January 28, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East has moved here.

Iran on Sunday denied it played any part in the attack on a US military outpost in Jordan that killed three American service members, Iran’s state news agency reported, citing the country’s permanent mission to the United Nations.

The attack marked the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war.

On Sunday, US President Joe Biden vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the deaths and placed blame for the attacks on Iran-backed militant groups.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for several Iran-backed militias in the country, said it attacked a number of places along the Jordan-Syria border on Sunday — including a camp near the US base in Jordan where soldiers were killed.

The deaths of three American troops in a drone attack Sunday has thrust the United States deeper into the Middle East conflict and lent fresh urgency to efforts at securing the release of hostages in Gaza in exchange for a prolonged halt in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The confluence of intertwined events — high-stakes hostage talks in France were underway at the same time American officials were grappling with the troop deaths in Jordan — added up to one of the most charged moments since the outbreak of violence following Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks.

Now, leaders in Washington and the Middle East are mulling choices that could significantly transform the situation, with thousands of lives and the future of the region in the balance.

President Joe Biden, who vowed to respond to the drone attacks “at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” faces a decision on the scale of the American reprisal, which will have consequences both in the region and at home as he enters a tough reelection fight.

Read more about the wider conflict in the Middle East.

The main UN agency in Gaza is in turmoil after Israel accused some of its staff members of involvement in Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fired several employees in the wake of the allegations, which have not been made public.

Following Israel’s allegations, UNRWA’s main donor, the United States, and a growing number of countries have paused funding to the organization, which employs about 13,000 people in Gaza, as the humanitarian disaster spirals in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Here’s what we know:

Read more about the allegations here.

Kobayashi Maki speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on October 25, 2023.

Japan has suspended its funding to the UN relief agency in Gaza “for the time being” in response to allegations that members of its staff were involved in Hamas’ October 7 attacks, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Sunday. 

“UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering essential humanitarian assistance to each and every resident (of Gaza). Against this backdrop, Japan is extremely concerned about the alleged involvement of UNRWA staff members in the terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year,” Foreign Press Secretary Kobayashi Maki said in the statement.

Japan will suspend funding while the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) conducts an investigation into the allegations, but will continue to provide support to other international organizations to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the statement added.

An Israeli official told CNN on Friday that Israel shared information about 12 staffers allegedly involved in the October 7 attacks both with UNRWA and the United States. UNRWA fired several employees in the wake of the allegations, the exact details of which have not been made public.

Some context: Japan joins a growing list of countries that have suspended funding for UNRWA, which employs around 13,000 people in Gaza, as the humanitarian disaster spirals in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, met with senior US officials on Friday to share intelligence on United Nations relief agency staff members who allegedly took part in Hamas’ October 7 attacks, an Israeli official told CNN.

The intelligence was corroborated from different sources, the official said, which was why it took this long for it to be briefed to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the United States.

Israeli officials reached out to UNRWA with their suspicions several days before Friday’s briefing to US officials. CNN has previously reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was told by UNRWA on Wednesday.

An Israeli official familiar with how the intelligence was gathered said it was taken from Hamas computers and documents confiscated during operations in Gaza, and from interrogations of detainees and alleged terrorists.

Israeli officials say some of the attackers who were killed or detained on October 7 had UNRWA IDs on them. CNN was not shown the IDs or other intelligence. 

US Central Command confirmed Sunday that eight service members were medically evacuated from Jordan after being wounded in Sunday’s drone attack on a US outpost near the Syrian border.

The “personnel that received injuries required evacuation from Jordan to higher level care,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“The number of US personnel with injuries has increased to at least 34 service members, but we expect this number to fluctuate as service members continue to seek follow-on care,” CENTCOM said.

CENTCOM said about 350 US Army and Air Force personnel are deployed to the base — called Tower 22 — “conducting a number of key support functions, including support to the coalition for the lasting defeat of ISIS.”

Eight US service members had to be medically evacuated from Jordan after being wounded in Sunday’s drone attack on a US outpost near the Syrian border, a US official tells CNN.

