February 7, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about a potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah during meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, two Israeli officials told CNN on Wednesday.

Rafah is now home to more than 1.3 million people – more than half of Gaza’s population – many of whom fled intense fighting happening further north in the enclave. Israeli officials have vowed in recent days to move on the city. Displaced Palestinians crowded into tents in Rafah will have nowhere left to flee. The city borders Egypt, and the crossing into that country has been closed for months.

This is what the city looks like with the influx of displaced civilians.

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military chief of staff, briefed Blinken on Wednesday on the Israeli military’s plans to expand ground operations into Rafah in the coming weeks, one Israeli official said, including the complexity of maneuvering in an area with so many civilians.

During the meeting, Blinken probed Israeli officials about how they were planning to operate in such a densely populated area and what measures they would take to mitigate harm to civilians.

Axios first reported details of Blinken’s meeting with Israeli officials.

Here's a locator map for Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Wednesday news conference that Israel has not committed to Hamas' demands presented in a three-phase plan in response to a proposal aimed at the release of hostages in Gaza and a ceasefire.

CNN reported on Wednesday that Hamas has presented its response to a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza by calling for a phased Israeli withdrawal from the enclave during a four-and-a-half-month truce and a plan to permanently end the war, according to a copy of the group’s counteroffer obtained by CNN.

The Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza has proposed a three-phase deal, each lasting 45 days, that would also see the gradual release of hostages held in the enclave in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel — including those serving life sentences — as well as the start of a massive humanitarian and rebuilding effort.

Contrary to earlier demands, Hamas did not call for an immediate end to the war.

Negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place during the truce and the remaining hostages would only be released once a final deal to end the war was agreed, the document said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the US is reviewing the response from Hamas and that he would discuss it with Israeli government officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed an offer from Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza, insisting that Israel's goal of "complete victory" is within reach.

The Israeli leader described Hamas' demands as "delusional," but did not rule out further negotiations.

A statement published jointly by 17 Israeli based groups, including B’Tselem, Combatants for Peace, and Breaking the Silence, calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The organizations said that 120 days of war have caused "unfathomable death and destruction," decimated health care systems, created a lack of food supply and clean drinking water and displaced civilians in Gaza.

It called on the involved parties to "reach an immediate ceasefire."

Further, it asked Israel to allow unfettered entry and delivery of humanitarian aid and goods in Gaza, and for Hamas to release all hostages held in the enclave.

"These steps are vital for ensuring human rights and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike," it concluded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel's aim is "complete victory" and the country will "not do less than that." 

Blinken spoke to Netanyahu in Tel Aviv earlier in a closed-door meeting that lasted a little over an hour. 

Netanyahu said that he told the US secretary of state "that after we destroy Hamas, we will secure that Gaza is a safe area forever. history has proven that only one force can achieve this — Israel, the IDF and our security forces."

Netanyahu also reiterated his position that Israel should keep full security control of the Gaza Strip following the war. "Israel will be acting in Gaza whenever necessary in order for the terror not to come back," he said.

The US and Israel are looking at the Hamas response to the proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal "intensively," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday at a press conference with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

CNN has obtained a copy of Hamas' response, which senior Hamas official Muhammad Nazzal confirmed was genuine.

Read more details and other developments in the war here:

Details of Hamas response: Hamas suggested three phases — each lasting 45 days — in its response to a proposal for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza. The response, which was delivered to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a massive humanitarian effort, and freedom of movement for people throughout the enclave. An Israeli official familiar with the negotiations told CNN Wednesday there is "no way" Israel will accept the Hamas counterproposal.

Blinken meets Israeli leaders: In addition to Herzog, Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv Wednesday for about an hour, according to reporters traveling with the secretary. According to a US State Department readout, the following was discussed:

No plan in place to minimize civilian deaths in Rafah: The top commander in charge of Israel’s military operation in southern Gaza said that there is no plan in place yet for how to minimize civilian deaths in Rafah, as fears mount that an Israeli offensive in what is now the enclave’s most populous city could result in mass casualties. Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfuss, who oversees the Israel Defense Forces’ 98th Division, said on Sunday he would work on such a plan “if and when” he receives the order to maneuver his forces into the area, and that as of Sunday, the order had not been issued yet.

