March 15, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Our live coverage of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has moved here.

Iranian-backed Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea on Friday, according to the US Central Command.

There were no injuries or reported damage to any ships, CENTCOM said.

At least 95 journalists have been killed in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon since the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

As of March 15, CPJ’s preliminary investigations documented 90 Palestinians, two Israelis, and three Lebanese journalists died during the Israel-Hamas war.

“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Reuters and Agence France Press news agencies in October that it could not guarantee the safety of their journalists operating in the Gaza Strip, after they had sought assurances that their journalists would not be targeted by Israeli strikes, according to a Reuters report,” the CPJ report said.
“Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict during the Israeli ground assault, including devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages, and extensive power outages,” it added.

Basem Naim, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, told CNN that he cannot provide any assurances about the wellbeing of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, “because all these war prisoners are facing the same bombardment and starvation our people (are) facing on the ground.”

He also denied the allegations that the hostages were sexually abused.

As for the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Naim said Hamas demands still include the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and allowing the return of residents to their homes.

Israel said the latest Hamas demands, which include calls for a large number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, were ridiculous” and “absurd” but said it will send a negotiating team to Qatar in the coming days to continue negotiations.

Here are some other developments:

The Israeli military released a video Friday that it claimed shows “Palestinian gunmen opening fire in the midst of Gazan civilians” as they waited for desperately needed food in Gaza City on Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces’ aerial video does not show clear details on whether the people in the video were carrying guns or opening fire on civilians around them. CNN can not independently verify the content of the video, the location or the time.

The Israel Defense Forces said the events in the video happened “about an hour before the humanitarian aid convoy entered the area” of the Kuwait roundabout in Gaza City on Thursday. The roundabout is an area where aid trucks are known to pass out food and where crowds of people frequently gather.

What Gazans have said: While the IDF denies opening fire on civilians Thursday, the video does not disprove claims made by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza and eyewitness accounts that CNN previously reported.

The health ministry said at least 20 people were killed and 155 were wounded by Israeli shelling as they sought humanitarian aid at the roundabout. Eyewitnesses said the area was struck by what sounded like tank or artillery fire.

A man identifying himself as Ibrahim Al-Najar, who went to Al-Shifa Hospital after the reported attack, said: “We were sitting there, and there was nothing. Suddenly, they bombarded us with shells.”

Israel’s military denied these accounts Thursday.

Violence at aid distributions: Gazans have reported several other attacks by Israeli soldiers on crowds lining up for aid in recent weeks, including Wednesday at the same site as Thursday’s incident.

Hamas demands still include the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and allowing the return of residents in Gaza to their homes, a senior Hamas official told CNN on Friday, in regard to ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

“We will not accept anything less than an end to the aggression on Gaza, the return of the displaced, the withdrawal of the occupation and the entry of humanitarian aid,” Basem Naim, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau said.
“We do not engage in negotiations from a position of weakness, while (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is in a predicament and seeks to sabotage the negotiations for personal goals,” Naim added.

Naim also warned Netanyahu and his government against invading the southernmost city of Rafah, where an estimated 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, as the Israel Defense Forces gears up for a planned offensive.

The US expressed cautious optimism about the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, and a proposed deal from Hamas, despite the Israeli prime minister’s office calling it “unrealistic.”

The most recent proposal from Hamas is “certainly within the bounds of – in broad brushstrokes – within the bounds of the deal that we’ve been working on now for several months. I don’t want to go into more detail than that,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

The US, he noted, is not participating in next week’s in-person meetings in Doha, but has been involved in the conversations and will “stay engaged.” 

“The fact that we’re physically not going to have a delegation there should not be taken as any kind of signal that this isn’t a serious, positive move forward. We think it could be,” he told CNN.

While he was optimistic, he acknowledged the agonizing process for the families of hostages as they watch the process take its course: “It’s just another set of agonizing days to wait, and we understand that, too. … We’re cautiously optimistic that things are moving in a good direction, but that that doesn’t mean that it’s done, and we’re going to have to stay at this to the very, very end.”

A senior Hamas official told CNN that he cannot provide any assurances about the wellbeing of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, but rejected a United Nations special representative’s finding that there is “clear and convincing information” that some of them have been sexually abused.

“I cannot now reassure you, anyone, because all these war prisoners are facing the same bombardment and starvation our people (are) facing on the ground,” said Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, even as he “absolutely” denied the allegations of sexual abuse.

In a wide-ranging and sometimes contentious Zoom interview from his office in Istanbul, Turkey, Naim spoke to CNN on Wednesday about the state of ceasefire negotiations with Israel, the fate of 130 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, and Hamas’ share of responsibility for the widespread devastation unleashed by the Israeli military in Gaza in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,200 people.