CNN previously reported that at least three had been evacuated, and over 30 were wounded in the attack, which killed three US Army soldiers.

The injury toll was expected to climb Sunday as more service members sought treatment for potential traumatic brain injuries.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for several Iran-backed militias in the country, said it attacked a number of places along the Jordan-Syria border Sunday — including a camp near the US base in Jordan where soldiers were killed today.

The camp, Al-Rukban, is in close proximity to Tower 22, where the US announced three service members were killed in a drone attack.

The Islamic Resistance’s statement, posted to its Telegram channel, came earlier today — before the US announced the death of its service members.

The organization’s forces launched drone attacks at dawn Sunday as part of its efforts to “resist the American occupation forces in Iraq” and in response to Israel’s “massacres against our people in Gaza,” it said in a statement.

The attacks targeted four bases, three of which are in Syria, the group said.

What the US has said: US officials have said the drone that killed the US service members at Tower 22 was launched by Iran-backed militants and appeared to come from Syria.

The US government has not yet named a specific militia they hold responsible, however. A US official told CNN earlier Sunday that is still being determined.

More from the Jordanian government: The communications minister for the Jordanian government said the attack that killed the US soldiers targeted an “advanced position on the border with Syria” and that no Jordanian border guard forces were hurt.

The minister, Muhannad Moubaideen, described the strike as a “terrorist attack” and vowed to confront the threat of terrorism. While condemning Israel’s campaign in Gaza, Jordanian officials have often expressed concern about the potentially widening war in the Middle East.

Jordan is a key partner to the US in the region and receives substantial amounts of aid through the relationship.

CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Jomana Karadsheh and Mitchell McCluskey contributed reporting to this post.

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks as he attends a "Sunday Lunch" at the Brookland Baptist Banquet Center in West Columbia, South Carolina, on January 28.

Various US politicians — from sitting elected officials to 2024 political hopefuls — have weighed in on the attack on the US military base in Jordan that killed at least three US soldiers and left more than 30 others injured.

All of them offered their sympathies to the families of the service members who died, while several said the US must do more to hold Iran accountable for the actions of its proxy groups.

The Biden administration:

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both released statements in the wake of the attack, offering their condolences to the families of those killed and pledging the US would “continue to fight terrorism” and hold perpetrators “to account.”

Speaking later Sunday, Biden offered his first brief remarks on camera, honoring those lost and calling for a moment of silence as he addressed the congregation at Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia, South Carolina. He vowed “we shall respond.”

2024 presidential candidates:

Nikki Haley: The former United Nations ambassador and current GOP presidential hopeful said the US should retaliate “with the full force of American strength,” following the drone attack. She drew from her experience as a military spouse, saying her “heart breaks for the families who lost loved ones.” She also made a political attack, saying Iran would not target US troops “if Joe Biden weren’t so weak in his treatment of Iran.” Haley later held a moment of silence at her rally in South Carolina.

Donald Trump: The former president, who is making another bid for the White House, said the drone attack “marks a horrible day for America.” He also took the opportunity to slam Biden, saying in a social media post that it was “yet another horrific and tragic consequence of Joe Biden’s weakness and surrender.”

US lawmakers:

The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, said he was “angered and saddened” by the “despicable” attack. “The loss of these soldiers is tragic, and my heart is with the fallen and their families,” Reed said in a written statement. He added he was confident the Biden administration would respond appropriately.

The House Armed Services chairman, GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, said it was “long past time” for Biden to hold Iran “accountable” for its proxies’ attacks on the US. He described the service of the slain soldiers as the “ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation and our freedoms.”

While the US turned its attention to the first death of US soldiers in the Middle East since the start of the war in Gaza (catch up on the Jordan attack here), fighting raged on in the enclave Sunday.

Heavy clashes continued around the Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to both the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas-run health ministry.

The IDF says Hamas fighters are positioned around the medical centers, and that it is coordinating with hospital officials to help keep them operating and to allow civilians to evacuate. Palestinian medical workers have disputed those claims in recent days, describing the situation as a siege.

