April 11, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

A member of Hamas' political bureau said a prisoner-hostage exchange is being discussed as part of larger ceasefire negotiations.

Naim's statement was in response to questions from media outlets about whether Hamas has been rejecting the latest proposal, which was made in Cairo over the weekend, because it can not release 40 hostages in the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire deal.

According to an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, Hamas indicated it is currently unable to identify and track down those 40 Israeli hostages, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known. 

CNN's record of the conditions of the hostages also suggests there are fewer than 40 living hostages who meet the proposed criteria.

Iris Weinstein Haggai received confirmation that her father, Gadi, and her mother, Judi, were killed by Hamas during the attacks on October 7. She and her family then had an unthinkable decision to make. Could they sit shiva, as is customary for Jews after the passing of a loved one?

Judi and Gadi’s bodies were still being held by Hamas.

There was ultimately a small family gathering in Toronto, where some members of the Weinstein Haggai clan grew up and still live. Weinstein Haggai and her three siblings did not participate but watched the recordings of the Zoom gatherings afterward. 

“I felt it was very final, and my heart’s — I couldn’t bear that yet. Because I don’t have bodies to bury,” Weinstein Haggai, 38, told CNN. “To hear people talk about them, and kind of like a shiva, kind of like a ceremony — to me, it was hard. And I couldn’t really join that.”

Trying to grieve and honor the life of a deceased family member, before getting the chance to bury their bodies, is the wrenching position that numerous families of the hostages abducted by Hamas now find themselves in. Three American hostages have been confirmed dead so far: Judi Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai and Itay Chen, all dual Israel-American citizens. Their families say there can be no peace of mind until the bodies are returned.

A White House official told CNN that the recovery of the bodies remains an active and urgent part of the ongoing hostage release negotiations.

Read the full story of what the American families are saying.

 The top US general for the Middle East is currently in Israel as the region braces for a possible Iranian retaliation to Israel’s strike in Damascus, Syria.

US Central Command Gen. Erik Kurilla is “traveling throughout the region” but has moved up his meetings with Israeli military leaders because of threats from Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Thursday.

Remember: On April 1, Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria, risking a dangerous escalation in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the foreign ministers of Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night and Thursday morning to tell them that countries should be urging Iran not to escalate the conflict in the Middle East after threats made by Tehran against Israel, according to a State Department spokesperson.

What Blinken told his counterparts: "Escalation is not in anyone's interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing. The US has also “engaged with European allies and partners over the past few days” to deliver a similar message on Iran, he added.

What Blinken told Israel: He spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to reiterate US support for Israel against these threats, and also emphasize "the importance of Israel meeting the commitments that Prime Minister Netanyahu made to President Biden last week to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and to put in place enhanced deconfliction and coordination measures,” Miller said.

A top United Nations humanitarian official said it is clear Israel is working to ramp up humanitarian aid into Gaza, but that Israel has not yet implemented all of the measures it has announced.

Israel's plan for more aid: The Israeli Defense Forces announced Thursday they would be building a land crossing between Israel and northern Gaza after, on Wednesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised his country would "flood Gaza with aid" deliveries. 

COGAT, the Israeli agency that coordinates the inspection and delivery of humanitarian assistance for Gaza, said the daily number of trucks entering Gaza has doubled from last week’s numbers, but UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian affairs which tracks the flow of aid into Gaza, has not reported a similar increase.

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator has welcomed the new announcements by the Israeli government but says more needs to be done to facilitate operations inside Gaza. 

McGoldrick said the logistical complications are numerous, and take time to resolve. He also said Israel’s restrictions on movement inside the strip complicate matters.

The top US humanitarian official said Wednesday it is “credible” to assess that famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

Although US officials have been sounding the alarm about the imminent risk of famine in the war-torn strip, Samantha Power, the administrator of the US Agency for International Development, is the first official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place. Power noted that the rate of malnutrition in northern Gaza prior to October 7 "was almost zero" and is now "one in three kids.”

The comments come as UNICEF says one of its vehicles was hit by "live ammunition" while waiting to enter northern Gaza from the south of the territory on Wednesday. In a statement released on X Thursday, UNICEF says the "incident has been raised with relevant Israeli authorities."

