By Kathleen Magramo, Sana Noor Haq, Maureen Chowdhury and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 2:38 a.m. ET, April 17, 2024
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12:23 p.m. ET, April 16, 2024
IDF says it killed Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon
From CNN's Eugenia Yosef and Hande Atay Alam
The Israeli military says it has killed a Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.
"Earlier today, an IAF (Israeli Air Force) aircraft struck and eliminated Ismail Yusaf Baz, the commander of Hezbollah’s coastal sector, in the area of Ain Ebel in Lebanon," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Tuesday.
It added that "Ismail served as a senior and veteran official in several positions of Hezbollah's military wing. His current rank is equivalent to a brigade commander."
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that Ismail had been killed in southern Lebanon.
12:27 p.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Palestinian food blogger cooks meals from aid parcels, bringing joy to children in Gaza
From CNN's Sana Noor Haq
A young Palestinian girl hungrily bites into a meat-filled wrap at a displacement shelter in southern Gaza, her eyes wide with gratitude.
In another scene from the Instagram video, posted by Hamada Shaqoura in March, the girl feeds a little boy the same sandwich. Their shadows dance in the golden glow of the Gazan sun.
Shaqoura, a Palestinian food blogger displaced in the Gaza Strip, says he cooks on a gas stove and distributes meals using tinned food from aid parcels and other fresh ingredients, to bring joy to displaced children.
“I wanted to make new things for a change and to present new flavors. When I made my first attempt and saw the children's happiness... I was pleased and felt that as a food blogger, I could provide something of value under these difficult circumstances,” the 32-year-old told CNN on April 6.
Shaqoura, who is displaced with his 25-year-old pregnant wife, Lamis, started posting viral clips of his creations on social media. He cooks a variety of dishes ranging from tuna stew, beef tacos and pasta. Israel’s severe restrictions on aid entering Gaza have drained essential supplies, exposing the entire population of more than 2.2 million people to the risk of famine.
The siege has caused a real famine in the Gaza Strip. Most products are not available and if available, they would be very expensive. Unfortunately, children and elderly died from lack of food and malnourishment here in Gaza,” added Shaqoura. “I hope the siege ends and we can return and live like the rest of the world.”
11:15 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Egyptian foreign minister spoke with Israeli and Iranian officials on maintaining peace in the region
From CNN’s Becky Anderson, Adam Pourahmadi and Caitlin Danaher
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attends a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, on March 21. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts upholding "tranquility and peace," as world leaders seek to contain the risk of a wider regional war.
Shoukry told CNN’s Becky Anderson that the tit-for-tat reciprocal targeting between Israel and Iran is “in no way conducive to dealing with the long-standing issues and conflicts in the region.”
“This will get us into a never-ending cycle of reprisal that will only lead to a wider-scale confrontation, with very severe consequences for both peoples in both countries,” Shoukry said.
Regional tensions flare: It came after Iran launched a salvo of strikes on Israel over the weekend, in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on Tehran's consulate in Damascus, in Syria. As Israeli officials discuss their response, regional officials and Israel's allies have warned against an escalation in tensions over Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Talks on securing a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza are ongoing, according to Shoukry.
Israeli offensive in Rafah: Israel has delayed plans for an expected ground invasion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where most Palestinians were forced to flee Israel's bombardment. When asked if Egypt could temporarily allow the entrance of Gazan refugees in the wake of military action in Rafah, Shoukry said Egypt will continue to act in the best interests of the Palestinian people. The mass displacement of Palestinians caused by Israeli military action in Rafah would amount to "a war crime," he added.
10:39 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 33,843 Palestinians, health officials say
From CNN's Kareem Khadder and Sana Noor Haq
A Palestinian man mourns over shrouded bodies of relatives killed in an overnight Israeli bombardment in southern Gaza on February 8. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
At least 46 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health there reported on Tuesday, raising the total death toll to 33,843 people.
The ministry said that 76,575 Palestinians have been wounded. CNN cannot independently verify these numbers.
As of April 13, according to the ministry:
14,560 Palestinian children have been killed.
9,582 women have been killed
485 medical staff have been killed
72% of Palestinians killed are women and children.
Human rights warnings: The UN warned that "huge swathes of Gaza have been bombed into oblivion," as Israel's military offensive in the enclave surpassed six months.
"The violations of international law committed since 7 October in Israel and Gaza, including gross violations of international human rights law... by all parties to the conflict, as well as the destruction and suffering of civilians in Gaza over the last six months, are unprecedented," the UN added, in a statement in April.