Here’s more news you may have missed from around the region:

A meeting to secure a hostage deal and a pause in fighting in Gaza was “defined as constructive,” but “significant gaps” remain, a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said Sunday.

The meeting took place in Paris today and involved officials from Qatar, Israel, the United States and Egypt. The parties will hold more meetings this week, Israel said.

The meeting included Mossad Director David Barnea, CIA Director Bill Burns, the prime minister of Qatar, Egypt’s intelligence minister, Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon and Israeli Security Agency Director Ronen Bar, according to the statement.

Families of American hostages head to Washington: Some of the family members of US citizens believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas are returning to Washington, DC, this week, sources familiar with the plans said, as senior Biden administration officials continue working on the hostage talks.

The families hope to continue exerting pressure on US officials to facilitate a deal between Israel and Hamas that sees the release of more hostages. Six American men are among those still held captive.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks in Ramallah, West Bank, in October 2023.

The president of the Palestinian Authority has asked countries that halted funding for the United Nations relief agency in Gaza to reconsider.

Ten Western countries have now suspended their funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after allegations arose that some of its staff members were involved in Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks.

“Such positions, if maintained, would disproportionately punish millions of our people without just cause,” PA President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement Sunday, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency. 

Abbas accused Israel of acting out of animus for the UN agency, saying: “Officials in the Israeli government openly expressed that there would be no role for UNRWA, revealing the true motive behind this campaign.”

For context: Foreign Minister Israel Katz suggested Friday that the Israeli government will seek to stop the UN agency from operating in post-war Gaza.

More from Palestinian officials: The PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also said Sunday he hopes the “extremely dangerous” decisions to suspend funding will be “reversed.”

He said the decision to suspend aid “comes at the most difficult time, at a time when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has called for an immediate supply, and increased supplies of international aid into Gaza.”

More context: The ICJ, which is the UN’s top court, ruled last week that Israel must act immediately to prevent a genocide in the Palestinian enclave, including ensuring access to humanitarian aid. Aid workers in Gaza warn that a famine is looming, and that hospitals are in dire shape.

The US government is still working to assess exactly which militia group was responsible for Sunday’s attack on soldiers at a base in Jordan, a US official told CNN.

At least three service members died and more than 30 were injured in the drone attack by Iranian proxies, the White House said earlier Sunday.

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows a military base known as Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan on October 12.

Three US soldiers have been killed and more than 30 service members injured after Iran-backed militants launched a drone strike on a small US outpost in Jordan, US officials say.

The drone landed near living quarters at the base, located near the Syrian border, according to two US officials. At least three service members were evacuated for medical treatment, the officials said, and the injury toll is expected to rise as more personnel seek treatment.

Here’s what to know:

The number of service members wounded in the attack on a US base in Jordan now stands at more than 30 — and is likely to rise further as they seek treatment for symptoms consistent with traumatic brain injury, two US officials said.

The attack drone that struck overnight landed near the living quarters at the base, according to the officials.

The base that was attacked is a small US outpost called Tower 22, near the border with Syria. It’s unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces in the region began October 17.

US forces at the outpost are there as part of an “advise and assist” mission with Jordan. 

US President Joe Biden speaks in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 27.

US President Joe Biden vowed those responsible for the deaths of three US service members in an overnight drone attack on a small US outpost in Jordan will be held accountable, and cast blame on Iran-backed militant groups.

At least two dozens others were wounded in the attack.

“Today, America’s heart is heavy,” Biden said in a statement Sunday. “Last night, three U.S. service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border.”

“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden continued.

Biden vowed the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.” He called the three fallen service members “patriots,” praising their bravery and offering his grief, calling it a “despicable and wholly unjust attack.” 

“Together, we will keep the sacred obligation we bear to their families. We will strive to be worthy of their honor and valor. We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism,” the president said.

Biden was briefed on the attack Sunday morning in South Carolina, where he is campaigning for re-election, according to the White House. He also participated in a larger virtual briefing with Vice President Kamala Harris and top national security officials later in the day, the White House said. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and deputy national security adviser Jon Finer provided the initial briefing.

This post has been updated with details about Biden’s briefings on the attack.

CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed reporting to this post.

The overnight drone strike on a US military base in Jordan — which killed the first US service members in the Middle East since the start of the war in Gaza — comes after weeks of efforts by officials to avoid a broader regional conflict.

A key part of the US’ work in the Middle East is “not to have the conflict broaden,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said in a pre-recorded interview that just aired on ABC News Sunday morning.

Brown said the goal was deterrence of Iranian proxies operating in the region, like the Houthi rebels in Yemen and the powerful Hezbollah paramilitary group in Lebanon.

Attacks before Sunday: There have been dozens of injuries since recent attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria began — a senior military official told reporters last week there were roughly 70. The Pentagon had previously classified most of them as minor, aside from one US soldier who was critically injured in an attack in Iraq on Christmas Day.

The US has taken several retaliatory actions against the Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, one as recently as last week when the US struck three facilities in Iraq used by Kataib Hezbollah and other Iran-affiliated groups. 

The killing of three Americans also comes as the US and Iraq are expected to soon begin talks about the future of the US military presence in the country.

Three US Army troops were killed and at least two dozen service members were wounded in a drone attack overnight on a small US outpost in Jordan, US officials tell CNN, marking the first time US troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war. 

The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East.

US Central Command confirmed in a statement later Sunday that three service members were killed and 25 injured in a one-way drone attack that “impacted at a base in northeast Jordan.”

As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, though officials have described the constant volley of drones, rockets and missiles as unsuccessful, as they have frequently not caused serious injury or damage to infrastructure. 

It’s unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began October 17. US forces at the outpost are there as part of an “advise and assist” mission with Jordan. 

US officials have repeatedly said they do not want to see the increasingly high tensions across the Middle East during Israel’s fighting with Hamas broaden into a regional war.

Asked last week if the Pentagon assessed that Iranian proxies were stepping up their attacks on US forces, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, “Not necessarily, no.”

This post has been updated with confirmation from US Central Command.

The Israel Defense Forces says it has struck Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon with fighter jets and artillery Sunday.

Hezbollah fighters also hit Israeli infantry on the Lebanese-Israeli border today, according to the Lebanese news agency NNA.

Remember: Cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah — the powerful Iran-backed paramilitary — has become a near-daily occurrence since the Lebanese militants increased attacks on Israel a day after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

The fighting is among several key flashpoints in fears that the war in Gaza will continue spreading into a wider Middle East conflict.

France has “no plans to make a further payment in the first half of 2024” to the United Nations relief agency in Gaza, its foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday. 

The ministry pointed to the accusations by Israel that some UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff members were involved in the Hamas attacks on October 7 of last year, calling the allegations “exceptionally serious.” 

France had contributed nearly 60 million euros (around $65 million) to UNRWA in 2023.

The foreign ministry said in its statement that it will decide “when the time comes” what it will do to ensure requirements for aid transparency and security are taken into account.

A growing list: France joins these other donor nations in pausing financial support for UNWRA in light of the allegations:

Ireland and Norway say they will continue to fund the UN agency.

People protest the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza on January 28, in Kerem Shalom, Israel.

Hundreds of Israeli protesters on Sunday blocked aid trucks from driving into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, demanding that hostages held in Gaza are freed before any more aid is delivered into the Strip, CNN’s International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson reports from the scene.

The protests have been ongoing for days and were organized by families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. On Sunday, the protesters again blocked the convoys, despite an expectation that Israeli police would clear the protests to allow the crossing to operate, Robertson reports. The aid trucks, however, remain parked a few hundred meters from the protesters.

On Wednesday, only nine trucks crossed into Gaza via Kerem Shalom due to the protests, while the crossing remained closed Thursday and Friday due to protesters blocking access, according to Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). The border was closed Saturday for Shabbat.

Last Sunday, 139 aid trucks were inspected and transferred via Kerem Shalom, according to COGAT.

