February 7, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

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

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that Hamas’ counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal leaves room for a potential agreement.

“While there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” he said at a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Blinken said he discussed the proposal with Israeli government officials.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier dismissed Hamas’ proposals, calling them “delusional.” However, the Israeli leader did not rule out the possibility of further negotiations.

Blinken also discussed the latest developments in Gaza with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Here are the latest developments:

People gather as a destroyed vehicle is loaded onto a truck, after what security sources said was a deadly drone strike, in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 7.

Iraq was not notified of the US military’s strike on a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Baghdad until shortly after it occurred, a US official said Wednesday. 

“We were clear in public statements and in private conversations with the Iraqis that the United States would respond to the attack a time and place of its choosing,” the official said, referencing the deadly drone attack in Jordan that killed three US soldiers.

The official said a notification of the strike prior would not have been provided out of operational security concerns. 

The official added the strike was in planning “from the moment the president directed the military to review options” following the Jordan attack. 

Iraq has issued a warning to the United States in response to an airstrike late Wednesday in Baghdad that killed a senior commander with the pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah militia.

Iraq’s Joint Operation Command called the strike a “new aggression by the United States, adding that the move acted to “undermine all understandings” between Iraq and the US, in a statement posted by spokesperson Tahseen Al Khafaji on X.

The spokesperson also reiterated what the country said after the first series of US strikes in Iraq last Friday in retaliation for the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan, which was to call the strikes a “violation of Iraqi sovereignty.” 

Kataib Hezbollah is considered the most powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq and part of a state-sponsored consortium of militias in the country known as the PMU (Popular Mobilization Forces), many of them Shia militias, that help maintain security there.  

But just days after the killing of the three US soldiers in Jordan on January 28, Kataib Hezbollah announced it was suspending its military operations against US forces, which was seen as signs the group feared blowback by the US on itself, as well as other pro-Iran militias or even Iran proper in response to the US solider deaths. 

The US targeted Wisam Mohammed Saber al-Saedi in the Baghdad strike Wednesday, according to three US officials.

The Kataib Hezbollah commander was in charge of logistical support including drone and rocket operations for the organization, a source within the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units told CNN.

US Central Command said it targeted a commander of Kataib Hezbollah who it is said was responsible for attacks on American forces in the region.

Kataib Hezbollah released a statement mourning al-Saedi early Thursday morning (Baghdad time.) The militant group said al-Saedi’s death “calls us to remain steadfast in the jihadist approach.”

Last week, Kataib Hezbollah said it was ceasing attacks and operations against US forces in the region so as not to embarrass the Iraqi government. 

Kataib Hezbollah is part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and the Popular Mobilization Units, which fall under the Iraqi military forces. The US blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq for a drone strike on January 28  that killed 3 US service members and wounded dozens more.

The post was updated with information about al-Saedi from a source in the PMU.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on February 7.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel must not “lose sight of our common humanity,” as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s war in Gaza will continue.

“The overwhelming majority of people in Gaza had nothing to do with the attacks of October 7th,” Blinken said at a news conference in Tel Aviv. “And the families in Gaza whose survival depends on deliveries of aid from Israel are just like our families.”

For days, Israeli protesters have blocked trucks carrying aid for Gaza, demanding that humanitarian assistance only be delivered in exchange for the release of the hostages. Officials with aid agencies have said Israel’s ongoing military campaign amounts to collective punishment. 

Blinken said Israelis were “dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7,” referring to the Hamas assault that left at least 1,200 people dead, and that “the hostages have been dehumanized every day since,” but that “that cannot be a license to dehumanize others.”

His comments come as US President Joe Biden’s administration faces backlash and anger at home over its continued support of the offensive — a backlash that threatens to have political consequences for the president.

The US military strike that Central Command said killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Iraq on Wednesday does not mark the end of a series of retaliatory actions that President Joe Biden authorized early last week.

According to an administration official, there’s more to come in response to the deaths of three US soldiers in Jordan.

A White House official said the execution of the strike itself and its timing were carefully considered to avoid any loss of innocent life – and that the US military moved to go after this commander as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Central Command said there were no indications of civilian casualty collateral damage. 