Here's what else to know today:

Israel aid plan: Israel plans to “flood Gaza with aid,” its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. US pressure on Israel played a role in the country's decision to ramp up the entry of humanitarian aid he told reporters, saying Israel’s defense establishment “takes the United States very seriously.”

Gaza death toll: At least 33,545 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 according to The Gaza Ministry of Health. The ministry added that 76,094 people have been injured in this timeframe. CNN cannot independently verify these numbers.

Hamas leader's grandchildren killed: Four grandchildren of Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by Hamas. Initial reports suggested three of his grandchildren were killed along with three of his sons on Wednesday. Hamas confirmed the names of Haniyeh’s grandchildren as Mona, Amal, Khalid and Razan.

New military crossing: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are constructing a new land crossing from Israel to northern Gaza, according to a statement released Thursday. The IDF says it will “enable more aid to flow directly to civilians in the areas that have been challenging for trucks to access.״ 

Regional tensions: Israel is preparing for "scenarios" in locations other than Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a visit to an Israeli airbase on Thursday. Tensions have been mounting throughout the Middle East following warnings from US officials that Iran could carry out an imminent attack on US or Israeli assets in the region.

Aid workers repatriated: The families of the three British World Central Kitchen workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike last week have released statements about their loved ones, following the repatriation of their bodies to the United Kingdom. Read what they said here.

Israel polling: Only a minority of Israelis think the government will complete its four-year term, an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll released Thursday suggests, while a majority think that Hamas has succeeded in refocusing international attention on the Palestinian issue. Find out more about the poll here.

Only a minority of Israelis think the government will complete its four-year term, an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll released Thursday suggests, while a majority think that Hamas has succeeded in refocusing international attention on the Palestinian issue.

According to the survey, only about one-third of respondents think that the Israeli government will survive to the end of its four-year term. IDI found no significant difference between populations they described as Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis, with 36% of the former group and 38% of the latter group saying the government would last its term. 

Jewish Israelis identified as being politically on the Right – like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government – are more likely than those on the left or in the center to expect the government to complete its full term, but even on the right, it’s only 44%. A quarter of Jewish Israelis (24%) in the political Center think the government will last, while one in five (19%) on the left does, the polling suggests.

The Netanyahu government took office at the end of 2022. It is very rare for an Israeli government to last its entire term without early elections being called. 

The Israel Democracy Institute interviewed 755 men and women by telephone and internet between March 31 and April 3, 2024. Some 606 interviews were in Hebrew and 149 in Arabic. The margin of error on the full sample was 3.65 points.

Israel has slammed the new Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Simon Harris for failing to mention the hostages being held by Hamas during his first speech after being elected leader. 

Harris notably used his first speech to condemn Israel's war in Gaza, highlighting how "men, women, and children are being slaughtered" there. He also told lawmakers that the Irish government has "not been silent on the unforgivable terrorist actions of Hamas" on October 7. 

In a blistering statement published Thursday, Israel's foreign ministry criticized the speech, saying there are people "in Ireland who persist on being on the wrong side of history."

"Simon Harris, the new Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland, chose to refer to the war in Gaza in his inaugural address but “forgot” to mention the 133 Israeli hostages who have been rotting in Hamas tunnels for the past six months," the foreign ministry added. 

The foreign ministry also criticized Ireland's recent move to intervene in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case taken by South Africa and its intention to soon recognize the statehood of Palestine. From the outset of the war, Ireland has been one of the strongest critics of Israel's actions in Gaza, with politicians from across the political divide speaking out on the issue. 

In a speech days before his appointment, Harris directly addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying: "Prime Minister Netanyahu,  the Irish people could not be clearer. We are repulsed by your actions."

The families of the three British World Central Kitchen workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike last week released statements about their loved ones, following the repatriation of their bodies to the United Kingdom. 

The family of James Kirby, 47 — a military veteran who had previously served in the British armed forces in Afghanistan and Bosnia — said that they were “shocked and saddened by the sudden death of our beautiful James,” who “was loved and will be missed by so many.”

The family of James “Jim” Henderson, 33, said that they are “deeply shocked, saddened and upset at the untimely tragic death of Jim,” adding that he was a “kind, compassionate, loyal and considerate man, our shining light.”

And John Chapman, 57, said he was “an incredible husband, father, brother, son and friend who will be missed deeply and he was an inspiration to many.” 

All three families asked for privacy to grieve their losses.