United Nations officials have warned of the repercussions of declining humanitarian access in parts of Gaza and the blocking of aid at the crossing, saying famine is looming in the enclave and hospitals are in dire shape.

Maimana Jarada, left, and Nowara Diab in Gaza before October 7.

Nowara Diab was trying to drown out the sounds of airstrikes by listening to music, but it was not enough to shake the unsettled feeling in her gut.

Then her phone rang. It was a friend, who said they had heard that Maimana Jarada — Diab’s best friend — and her family had been killed by Israeli bombardment.

Her stomach was in knots as she felt herself panicking. Diab called Jarada’s number repeatedly but when there was no answer, it dawned on her that it was true: Jarada had been killed.

The 20-year-old says she broke down in tears as she felt the walls close in around her. The pain was even more intense for Diab because she had learned only 10 days earlier that another friend, Abraham Saidam, had also been killed by Israeli airstrikes.

“Living without them is the worst thing I’ve ever felt,” Diab said. “My heart aches every single day thinking that they’re not here and they’re not going to be here for me anymore, it pains me.”

Despite repeated telecommunications blackouts amid Israel’s siege, Diab has managed to speak to CNN from Gaza through voice notes, text messages and videos about the life and friendships she has lost since October 7.

Heavy fighting in the vicinity of the Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals in Khan Younis in Gaza has continued into a seventh day Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Ministry of Health both said.

The IDF again said it was carrying out “precise operations” against Hamas in the southern city, saying its intelligence indicates members of Hamas are operating inside and around the Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said hospital facilities have over the past week been “under siege” after the Israeli military intensified its operations in Khan Younis.

Oxygen supplies at Al Amal hospital have been depleted and that medical teams are unable to perform surgeries as a result, PRCS warned Sunday. It said it is coordinating with the International Committee of the Red Cross “to explore the possibility of providing a safe passage” so oxygen cylinders can be brought to the hospital.

The IDF said they continue to liaise with hospital directors and medical staff to “ensure that the hospitals can remain operational and accessible.” They said that they have not ordered either hospital to evacuate, but that civilians who wish to do so are able to through a specified corridor.

The Nasser Medical Complex is the largest functioning health facility in Gaza.

Sara with her mother, Hala. "My mother was all my life. My mother's life was dedicated to me and my siblings and my father. To her grandchildren, she was the loving 'Teta,'" Sara said.

Sara Khreis and her family spent weeks agonizing over whether to flee as Israeli troops moved into Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighborhood. After two nights of bombardment so intense they thought their home might fall apart, they realized they had to go.

“We woke up on November 12, the day that I will never forget my whole life,” Sara, 18, told CNN in a recent interview, holding back tears.

More than 20 people, relatives and neighbors, had holed up at their house as the war worsened. Sara’s 57-year-old mother, Hala, cooked a quick breakfast and made time to pray. Then they heard their neighbors screaming that an evacuation route had been organized: “Come on, get out!”

They threw on their shoes and rushed out of the door, joining a wave of others waving white flags – a universal symbol of surrender.

A few paces ahead of the others, Hala was walking with her grandson, Tayem, then 4, holding hands as they navigated a street littered with debris, a white flag in his other hand. Seconds later, a shot rang out and Hala slumped to the ground.

The clip of Hala’s killing is one of a growing number that show unarmed civilians holding white flags being shot dead in Gaza. CNN has examined four cases, including that of Hala Khreis. CNN made multiple attempts to sit down with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to share its findings. They told CNN on Friday that “the incident is being examined.”

Read more here.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at UN Headquarters in New York, on January 26.

Of the 12 staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) allegedly involved in the deadly October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, nine have been fired, one killed and the identities of two others are “being clarified,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

“The United Nations is taking swift action following the extremely serious allegations against several UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff members,” Guterres said Sunday, adding the UN’s oversight body has already launched an investigation and an independent review is forthcoming.

“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” the secretary-general said.

He urged countries, however, to continue financial assistance to the UNRWA that supports 2 million Gazans who depend on the “critical aid” for “daily survival,” warning the agency’s current funding “will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February.”