This official also reiterated what Biden said since the US retaliatory strikes began last week: “We will not hesitate to defend our people and hold responsible any and all who seek to harm Americans.”

People inspect a vehicle after what security sources said was a deadly drone strike, in Baghdad, Iraq, on February 7.

A US military strike killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander in Iraq on Wednesday night who was responsible for attacks on US forces in the region, according to US Central Command.  

The attack was carried out by a drone against a vehicle in Baghdad, according to US and Iraqi officials. There are no indications of collateral damage or civilian casualties, Central Command said in its statement.

Iraqi police said there was at least one other person inside the vehicle who has not been identified. 

The identity of the commander has not yet been released. Local police officials in Baghdad said on Wednesday that the strike hit an SUV in the Al-Mashtal, a predominantly Shia neighborhood in eastern Baghdad.

The strike came as the US has been planning retaliatory attacks against Iran-backed militants who launched a drone at a US outpost in Jordan last month that killed 3 American soldiers.

The US has blamed that attack on an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

A CNN team on the ground in Baghdad heard at least two loud explosions in quick succession around 9:30 p.m. local time. 

The two people who were inside the vehicle have not been identified because the bodies were completely charred from a fire that erupted from the strike, the police said.

But a senior local security source and a senior source with the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) told CNN that a senior leader with the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia was killed in the attack.

The US conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria last week targeting seven facilities used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militias in retaliation for the deadly drone attack in Jordan.

Former Israeli hostage Adina Moshe on Wednesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that “there won’t be any hostages to release” if his government continues its plan to eliminate Hamas.

Moshe, 72, who was kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz and held hostage in Gaza for seven weeks, spoke at a news conference for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum — directing her comments specifically to Netanyahu. 

“Mr. Netanyahu, I’m turning to you. It’s all in your hands. You are the one. You’re the one who can. And I’m really afraid that if you continue the way you do, the destruction of Hamas, there won’t be any hostages to release,” Moshe said. 

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters also delivered a message to Netanyahu and the Israeli War Cabinet in a release on Wednesday.

“If the hostages are not returned home: the citizens of Israel should know they live in a state that is not committed to their security, that the mutual responsibility in it has died,” the families forum said in the release. “They who do not protect their citizens will find that their citizens lose faith in them and their leadership.” 

Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu reiterated that Hamas must be destroyed for Israel to be safe. He dismissed Hamas’ proposals for a ceasefire and hostage deal, calling them “delusional.” However, the Israeli leader did not rule out the possibility of further negotiations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on February 7.

The toll of Israel’s military operations on Palestinian civilians “remains too high,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials on Wednesday.

The top US diplomat’s statement that Israel still has not taken adequate action to protect civilians comes after four months of Blinken pressing the Israeli government “on all of (his) previous visits and pretty much every day on concrete ways to strengthen civilian protection, to get more assistance to those who need it.”

“Nearly 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are experiencing acute hunger. Most have lost someone that they love. And day after day, more people are killed,” Blinken said at a news conference in Tel Aviv. 

Palestinians receive food rations at a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah, Gaza, on February 2.

Although Blinken acknowledged that Israel had taken some important actions, he outlined in his meetings Wednesday additional “key steps” that the government must take to mitigate the civilian suffering.

Blinken noted that those steps should include opening the Erez crossing “so that assistance can flow to northern Gaza, where, as I said, hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to survive under dire conditions,” he said.

The US secretary of state also urged to “expedite the flow of humanitarian assistance from Jordan.”

“And Israel must ensure that the delivery of life-saving assistance to Gaza is not blocked for any reason, by anyone,” the top US diplomat said, appearing to reference ongoing protests that have blocked the entrance of aid.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas’ counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal leaves room for a potential agreement.

“While there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” he said at a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Blinken said he discussed the proposal with Israeli government officials.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Hamas’ proposals, calling them “delusional.” However, the Israeli leader did not rule out the possibility of further negotiations.

Blinken said he believes Netanyahu was referring to the “absolute nonstarters” in Hamas’ response when he dismissed it while adding that he doesn’t “want to speak for him.”

“But at the same time, we see in what was sent back is space to continue to pursue an agreement, and these things are always negotiations,” Blinken said. “It’s not flipping a light switch. It’s not yes or no. There’s invariably back and forth.”

This post was updated with more details from Blinken’s comments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Hamas must be destroyed for Israel to be safe.

“Continuing pressure, military pressure is a necessary condition. Surrendering to Hamas’ delusional demands will only ask for another disaster for the state of Israel, another massacre,” Netanyahu told Israeli media Wednesday.

Netanyahu said he told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that it is only after Israel “destroys” Hamas that Gaza will be safe. 

“Not part of Hamas, not half of Hamas, the entire [of] Hamas,” Netanyahu said. 
“History has proven that only one force can achieve this. Israel, the Israel Defence Forces and our security forces,” he said.
“Israel will be acting in Gaza whenever necessary in order for the terror not to come back.”

CNN reported Wednesday that Hamas has presented its response to a proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal by calling for a phased Israeli withdrawal 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.

Hamas did not call for an immediate ceasefire. 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.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres speaks at the UN General Assembly in New York on February 7.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres expressed deep concerns over the escalating humanitarian crisis in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Wednesday, saying an extension of Israeli operations there would have “disastrous” repercussions.

Rafah is “where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been squeezed in a desperate search for safety,” he said in an address to the UN General Assembly Wednesday.

Highlighting the dire situation as a “humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences,” he urgently called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages”.

Children carry belongings as Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis move towards Rafah, Gaza, on January 29.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised concerns about a potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah during meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, two Israeli officials told CNN. Rafah is where thousands of displaced civilians fled to as fighting intensified in northern Gaza and slowly made its way south.

Those trapped in the city have no remaining escape route. The city borders Egypt, and the crossing into that country has been closed for months.

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, briefed Blinken on Wednesday on Rafah, one Israeli official said, including the complexity of maneuvering in an area with so many civilians and which is located right on the Egyptian border.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his final meeting of the day in Israel, after speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for nearly an hour and a half.

Their one-on-one meeting took place amid US concerns about the humanitarian toll of Israel expanding its operations into Rafah, where more than one million people have fled fighting in the north.

CNN reported earlier Wednesday that Blinken raised concerns about a potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah during meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, according to two Israeli officials.

Gallant was present at an earlier meeting with Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzei Halevi, who briefed Blinken 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 and located right on the Egyptian border.

Hamas will send a delegation to Cairo Thursday to follow up on the counterproposal it offered, the group’s spokesman Osama Hamdan said at a press conference in Beirut on Wednesday.

“In the context of our keenness to achieve the best results in a way that serves the interests of our people, stops their suffering, and alleviates their pain, by stopping the aggression against our people and by achieving complete relief entrance, lifting the siege, and launching reconstruction; we confirm that a delegation from the movement’s leadership, headed by Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya will head to Cairo to follow up on this matter,” Hamdan said on Hamas-operated Al-Aqsa TV.

Hamdan called the Hamas counterproposal a “positive response” that “guarantees reconstruction, lifting the siege, and releasing prisoners.”

CNN reported on Wednesday that Hamas has presented its response, proposing a three-phase deal — each lasting 45 days — that would see the gradual release of hostages held in the enclave in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, 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.

Hamdan condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for saying Wednesday that he has not committed to the “crazy demands” of Hamas and that Israel’s aim is “complete victory.” He also called on the US to stop supporting Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah on February 7.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the latest developments in Gaza at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah on Wednesday.

Blinken and Abbas spoke about “developments in the ongoing efforts to stop the aggression against our people,” according to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

The president highlighted the importance of swiftly delivering relief, medical and food supplies, along with essential services like water, electricity and fuel, to facilitate hospital functionality and shelters across Gaza, WAFA reported.

Abbas also called for the US recognition of Palestinian statehood and a full United Nations membership, highlighting a two-state solution as essential for peace.

“His Excellency reiterated that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian state, and it is not possible to accept or deal with the plans of the occupation authorities to separate it, or to cut off any inch of its land, and it falls under the responsibility of the State of Palestine and under its administration,” WAFA said.

Israel has repeatedly claimed its war is not against the Palestinian people, but against Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state or a role for the Palestinian Authority in post-war governance. 

In a meeting with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Wednesday, the US State Department said Blinken stressed “the urgent need to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and prevent the conflict from expanding.” US President Joe Biden’s administration last week imposed sanctions on four Israeli settlers for perpetrating violence in the West Bank.