During the interview, Naim rejected defining Hamas’ attacks as terrorism, falsely claiming that his organization does not target civilians. Instead, he blamed Israel for carrying out what he claimed is “state terrorism” in Gaza and reiterated Hamas’ calls for Palestinians to join in “armed resistance” against Israel during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began Sunday night.

Israel has denied targeting civilians and accuses Hamas of hiding behind civilian infrastructure. More than 31,000 people, a majority of whom are women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli military campaign began, according to the health ministry in the enclave.

Read more of the wide-ranging interview with Basem Naim.

Muhammad Hassan Abu Watfa, 30, prays that his little son, Hassan, will live through the war in Gaza. But as a parent, he is helpless.

The father and son, displaced in the European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, have survived Israeli air strikes, besiegement and forced displacement from Gaza City in northern Gaza.

Drug shortages mean Hassan has been unable to access critical medication to treat his immunodeficiency disease for more than five months. “Since the beginning of the war, my son has not taken this injection, and his condition is very difficult. His body is thin, and his health is declining for the worse,” Watfa told CNN.

Israel’s military campaign since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has crushed the Gazan medical system and drastically diminished critical supplies, exposing the entire population of more than 2.2 million people to severe malnutrition, dehydration and disease.

At least 27 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza, including newborn babies, pediatric doctors told CNN.

“He has become like a skeleton. His health condition is very bad. I do not know what to do,” added Watfa. “Please, help my son get out of Gaza for treatment. I don’t care about my own injuries. My son should be the priority to receive treatment. I do not want to lose him.”

Israel will review the latest response from Hamas in the talks for a ceasefire and hostage release, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said Friday, and a delegation is likely to travel to Qatar early next week for further talks.

A diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN it’s “not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to Hamas’ terms in the latest proposal, while another diplomatic source said mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.”

Relatives of hostages gathered in protest outside the Israeli military headquarters on Friday, calling on the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “make a decision that will save our beloved ones.”

Here’s what else you need to know:

An Israeli delegation is likely traveling to Doha early next week for further talks on a ceasefire-hostage release deal, an Israeli official with direct knowledge told CNN Friday.

Israel’s war cabinet will convene on Saturday evening to discuss and formulate the guidelines for the delegation, the official said.

The delegation will go to Doha after Hamas submitted a new response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators in the ongoing talks, which the source called “extreme and absurd.”

A second Israeli official who spoke to CNN on Friday said Israel will make a decision by the end of Saturday about the scope of the mandate given to the negotiating team and will authorize the mediators to promote indirect negotiations with Hamas.

The delegation is expected to depart at the beginning of next week, the second Israeli official said.

The Israeli and Hamas delegations are both set to be in Doha at the same time, but not sitting in the same room.

US service members and their civilian counterparts in Newport News, Virginia, are working to load up the M/V Roy Benavidez, a roll-on/roll-off vessel that will transport critical cargo to help build out a floating pier off the coast of Gaza.

The vessel is carrying a roll-on/roll-off discharge facility (RRDF), which is a floating dock the size of a football field, Navy Capt. Jamie Murdock, commander of Military Sealift Command Atlantic, told reporters outside the Benavidez on Friday. 

“We’ve only been going for about a week, 10 days, at this point, since the word ‘go,’” he said, adding that the vessel is nearly ready.

The Benavidez is being sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea as part of the joint effort to establish a floating pier that will help facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid in Gaza. Murdock said it is still being determined where specifically the Benavidez will go and when it will leave Virginia. Five total Army vessels have already left from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.

Brian Carroll, the vessel master of the Benavidez, said he will have 44 civilian crew members on board supporting the military’s mission. 

“I talked to everybody: ‘Be ready for the long-haul once we get out of station,’” Carroll said. 

The White House would not directly answer if US President Joe Biden thinks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace in Gaza, shortly after Biden praised a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that strongly criticized Netanyahu. 

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC that Biden “has great respect” for Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US.

“He knows that the sentiments that Leader Schumer, expressed in that very passionate speech yesterday, are shared by many, many Americans,” Kirby said. “The president for his part is going to keep working as he has been with Prime Minister Netanyahu and that war cabinet … to make sure that more humanitarian assistance comes in and that we can do better to alleviate the suffering of the Gazan people.”

Pressed on if Biden agrees with Schumer, who said that Netanyahu was standing in the way of peace, Kirby said Biden “knows that the Israeli people get to determine who their elected government representatives are, that’s what democracy is all about, and he respects that.” He also said Biden had been “candid and forthright” in discussions with Netanyahu “about ways in which we think things can be done differently.” 