In the wake of the allegations against the UNRWA, nine countries have so far paused funding for the main UN agency in Gaza.

“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met,” he said.

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a campaign event in Manassas, Virginia, on January 23.

Many Arab Americans and Muslim voters who have spoken to CNN say they will not vote for US President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts due to his unwavering support of Israel and failure to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. 

In the last presidential election cycle, Biden received the backing of several prominent Muslim American elected officials and community leaders. But this time around, many are skeptical – and angry.

“I believe he is beyond redemption,” said Khalid Turaani, 57, a consultant based in Michigan and co-chair of the state’s chapter of the Abandon Biden movement. “I will not vote for Joe Biden. I believe that his complicity and his active participation in the genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza disqualify him from my vote.”

The Abandon Biden campaign was created in Minnesota after a group of Muslim Americans demanded the president call for a ceasefire by October 31. And when Biden didn’t respond to these calls to support a permanent halt in fighting, the group vowed to campaign against him.

At least 146,620 of the 200,000 Muslim American voters in Michigan cast a ballot in the 2020 election cycle, according to an analysis by Emgage. In 2020, Biden won Michigan by three percentage points over Trump. Four years prior, Trump won the state over Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton by 0.2 percentage points.

“I feel used as a Muslim voter,” said Ariana Afshar, 27, a content creator based in California. “He used people like myself in order to get elected and is now doing whatever serves him in his position.”

Read more about the views of Muslim and Arab Americans toward the Biden campaign as the war in Gaza continues.

Palestinians inspect a damaged house after an Israeli air strike on Rafah in southern Gaza on January 27.

CNN filmed rare footage Saturday of Palestinian men detained by Israeli forces in Gaza and brought across the border to Israel — witnessing the men blindfolded and barefoot, with their hands bound behind their backs.

The Israel Defense Forces said the men are “suspected of terrorist activity and were arrested in Gaza and transferred to Israel for further interrogation.”

Meanwhile, a growing number of countries have temporarily suspended aid to the main United Nations relief agency in Gaza over allegations some staff members were involved in last October’s Hamas attacks, and the Palestine Red Crescent Society says hospitals in the southern part of the strip are “under siege.”

These are the biggest headlines from the war today:

More on the Palestinian detainees: Some of the men in the video appear physically exhausted, with their heads falling and swaying as they attempt to remain kneeling. They appear to be wearing only disposable white coveralls, despite the 10-degree Celsius temperature (50 degrees Fahrenheit). The IDF said the men filmed Saturday were about to be transferred to a “heated bus” when CNN filmed the scene, and maintained that detainees are treated in accordance with international law. A bus was waiting nearby, but CNN could not confirm when the men were put onto the bus. The Israeli military has detained hundreds – if not thousands – of Palestinian boys and men, and sometimes women, as its ground forces sweep through the enclave.

More countries pause UNRWA funding: Multiple nations have announced they are temporarily pausing their funding to the embattled UN agency in Gaza, in the wake of the allegations against its staff members. The Israel Defense Forces claimed UNRWA facilities were used for “terrorist purposes” in a statement on Saturday. The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East urged the countries to reconsider suspending their funding, noting the accused employees have been fired, the highest investigative authority of the UN has already taken action and an independent review by external experts is forthcoming.

Situation deteriorating at Khan Younis hospitals: Nasser Hospital, the main medical center in the southern Gaza city, is running out of its supply of blood, anesthesia and other medications, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said Saturday. The city has been a flashpoint area in recent fighting between Israel and Hamas. Hospital facilities have been “under siege” as the Israeli military intensifies operations there over the past week, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Where hostage talks stand: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu challenged Qatar on Saturday, saying, “They position themselves as intermediaries. Well, let them prove it and help to bring the hostages back.” The prime minister was also asked about an alleged leaked audio recording that aired on Israeli television Tuesday, in which he appeared to criticize Qatar for not putting enough pressure on Hamas. “I’m not taking back even one word that I said,” he said on Saturday. “I will not give up a route of pressuring Hamas or whoever can affect Hamas to bring our hostages back.” Meanwhile, CIA Director Bill Burns is set to meet in the coming days with Israel and Egypt’s intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister to discuss a hostage deal.