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.

A satellite image shows Rafah, Gaza, on February 3, 2024.

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.

“We haven’t committed to anything. We haven’t committed to any of the delusional demands of Hamas, the numbers of terrorists with blood on their hands [to release],” Netanyahu said. “There is not a commitment — there has to be a negotiation, it’s a process, and at the moment, from what I see from Hamas, it’s not happening,” Netanyahu added. 

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.

Palestinians inspect damage following an Israeli strike in Nuseirat, Gaza, on January 25.

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.

“We, the undersigned Israel-based civil society and human rights organizations, call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and demand the immediate release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. An immediate ceasefire will prevent further loss of civilian lives and facilitate access to vital aid for Gaza to address the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe there,” the statement said.

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.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference in Tel Aviv in October.

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

“I told (US Secretary of State) Antony Blinken we are nearly there with complete victory,” Netanyahu told journalists in a news conference in Jerusalem. “We are on the way to complete victory. The victory is achievable; it’s not a matter of years or decades, it’s a matter of months.”

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.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in the West Bank town of Ramallah, on February 7.

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.

An Israeli soldier guards an entrance into a tunnel network discovered by Israel Defence Forces underneath a residential neighborhood in Khan Younis on Sunday, February 4.

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.

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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.

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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.

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A room inside the underground compound under a residential neighborhood in Khan Younis. The IDF said this room was likely used by guards.

Some thought seems to have been put into the interior design of the compound's facilities, including this kitchen wall. The IDF said that the way the compound was furnished was a sign that the compound was used by Hamas leaders.

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.                                                                                                            

A meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began Wednesday at 11:50 a.m. local time (4:50 a.m. ET) in Tel Aviv and lasted for about an hour, according to a pool of reporters traveling with the secretary. 

Blinken and Netanyahu “discussed the latest efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages and the importance of increasing the amount of humanitarian assistance reaching displaced civilians throughout Gaza,” according to a US State Department readout of their meeting.

Blinken “reiterated the United States’ support for the establishment of a Palestinian state as the best way to ensure lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike and greater integration for the region,” according to the statement.

Blinken also stressed to Netanyahu “the urgent need to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and prevent the conflict from expanding.”

The “long and in-depth meeting” was followed by an extended meeting involving Israel’s defense minister, as well as security and intelligence leaders, according to the prime minister’s office.

The meeting was closed to the press.

He is also expected to travel to the West Bank as part of his trip.

Blinken said Tuesday he would discuss Hamas’ response to a proposal meant to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages and a sustained cessation of the fighting in Gaza with Israeli officials. 

CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting to this post.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog talk during their meeting at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, Israel, on February 7.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said, “there is a lot of work to be done” to achieve a deal that would see the release of the hostages held in Gaza, “but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully, being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted so many months ago.”

The US and Israel are looking at the Hamas response to the proposal “intensively,” he said in remarks at a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. 

The full Hamas response proposes three phases, each lasting 45 days, including the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a massive humanitarian effort, and freedom of movement for people throughout Gaza, according to a copy obtained by CNN. 

Herzog noted that Blinken’s visit to Tel Aviv “comes at a very critical time in the conflict.”

“We are yearning and praying for the immediate release of our hostages. We want to see them back as soon as possible,” the Israeli president said.

“The hostages are foremost on our minds and in our hearts,” Blinken said.

Meeting with IDF: Mossad chief David Barnea, who has led Israel’s negotiations on a hostage deal, along with other Israeli leaders, also attended a meeting with Blinken and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzei Halevi, according to a State Department spokesperson.

The top commander in charge of Israel’s military operation in southern Gaza has 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.

An IDF spokesperson told CNN that as of Wednesday, the information was still accurate – an order to move into Rafah has not been issued yet.

As the IDF pushed on with its ground operation from the north, it has consistently instructed civilians across the Gaza Strip to evacuate south, first to Khan Younis and then to Rafah, creating what it calls “safer zones.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed last week that the IDF would move into Rafah.