Israel's operations in Khan Younis continue: The Israel Defense Forces said operations in Khan Younis in southern Gaza remain a focus, with “dozens of terrorists” killed over the past 24 hours. Much of the fighting has been in the vicinity of two hospitals — Al-Amal and Nasser — that the Palestine Red Crescent Society said are surrounded by Israeli troops. Injuries were reported among people in the vicinity of Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis, with local reports of several people being shot by Israeli forces. CNN cannot confirm the details of the shooting, but social media video showed several apparently injured people being removed from a street adjacent to the complex.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Wednesday.

Blinken’s meeting with Abbas follows meetings with top Israeli officials as the US is pushing for reforms within the Palestinian Authority, aiming for the eventual goal that the group would be able to govern a unified West Bank and Gaza.

It also comes amid a surge in violence in the West Bank following the October 7 attacks. Blinken has repeatedly pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to address the violence of Israeli settlers. US President Joe Biden's administration last week imposed sanctions on four Israelis for perpetrating violence in the West Bank.

Blinken has met with Abbas on all of his trips to the region.

CNN was among a small group of reporters granted a military escort by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to see two interconnected tunnel compounds in Khan Younis, including a musty chamber — which looks like a makeshift cell — where the Israeli military says Hamas held at least 12 hostages.

CNN could not independently confirm Israel’s account, but details of it tally with descriptions in Israeli media from hostages who say they were held there. The IDF has shown similar complexes to other media in eastern Khan Younis.

Entering the tunnel: A CNN journalist entered the tunnel network through the wall of a basement now entirely exposed by a giant crater, the area surrounded by blown-out, multi-story residential buildings.

What's it like in the tunnel: The stale, damp air inside the tunnel smells of sewage. The walls are slimy, and they feel like they are closing in. When the light goes off, everything is plunged into complete darkness.

In the darkness underground, minutes feel like hours, and after a few turns down different shafts, it’s impossible not to feel disoriented. The compound is hot and very humid. Its tiled walls and floors are wet with condensation. The air feels heavy, as if oxygen is running out.

As a condition to enter Gaza under IDF escort, news outlets must submit photos and raw video footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication. The IDF did not review this written report.

International media have been blocked access to the strip since the war began. CNN agreed to the terms to provide a rare glimpse into wartime Gaza, as Israel tries to find the remaining hostages and pushes further south into areas where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled.

Israel says that Hamas built a vast network of compounds like this one, connected by tunnels and shafts deep underground. The southern city of Khan Younis, which Israel considers one of the “main strongholds” of the group, is the current epicenter of fighting.

Inside the subterranean complex, the shafts are cramped.

Some of the tunnels are flooded ankle-deep in mud.

Signs of use for extended periods: What was clear from CNN’s tour is that the compound was used for an extended period of time. Discarded trash, empty food and drink packaging, soiled blankets and random pieces of clothing lie scattered around. In a kitchen fitted with basic equipment, dirty dishes are discarded in a sink.

Video and witness accounts from across Gaza indicate significant combat in several areas, including in Gaza City and Khan Younis in the south of the enclave.

Injuries were reported among people in the vicinity of Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis. Local reports said several people had been shot by Israeli forces, which have surrounded the hospital. 

CNN cannot confirm the details of the shooting, but social media video showed several apparently injured people being removed from a street adjacent to the complex.

A doctor inside the hospital, Dr. Ahmad Al Moghrabi, posted a video on Instagram showing people waiting at its main gate, claiming that if anyone goes outside the gate, "they will be killed." He said Israeli snipers were standing on the roofs of some buildings. 

CNN has asked the Israeli Defense Forces about the presence and purpose of snipers in the vicinity of the hospital.    

The Hamas-run health ministry said the Nasser and Al-Amal hospitals in Khan Younis are running out of oxygen, with the Palestine Red Crescent Society also saying Al-Amal has had "a severe oxygen shortage for days." 

In Rafah: Further south, the Hamas-run Civil Defense directorate said its crews recovered a number of bodies after Israeli airstrikes targeted three properties that had been crowded with displaced people.

In Gaza City: A journalist in Gaza told CNN that crowds of people had fled after coming under fire while waiting for a distribution of humanitarian aid in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood.