentious meeting with Muslim leaders

From CNN's Donald Judd

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 26.
US President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 26. Alex Wong/Getty Images/File

President Joe Biden “expressed his commitment to continue working to secure an immediate ceasefire as part of a deal to free the hostages and significantly increase humanitarian aid into Gaza,” during a contentious meeting with Muslim leaders at the White House Tuesday, the White House said Wednesday.

Biden hosted the leaders to discuss Gaza, but the meeting was upended after the sole Palestinian-American participant – Dr. Thaer Ahmad, who has traveled to Gaza to treat wounded civilians – walked out in protest after handing Biden a letter from an 8-year-old orphan girl living in Rafah.

Pressed on Ahmad’s decision to leave the meeting early, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to respond directly, citing participants’ request to keep the meeting private.

“We said that we would keep these conversations private, so I'm not going to comment on any private discussions,” she said during Wednesday’s news briefing. “But as I’ve said many times from this podium, the president respects an American — any American’s — right to peacefully protest, and we're going to continue to have these conversations obviously, with our community.”

CNN has reported that Tuesday’s meeting was originally supposed to take the form of an iftar fast-breaking dinner in honor of Ramadan, but that attendees pushed back, saying it would be inappropriate to talk about the crisis over dinner while people in Gaza are starving.

3:58 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Spanish prime minister calls Israel's response to aid worker killings "unacceptable and insufficient"

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy

People gather around the World Central Kitchen vehicle that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 2.
People gather around the World Central Kitchen vehicle that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on April 2. AFP/Getty Images

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the response from Israel after the strikes that killed several aid workers in Gaza "unacceptable and insufficient."  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli authorities were thoroughly investigating the incident which he said involved Israeli forces "unintentionally" striking "innocent people in the Gaza Strip." 

Speaking at a news conference in Doha on Wednesday, Sanchez said countries are keen for more details on "the reason for the bombing," because the "government of Israel knew of the action and itinerary of this NGO in Gaza." 

“I think this [Israel's explanation] is absolutely unacceptable and insufficient and what we expect is a much more determined and detailed explanation about what happened, and from there we will decide what actions we will take in relation to the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu," Sanchez said. 

Spain has been one of the strongest critics of Israel's war in Gaza, with Sanchez repeatedly calling on Israel to agree to a ceasefire and allow desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter the enclave. 

3:19 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Aid groups telling US they are worried about Gaza after World Central Kitchen attack, State Department says 

From CNN's Michael Conte

The US has had several conversations with humanitarian aid organizations who said they are concerned about the Israeli strike on World Central Kitchen workers, according to the State Department.

"There have been 200 aid workers that have been killed, so the very sad truth is that the workers doing this important work are aware of the risk because they're living with them every day, and are putting their lives potentially on the line to deliver humanitarian assistance," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing.

Miller said the aid groups have said they want the Israeli government to "do better" and that the US has pushed the Israeli government to do so.

3:19 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024

Israeli strike on aid workers was "unacceptable," US State Department spokesperson says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller speaks to reporters in Washington, DC, on April 1.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller speaks to reporters in Washington, DC, on April 1. Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty Images/File

The United States State Department said the deadly Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy is “unacceptable,” no matter the reason.

Spokesperson Matthew Miller noted the Israel Defense Forces called the strike “a misidentification,” which he interpreted as "that while they were targeting those cars, they did not believe that it was the World Central Kitchen that was operating those vehicles at the time.”

“That said, we need to wait and see the outcome of this investigation to know with any confidence what it was that happened,” he said.

But “it doesn't really matter how they made the mistake,” Miller said. 
“At the end of the day, you have seven dead aid workers who were there trying to deliver humanitarian assistance. So whatever the reason was that led to this tragedy, whatever the mistake that happened inside the IDF, it's unacceptable, and they need to do better, and they need to put measures in place to ensure that it doesn't happen again,” he said.

Miller also said Israeli officials "don't have to wait for the outcome of this investigation to ... put in place better deconfliction and better coordination measures to protect humanitarian workers and to protect all the civilians on the ground."

Pier plans unaffected: Despite the strike, the US is still working on constructing a pier to deliver aid to Gaza, Miller said.

“That effort is ongoing. The Pentagon is working hard on that,” he said. “We want to get that stood up as soon as possible.” He did note that “the real question is being able to distribute” aid into Gaza once it reaches the strip, either by land or sea.