CNN has previously reported on Palestinian civilians who followed evacuation orders being killed by Israeli strikes, underscoring the reality that evacuation zones and warning alerts from the Israeli military haven’t guaranteed safety for civilians in the densely populated Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have no safe place to escape Israeli bombs.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that 1.3 million people had been displaced to Rafah. But there is nowhere to go from Rafah, a city that sits right at Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, which is closed to refugees.

See how Rafah has changed with the influx of displaced civilians:

October 26, 2023

A satellite image shows Rafah, Gaza, on October 26, 2023.

February 3, 2024

A satellite image shows Rafah, Gaza, on February 3, 2024.

Children reach for food distributed by charities in Rafah, Gaza, on February 5.

The United Nations said that a sharp increase in acute malnutrition among children, particularly in children under the age of five, and pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza remains “a significant concern.”

The latest bulletin from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that acute malnutrition was detected in 9.6% of 3,500 children aged between 6 months and 5 years in Gaza, a twelve-fold increase in the rate prior to October 7. 

In northern Gaza, there was a 16.2% acute malnutrition rate among children, which is above the World Health Organization’s critical threshold of 15%.

More on the situation in Gaza: OCHA says that about 75% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million are displaced and facing an acute shortage of food, water, shelter and medicine.

Further escalation of hostilities in the city of Khan Younis continues to drive thousands of people further south towards Rafah, where most live in makeshift structures, tents or out in the open.

Only four out of 22 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees health facilities are still operational in the Gaza Strip due to ongoing Israeli bombardment and access restrictions, the agency said Wednesday. Disease is spreading at an “alarming” rate, due to lack of sanitation and clean water, UNRWA added.

Hamas' Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar attends attends a meeting in Gaza on April 13, 2022.

The Israel Defense Forces is still hunting for Yahya Sinwar — Hamas’ political chief in Gaza —and other leaders of the militant group in the enclave, a top Israeli general said, adding that he is confident his troops will “get them.”

“I believe that we’re going to reach the Hamas leaders wherever they are. And I’m on their tail,” said Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfuss, the commander of the IDF’s 98th Division, which is leading the fighting in southern Gaza. The unit is the biggest military division in the history of Israel.

He did not respond when asked whether he can say with confidence that Sinwar is still in Gaza.

Standing inside a vast Hamas underground tunnel compound in central Khan Younis, where Sinwar is from, the commander said he believed the militant group’s top political leader in Gaza used that particular spot as one of his hiding places during the war. CNN cannot verify that claim. Goldfuss said his belief that Sinwar was staying in the room was based on the IDF’s new understanding of the system.

CNN has obtained a copy of the Hamas response to Israel’s proposal for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza, confirmed by Muhammad Nazzal, a senior Hamas official.

Here’s a breakdown of each phase:

Phase one would include the release of Israeli hostages, including women and children (under 19 years old) “who are not enlisted, as well as the elderly and the sick, in exchange for a specific number of Palestinian prisoners,” Hamas said.

It would also include “intensifying humanitarian aid, relocating forces outside populated areas, allowing the start of reconstruction works for hospitals, houses, and facilities in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and allowing the United Nations and its agencies to provide humanitarian services and establish housing camps for the population.”

The first phase would also include a “temporary cessation of military operations and aerial reconnaissance, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces away from populated areas in the Gaza Strip to be parallel to the separation line, in order to facilitate the exchange of detainees.”

Phase two would see the “completion of (indirect) talks on the requirements necessary for the continuation of the mutual cessation of military operations and the return to a state of complete calm.”

This phase would aim for the release of all male hostages held in Gaza (civilians and enlisted personnel) “in exchange for a specified number of Palestinian prisoners, continuing the humanitarian measures of the first phase, the withdrawal of Israeli forces outside the borders of all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the comprehensive reconstruction of houses, facilities, and infrastructure that were destroyed in all areas of the Gaza Strip.”

Remember: Israel has repeatedly said it will not withdraw troops from Gaza until a complete victory over Hamas and other militant groups in the territory.

Phase three would aim “to exchange bodies and remains of the deceased on both sides after their arrival and identification,” while humanitarian aid and reconstruction continue.

Finally, Hamas proposes that the guarantors of the agreement would be Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Russia and the United Nations. It does not include the US among the guarantors.