10:16 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
More than 10,000 women killed in Gaza since war began, UN says
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam in Atlanta
Palestinians carry the dead body of a woman after Israeli attacks in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on February 12. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
More than 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since Israel's war with Hamas began in October, according to estimates by UN Women in a report published Tuesday.
“Six months into the war, 10,000 Palestinian women in Gaza have been killed, among them an estimated 6,000 mothers, leaving 19,000 children orphaned,” it said.
The report said more than 1 million Palestinian women and girls in the Strip are facing "catastrophic hunger," with almost no access to food, safe drinking water, functioning toilets or running water, creating life-threatening risks.
"One child is injured or dies every 10 minutes," it added.
"Women who have survived the bombing are suffering daily starvation, sickness, and constant fear. The war in Gaza is no doubt a war on women, who are paying a heavy price for a war not of their making”, said Susanne Mikhail, Regional Director of UN Women in the Arab States at a media briefing in Geneva.
The IDF has said that it tries to reduce harm to civilians in Gaza.
9:58 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Germany's foreign minister is flying to Israel in bid to de-escalate tensions
From CNN's Inke Kappeler in Berlin
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the Foreign Minister of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, give a press conference at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany, on April 16. Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance/Getty Images
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is traveling to Israel Tuesday in an attempt to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict, following Iran's unprecedented strikes on Israel Sunday.
“It is incredibly important for us as the German government in these fragile times that we all work together to contribute to de-escalation for the entire region," Baerbock said during a joint news conference with her Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, in Berlin.
She accused Iran of not being interested in regional peace and said it wanted to add fuel to the fire.
“Iran is playing with the fate of all people in the Middle East," she said. “This applies above all to Iran and its proxies and proxy groups, such as Hezbollah or the Houthis."
Baerbock's visit to Israel will be her eighth trip the region since October 7. She also said she hoped recent talks between Israel and Hamas could bring about "the long-awaited sustainable ceasefire."
8:56 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
US expects "limited scope" Israeli response against Iran, sources say
From CNN’s Alex Marquardt and Natasha Bertrand
The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept missiles fired from Iran on April 14. Tomer Neuberg/AP
The United States expects that Israel’s military response to Iran’s strikes will be limited in scope, a senior administration official and a source familiar with the intelligence told CNN.
There is US intelligence to suggest Israel is weighing a narrow and limited strike inside Iran because they feel like they have to respond with a kinetic action of some kind given the unprecedented scale of the Iranian attack, the second source said.
Israel has not given the US an official warning about what their plans may be and when they could occur, the senior administration official said.
“We would hope that they would give us some warning so that we're prepared to protect our personnel, not just military but diplomatic throughout the region,” the administration official said.
“But there's no guarantee they will give us they will give us a heads up and they know when they give us a head’s up, we're likely to again register our objection to whatever they're about to conduct.”
The official also said if Israel did not respond, the US is “confident that there will be de-escalation” and the situation would go back to the status quo.
“But any additional move now opens up a series of other possibilities, some of which are quite frightening,” the senior official added.
8:23 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Israeli military chief thanks UK for "joint defensive effort" against Iranian attack
From CNN's Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv
Herzi Halevi, chief of general staff of the Israeli army, looks on before a meeting in March 2023. Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images
A top Israeli military official expressed gratitude to his British counterpart for their "joint defensive effort" in repelling Iranian drones fired at Israel on Sunday.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi conveyed "his deep appreciation to the British forces for their cooperation and high-quality operation," according to an IDF statement.
Barrage of missiles: Israel and allied forces -- including the United States, France and the UK -- on Sunday intercepted a wave of Iranian strikes fired in retaliation to a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, in Syria, earlier this month.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been under increased domestic pressure to tone down his support of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and stop the sale of arms to the state, as the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks spirals.
Calls for Sunak to stop supplying Israel with weapons grew after an Israeli airstrike on April 1 killed seven members of staff from the aid organization World Central Kitchen, three of whom were British citizens.
8:06 a.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Budget airline suspends services to Tel Aviv until late October
From CNN’s Maisie Linford
EasyJet has announced its suspension of flights to and from the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for the rest of the summer season, until October 27, the budget airline told CNN on Tuesday.
"Customers booked to fly on this route up to this date are being offered options including a full refund,” EasyJet’s press office told CNN via email.
The low-cost carrier initially announced flights to Israel would be canceled until April 21, amid conflict and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