Houthi attack: A Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker was carrying a highly flammable liquid hydrogen mixture when it was struck by a Houthi missile in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, US Central Command said, sparking a fire that took a day to extinguish. Despite a series of US strikes against Houthi missiles, drones and radar sites, the Iran-backed rebel group has continued to attack international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinian people as a result of the war in Gaza — an argument the US has repeatedly rejected.

The Marlin Luanda vessel on fire in the Gulf of Aden after it was reportedly struck by an anti-ship missile fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen on Friday.

The Marlin Luanda oil tanker is sailing toward a safe harbor after extinguishing a fire caused by a missile attack from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the vessel’s operator, Trafigura, said Saturday.

All crew members on board are safe, the company said.

On Friday, the vessel was the latest commercial vessel struck by a Houthi missile as it crossed through the Gulf of Aden after passing through the Red Sea.

Trafigura highlighted the “exceptional dedication and bravery” of the crew and thanked Navy vessels from India, France and the United States for their assistance.

Remember: This all ties back to Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza: The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, say their actions are aimed at pressuring Israel to stop its ground offensive and widespread bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. The US has repeatedly rejected that argument.

The Houthis say they are also retaliating for recent strikes on their infrastructure by the US and UK militaries, which have been aimed at stopping the group’s attacks in the key global shipping lane.

More about the ship: The commercial tanker had been carrying a highly flammable liquid hydrogen mixture when it was hit by the missile, according to US Central Command. The strike sparked a fire that took a day to extinguish.

The ship’s crew consists of one Bangladeshi member and twenty-two Indian crew members, according to the US military officials.

CNN’s Oren Liebermann contributed reporting to this post.

More than two dozen men are sitting and kneeling on the wet, cold ground near the Israel-Gaza border – blindfolded and barefoot, their hands bound behind their backs. Israeli soldiers, their faces obscured by balaclavas, are standing guard. 

This was the scene CNN found in southern Israel near the Gaza border on Saturday morning, filming rare footage of Palestinian men detained by Israeli forces in Gaza and brought across the border to Israel.

Some of the men appear to be physically exhausted, with their heads falling and swaying as they attempt to remain kneeling. One detainee is laying on the ground before an Israeli soldier arrives to rouse him, propping him back up. The men are barefoot and appear to be wearing nothing more than disposable white coveralls, despite the 10-degree Celsius temperature (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

The Israeli military said the men are “suspected of terrorist activity and were arrested in Gaza and transferred to Israel for further interrogation.”

“As part of the IDF activity in the combat area in Gaza, individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity are being detained and questioned. 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 suspects are given jumpsuits, and are provided with clothes upon arrival to the detention facility,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. “Relevant suspects are taken for further questioning within Israel. Individuals who are found not to be taking part in terrorist activities are released back into Gaza, as soon as possible.”

The IDF said the men filmed on Saturday had been brought into Israel from Gaza and were about to be transferred to a “heated bus” when CNN filmed the scene, and maintained that detainees are treated in accordance with international law.

A bus was waiting nearby, but CNN could not confirm when the men were put onto the bus, as an Israeli soldier at the scene ordered CNN to leave the premises within minutes.

Detained Palestinians: The Israeli military has detained hundreds – if not thousands – of Palestinian boys and men (and in some cases, women) in Gaza as its ground forces swept through the enclave, often transferring them to detention sites in Israel and holding them for days without charge. Many of those detained have been identified as civilians by friends and relatives after images of their detention surfaced online.

Many detainees have alleged abuse at the hands of Israeli forces, including several Palestinian boys and men who told CNN in December they were detained for five days before being ultimately released without charge, emerging with bruised and swollen wrists. At the time, the Israeli military said: “The individuals detained are treated in accordance with international law” and that “the IDF strives to treat any detainee with dignity. Any incident in which the guidelines were not followed will be looked into.”

