By Kathleen Magramo, Antoinette Radford, Maureen Chowdhury and Amir Vera, CNN
Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
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8:57 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
Biden focused on preventing Iran attack from spiraling into wider regional conflict, White House official says
From CNN’s Sam Fossum
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reiterated Monday morning that President Joe Biden is focused on preventing Iran’s attack against Israel from spiraling into a wider regional conflict.
“Just because Iran conducted this unprecedented attack, which we and our Israeli partners and other partners thwarted, doesn't mean that we should just accept a constant rising escalation in the region. The President is not going to accept that he wants to see things de-escalate,” Kirby told CNN’s Kate Bolduan this morning.
Pressed on whether it’s the White House position that Israel should not retaliate, Kirby said that’s ultimately up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government but that the US wants to see tensions de-escalate.
“We respect their sovereign decision-making process. What we want to see is de-escalation of the tensions. We don't want to see a wider war," Kirby said.
8:34 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
Palestinian girl shot in mother's arms as they attempted to return to home in northern Gaza
From Mohammad Al-Sawalhi in Gaza and CNN’s Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem
As chaos ensued after thousands of Palestinians were turned away from returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Sunday, a 5-year-old girl was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers, her mother said.
Video shows a man carrying a 5-year-old girl named Sally Abu Laila, who was bleeding from her head, with people crowding around her in panic trying to cover her wound.
Her mother Sabreen told CNN her daughter was in her arms when Israeli soldiers shot at her. Sabreen, alongside her four children, was trying to cross through the checkpoint, when two young men squeezed in between her and other women waiting in line, prompting Israeli soldiers to fire at them.
“I tried to put my daughter on the ground to walk, but she couldn’t move. I saw my hands covered in blood. I called on her, ‘Sally! Sally! Sally!’, but she didn’t answer” Sabreen said.
Eventually, she said she managed to get to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital where her daughter is undergoing treatment. She told CNN she is still in intensive care. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment on reports that its soldiers fired shots at civilians trying to head up north, but has not received a response.
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said reports that people could return to their homes in northern Gaza were false. “The northern Gaza Strip continues to be an active war zone and return to the area is not currently permitted,” IDF said.
Israel's war cabinet is still debating how to respond to Iran attack, officials say
From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv
Israel’s war cabinet has been engaged in a heated debate about how and when to respond to Iran’s weekend attack on their country, two Israeli officials familiar with the deliberations tell CNN.
The war cabinet remains determined to respond to Iran’s attack, but as it convenes Monday afternoon, its members continue to debate the timing and scope of such a response, the officials said. In addition to a potential military response, the war cabinet is also mulling diplomatic options to further isolate Iran on the world stage.
Benny Gantz, a key member of the war cabinet, has pushed for a swifter response to Iran’s attack, two Israeli officials said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far pumped the brakes on making a decision. Gantz believes that the longer Israel delays its response to Iran’s attack, the harder it will be to garner international support for such an attack, one of the sources said. Multiple countries are already cautioning Israel against escalating the situation further with a military response.
Israel’s government is aware that the country is currently enjoying international support and goodwill from its allies and does not want to squander that. At the same time, the government recognizes that it cannot allow Iran’s first attack on Israeli soil to go unanswered.
Among the military options that are being considered, the war cabinet is considering an attack on an Iranian facility that would send a message, but would avoid causing casualties, one Israeli official said. But Israeli officials recognize that will be a difficult needle to thread, hence the ongoing debate. The timing of a decision remains unclear.
7:25 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
Jordan's foreign minister says Netanyahu is using confrontation with Iran to take attention away from Gaza
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi
Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi told CNN Monday he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using the fight with Iran to take attention away from the war on Gaza.
"The Israeli Prime Minister has always wanted to invoke some sort of confrontation with Iran. Now, as the international pressure on Israel to stop the aggression on Gaza continues, invoking a fight with Iran is something that, we believe, he thinks could dilute that pressure, and could take attention away from Gaza," Safadi told CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“The issue is in Gaza and the West Bank, and our focus needs to continue to be on that because unless we solve that, then the chances for regional escalation will continue,” Safadi said.
More on Iran's attack: Safadi said Jordan will do whatever is within its means to protect the kingdom, explaining why the country intercepted some of the drones and missiles that entered its airspace Saturday night.