People hold signs and photos of hostages as they are taking part in a rally calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on February 3, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The full Hamas response to a proposal for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza proposes three phases, each lasting 45 days. 

The response would include the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a massive humanitarian effort, and freedom of movement for people throughout Gaza.

The Hamas response to the “Framework Agreement” was delivered to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the organization said.

CNN has obtained a copy of the Hamas response, and senior Hamas official Muhammad Nazzal confirmed it was genuine.

An Israeli official familiar with the negotiations told CNN Wednesday there is “no way” Israel will accept the Hamas counterproposal.

“Regarding the hostages deal, there is no way (Israel) will agree to a ceasefire and withdrawing the [Israeli] forces” from Gaza, the source said, asking not to be named discussing the talks.

Among other factors, “Hamas are asking for release of prisoners captured on October 7. This is something Israel will never agree to,” the source said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the tempo of operations in Khan Younis in southern Gaza remains high, with “dozens of terrorists” killed over the past 24 hours.

In its latest operational update, the IDF says that troops from the Paratroopers Brigade “encountered an armed terrorist cell and thwarted it. The soldiers also located large quantities of weapons including AK-47 rifles, grenades, and explosive devices.” 
It said troops operating in western Khan Younis “encountered three armed terrorists who launched anti-tank missiles at them. The troops killed the terrorists along with several other terror operatives in close-quarters combat. In parallel, IDF soldiers conducted targeted raids on a compound used for combat, where they killed a number of terrorists and located weapons and tunnel shafts.” 

There has been heavy fighting and frequent artillery and air strikes in western Khan Younis since last month, as the IDF seeks to eliminate Hamas fighters in the area. 

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. 

Separately, the IDF posted on X that military activities will be “suspended tactically, locally and temporarily today” between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time for “humanitarian purposes in the western neighborhood of Rafah.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks off his aircraft upon arrival at Ben Gurion International airport, Tel Aviv, on February 6.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel Wednesday for meetings with key government officials to press for a “humanitarian pause” as international and domestic US pressure mounts to end the conflict in Gaza.

The stakes for a crucial day of discussions in Tel Aviv were made even higher by news on Tuesday that Hamas has responded to a proposal meant to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages held by the terrorist group and a sustained cessation of the fighting in Gaza. Blinken said Tuesday he would discuss the counterproposal with Israeli officials.

Blinken is expected to meet, as he has on his past visits to Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top officials in the Israeli war cabinet.

In those meetings, Blinken is expected to focus on pushing Israel toward a “humanitarian pause,” as the Biden administration calls it, as such a suspension of the fighting is central to the objectives the US is pushing for both the short- and longer-term.

The conversations are not expected to be easy. Netanyahu on Monday again rejected the idea of a ceasefire, saying the offensive would continue until Hamas’ leadership was killed. Throughout the course of the conflict, it has taken intense, sustained pressure from the United States to get Israeli officials to shift their positions on things like allowing aid into Gaza.

Read more about the talks.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for high-stakes talks with top officials about a proposal for a sustained cessation in Gaza fighting in exchange for Hamas’ release of hostages held since October 7.

Hamas gave a “positive” reply to the proposal, according to Qatar’s prime minister, but he offered few details. 

Blinken said the United States is reviewing Hamas’ response, as is Israel’s foreign intelligence service, according to Israeli authorities.

Hamas’ long-awaited counteroffer to a hostage and truce framework is “reasonable,” a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. It does not include two of its most prominent and public demands: that Israeli soldiers leave Gaza or for a deal to end the war. 

Here’s what else to know today:

Iran-backed Houthi militants on Tuesday fired six anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen toward commercial vessels, US Central Command said.

One missile exploded in the Gulf of Aden near the MV Star Nasia, causing minor damage to the Marshall Island-flagged, Greek carrier, CENTCOM said. No injuries were reported.

Other Houthi missile attacks likely targeting MV Morning Tide, a Barbados-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship operating in the southern Red Sea, “impacted the water near the ship without effect,” CENTCOM said.

In a statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Houthis vowed the militants would increase their attacks on US and UK ships if Israel’s war in Gaza does not stop.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a Wednesday statement that the kingdom will have no diplomatic relations with Israel without an independent Palestinian state being recognized.