Workers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) transport aid in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza, on October 25.

The head of the main United Nations agency in Gaza, reeling from allegations members of his staff participated in Hamas attacks on Israel, called the decision by a growing list of countries to suspend funds to the agency “shocking” and urged them to reconsider.

Commisioner-General Philippe Lazzarini says the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides food and health care in shelters for more than a million people in the besieged enclave.

“Many are hungry as the clock is ticking towards a looming famine,” Lazzarini said in a statement Saturday. “The lives of people in Gaza depend on this support and so does regional stability.”

Nine countries have announced they would temporarily pull funding from UNRWA after the agency announced it had fired employees who were allegedly involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Lazzarini said.

The Israeli government has not released details of the evidence concerning the alleged UNRWA involvement. Lazzarini said the highest investigative authority of the UN has already taken action, and an independent review by external experts is forthcoming. 

Lazzarini also highlighted this week’s ruling from the International Court of Justice, which instructed Israel to enable more humanitarian assistance to prevent a genocide in Gaza. 

“The only way that this can be done is through cooperation with international partners, especially UNRWA as the largest humanitarian actor in Gaza,” he said. 

A truck of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) carrying fuel arrive at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on November 22, 2023.

More countries joined a growing list Saturday of governments temporarily pausing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) after allegations that 12 staff members were involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in Israel.

The countries include:

In a statement shared with CNN, the UK foreign office said it was “appalled” by the allegations and awaiting results of the UN’s internal investigation.

The Finnish foreign ministry said Saturday it had suspended its funding of 5 million euros (around $5.4 million US) per year due to the “serious allegations.”

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it will “temporarily not approve” of any new funds for the organization, but other humanitarian aid will continue, with a recent 7 million euro (about $7.6 million US) increase in funding for the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund.

Hamas condemns Israeli “threats”: Hamas said in an official statement released Saturday that it condemns Israel’s “threats and blackmail” against the UNRWA. The group criticized the relief agency’s decision to fire the accused employees in Gaza and called for an “impartial investigation” into Israel’s allegations.

Hamas also slammed a claim made by Israel’s UN ambassador that the World Health Organization is in “collusion” with the Hamas movement, calling that a “hollow accusation,” and stressing the importance of these agencies in providing aid in the besieged enclave.

CNN’s Ibrahim Hazboun and Lauren Kent contributed reporting to this post.

The Israel Defense Forces claimed facilities of the main United Nations relief agency in Gaza were used for “terrorist purposes” in a statement to CNN on Saturday.

During a probe into the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, investigators found evidence “incriminating several UNRWA employees for their alleged involvement in the massacre, along with evidence pointing to the use of UNRWA facilities for terrorist purposes,” the IDF said.

Remember: On Friday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said it was immediately terminating the contracts of employees Israel had accused of being involved in the Hamas attacks.

The UN says it is conducting an investigation into the matter, while the US and a growing list of other nations have suspending their funding for the agency.

UNRWA responds: When asked about the Israeli military’s claim on the use of its facilities, the UNRWA told CNN in a statement, “We don’t have more information on this at this stage,” and that the internal oversight body of the UN was looking into all the allegations as part of its investigation.

Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza is running out of its supply of blood, anesthesia and other stress medications, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said Saturday.

The shortage of blood is “severe and dangerous,” ministry spokesperson Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra warned in a statement.

Nasser is the main medical center in the city of Khan Younis, which has been a flashpoint area in recent fighting between Israel and Hamas. The southern city’s hospital facilities have been “under siege” as the Israeli military intensifies operations there over the past week, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS).

The Israeli military says Hamas was operating in the area from inside the Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals. CNN cannot independently verify those claims.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Friday that it is carrying out “precise operations” against Hamas and is liaising with hospital directors in Khan Younis to ensure the hospitals remain operational. But the PRCS claimed Saturday that the IDF has not made efforts to communicate with hospital administration.

Fewer than half of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are still partially functioning, the United Nations said Thursday.