“What we did was consistent with our long-standing policy and any projectiles, drones, whatever that enters our space historically and we'll continue to deal with it because it poses a threat to Jordan,” Safadi said. “We are in the range of fire and any missiles or projectile that could fall in Jordan would cause harm to Jordan. So we did what we have to do and let me be very clear. We will do the same regardless of where those drones are from. From Israel, from Iran, from anybody else,” he added.
6:48 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
Second delivery of aid has entered northern Gaza through new crossing point, Israel's aid agency says
From Ami Kaufman and Kareem Khadder
The Israeli government agency that coordinates the delivery of aid into Gaza says that a new crossing in the north has again been used to deliver food aid.
COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) said Monday that “just last night 102 food aid trucks coordinated to northern Gaza. A food aid convoy entered northern Gaza via the new northern crossing. We will continue expanding our efforts to facilitate humanitarian aid into and across of Gaza.”
Earlier, the organization said on Sunday 316 aid trucks had been inspected and transferred to Gaza, of which 65 food aid trucks were coordinated to northern Gaza.
The Israeli government approved earlier this month the temporary opening of the Erez crossing into northern Gaza for the delivery of humanitarian aid. However, the Israel Defense Forces has not specified the exact location of the new northern crossing.
6:15 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
Israeli war cabinet will meet today to weigh response to Iran's attack
From CNN's Ami Kaufman
Israel's war cabinet will meet today at 2:00 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) to discuss its response to Iran's unprecedented attack on Saturday night, an Israeli official has told CNN.
An hours-long war cabinet meeting ended Sunday night without a decision on how to respond.
The cabinet is determined to act – but has yet to decide on the timing and scope.
Some background: Israel war cabinet minister Benny Gantz previously said that Israel will “exact a price from Iran in a way and time that suits us.”
But Israeli President Isaac Herzog told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that the country is not seeking war after Iran's attack and "balance is needed in this situation."
An Israeli official told the US that it's not looking to significantly escalate the showdown with Iran, a senior Biden administration official told reporters.
“I think Israel made clear to us they're not looking for a significant escalation with Iran. That's not what they're looking for. They're looking to protect themselves and defend themselves,” the senior administration official said.
6:05 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
German leader warns Iran against further escalation in the Middle East
From CNN's Stephanie Halasz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned Tehran against further escalation in the Middle East after Iran's attack on Israel.
Scholz said the attack "is a serious escalation of the situation and is in no way acceptable, understandable or tolerable.”
"We strongly condemn the Iranian attack and warn against any further escalation. Iran must not continue down this path. At the same time, it is absolutely clear to us that we stand in solidarity with Israel, which has every right to defend itself after the terrible attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens in October last year,” he said.
5:17 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
Israeli soldiers wounded by explosion near northern border
From CNN's Ami Kaufman
Four soldiers were wounded during overnight operations near Israel's northern border, its military said.
One of the soldiers was severely wounded, according to the military.
Two soldiers had moderate injuries, and another soldier was lightly wounded as a result of an explosion from an unknown source, it said.
4:59 a.m. ET, April 15, 2024
African countries urge restraint after Iran's attack on Israel
From CNN’s Eve Brennan in London
Several African countries have expressed concern after Iran’s attack on Israel.
South Africa emphasized that all parties must "avoid any act that would escalate tensions in a particularly fragile region" and urged the world not to forget the war in Gaza.
“South Africa has continuously stressed that irrespective of whether states believe that their use of force is lawful, it is never wise to resort to war as inevitably, it is ordinary people who bear the brunt of conflict," its Department for International Relations and Cooperation said.
Nigeria called on Iran and Israel “to exercise restraint” and “avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East,” its Foreign Ministry said.
“In this critical period, it behoves the two countries to reflect on the universal commitment to peaceful resolution of conflicts, for the advancement of global peace and security.”
Kenya's President William Rutosaidthe attack "only serves to aggravate an already delicate situation in the Middle East.”
Ruto said Iran's attack "should be condemned by all peace loving countries” and that Kenya “urges Israel to show utmost restraint.”
Somalia urged all parties “to immediately halt further escalation and exercise maximum restraint,” Somalia’s foreign ministry said.
The ministry said rising hostilities threaten regional stability and global security, and emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.