“The Kingdom has communicated its firm position to the US administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Another condition would be that, “Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

Some context: Most Arab and Islamic states don’t recognize Israel and the demand for the establishment of a Palestinian state is a long-held Saudi position.

But just weeks before Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel, Riyadh said it was inching closer to normalizing diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. Experts say the price that Saudi would demand in exchange for normalization would be higher now than before the Gaza war, as Riyadh may feel compelled to extract more concessions from the United States and Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Saudi still has a “strong interest” in normalizing relations with Israel.

Correction: An earlier version of this post mischaracterized the statement from Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry.

There have been 146 US casualties — the majority of which have been determined to be non-serious injuries — in the ongoing attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Jordan since October 18 of last year, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

“Of those 146 casualties, three were killed in action, two sustained very serious injuries, nine had serious injuries, and 132 had non-serious injuries,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Pete Nguyen said Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, there have been at least 168 attacks on US and coalition forces since October 17 — the majority of which have occurred in Iraq and Syria.

Three US soldiers were killed in the only attack in Jordan at the end of January. 

Hamas’ long-awaited counteroffer to a hostage and truce framework is “reasonable,” a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. It does not include two of its most prominent and public demands: that Israeli soldiers leave Gaza or for a deal to end the war. 

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East to meet with leaders of multiple nations, responded positively after hearing Hamas’ proposal, the source said, which Blinken later echoed in a press conference.

In a statement last week, senior Hamas leader Ismael Hanniyeh said “the review of the new proposal for a ceasefire is based on the basis that any negotiations lead to a complete end to the aggression.”

The next hurdle, as Blinken indicated in his comments to reporters, will be presenting the Hamas counteroffer to the Israeli government.

Prime Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed repeatedly that Israel’s war will not end until there is “complete victory” over Hamas, which includes killing Hamas leadership and “will take time — months not years.”

The US House of Representatives failed to pass a standalone funding bill that would have provided $17.6 billion to Israel, after a late shift by members on both sides of the aisle to sink the bill. 

Because of resistance among members of the right-flank House Freedom Caucus, House Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to bring up the bill under a procedure that requires 2/3 majority of the House — including at least 72 Democrats — to approve it.

That support did not come, defeating the measure by a 250-180 vote.

Read more about the Israel aid bill

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a joint press meeting in Doha, Qatar on February 6.

Hamas has sent a “positive” response to a proposal aimed at the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and a sustained cessation in fighting, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Tuesday.

“I would like to inform the media that we have received a reply from Hamas with regards to the general framework of the agreement with regard to hostages,” Al Thani said at a press conference alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha.
“The reply includes some comments, but in general it is positive. However, given the sensitivity of the circumstances, we will not tackle details.
“We are optimistic, and we have delivered the response to the Israeli party.”

The United States is reviewing the response from Hamas, Blinken said, adding that he would discuss it with Israeli officials on Wednesday.

Some context: The framework of the proposal was agreed to by negotiators in Paris at the end of last month. CNN previously reported that it would call for a first phase of civilian hostage releases to take place over a six-week pause, with three Palestinian prisoners held by Israel released for each civilian hostage returned from Gaza. That ratio would be expected to go up for Israel Defense Forces soldiers and a longer pause is possible beyond the six weeks for the later phases.

Read more about Hamas’ response.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meet in Doha, Qatar on February 6.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed “ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas and enable an extended humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza” in their meeting in Doha Tuesday.

The Qataris have served as a key mediator in the negotiations with Hamas, to whom a proposal to reach those aims was submitted more than a week ago. The group has not yet provided a substantive response to that proposal.

“Secretary Blinken and the Amir agreed to continue close coordination to increase humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and to urge the protection of civilians consistent with humanitarian law,” a readout from State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said.
“The Secretary reiterated the U.S. rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and underscored the U.S. commitment to establishing durable peace in the Middle East, including the establishment of a Palestinian state that ensures security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.” 

Prior to his meeting with the Emir, Blinken was in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and other top Egyptian officials on the same matters. The Egyptians are the other key interlocutors with Hamas.

According to a readout from the Egyptian President’s office, “the meeting focused on developments in unyielding efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, exchanging detainees and hostages and providing access to desperately needed relief aid to end the severe humanitarian catastrophe in the sector.”