Asked again on if he thought Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace, Kirby reiterated that Biden would keep working with Netanyahu and the war cabinet to help alleviate suffering in Gaza. He said the White House has been “very, very frank” in discussions over the amount of aid reaching the enclave.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels warned they would expand military operations against merchant shipping to the Indian Ocean, according to a spokesperson.

Houthi forces’ spokesperson Yahya Saree said during a televised speech that the group wanted to prevent Israeli- and US-associated vessels from traversing the Indian Ocean toward the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.  

“We warn all ships linked to Israel not to pass through the Cape of Good Hope, or they will be a legitimate target for our forces,” Saree said.

It’s a move that, if successful, could severely disrupt the primary diversion route used by commercial shipping to avoid the Houthi’s attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. 

On Thursday, Abdul Malek Al-Houthi, leader of the Yemeni rebels’ Houthi movement, announced intentions to prevent vessels “associated” with Israel from traversing toward the Cape of Good Hope from the Indian Ocean during a televised speech.

On Wednesday, a Houthi ballistic missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, killing three and injuring at least four.

Earlier this month, the United States and Western officials said the group launched more than 45 missile and drone attacks against commercial and US and coalition naval vessels operating in the Red Sea since the latest escalation in the region — most of which have been intercepted by US or coalition destroyers or landed harmlessly in the water.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there are intense efforts underway to close the gap between Israel and Hamas after a counterproposal was put forward by Hamas in the ongoing talks for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.

“What I can tell you is we’re working intensively with Israel, with Qatar, with Egypt, to bridge the remaining gaps and to try to reach an agreement. We have conversations that are happening now, as we as we speak here, and I am convinced they’ll go on into the coming days,” Blinken said.

Blinken said the fact that Israel has sent back a team to Doha to pursue the negotiations “reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency to get an agreement, to get a ceasefire, to get the hostages back to get even more humanitarian assistance in.” 

“This is something that we’re committed to and we will work as long and as hard as it takes to get it done,” Blinken added.

The latest from sources involved: A diplomatic source told CNN that mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.” Another diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN that it “is not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to the terms in Hamas’ latest response, adding that he’s waiting for the Israeli reply and “not celebrating yet.”

The United Nations agency for children on Friday reported an increase in acute malnutrition rates among children in the northern Gaza Strip, with figures doubling within just one month.

According to findings published by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, “1 in 3 children under 2 years of age are today acutely malnourished in the north,” citing information gathered from nutrition screenings conducted by UNICEF and its partners.

At least 23 children have died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza in recent weeks, UNICEF added.

UNICEF’s screenings in February revealed that severe wasting, the most dangerous form of malnutrition, affects 4.5% of children in shelters and health centers, a condition that significantly increases the risk of death without immediate treatment.

“The speed at which this catastrophic child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has unfolded is shocking, especially when desperately needed assistance has been at the ready just a few miles away,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said on Friday.

The health ministry in Gaza reports that 13,450 Gazan children have been killed since October 7. 

Nongovernmental organization World Central Kitchen, which organized the first aid ship to Gaza, confirmed to CNN Friday that the first pallet of aid has been offloaded successfully into the besieged enclave. 

A spokesperson for the nonprofit, founded by chef José Andrés, said the pallet was offloaded after the ship’s barge was connected successfully to the purpose-built jetty in central Gaza. The jetty was rapidly assembled by workers who began construction on or after March 10, according to satellite images provided to CNN by Maxar on Thursday. 

The Israeli military completed a security inspection on the ship and the aid it was carrying when it arrived, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Friday. The check was to ensure “compliance with safety standards,” the IDF said.

WCK said it also hopes to send a second aid ship to Gaza soon and began loading new supplies onto a vessel docked in the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Friday. 

The 300 tons of aid in the second shipment include “pallets of canned goods and bulk product – including beans, carrots, canned tuna, chickpeas, canned corn, parboiled rice, flour, oil and salt,” it said in a statement. 

They also managed to load a large crane, which they hope “will assist with future maritime deliveries to Gaza.” The NGO has not yet been able to confirm when this second ship will be able to set sail toward Gaza. 

More on aid to Gaza: With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any aid is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. Agencies and officials have repeatedly warned that no method of humanitarian relief can be as effective as delivery by land.

In a joint statement, 25 non-governmental organizations called on states to prioritize a ceasefire and increased land-based aid deliveries, warning that maritime aid may set a dangerous precedent that undermines land routes and allows for prolonged hostilities.

This post has been updated with comments from the IDF.

CNN’s Amir Tal and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting to this post

US President Joe Biden described Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s floor speech criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “good,” saying the New York Democrat “expressed serious concern.”

“I’m not going to elaborate on his speech,” Biden said Friday, sitting alongside Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. “He made a good speech and I think he expressed serious concern to share it not only by him, but by many Americans.”

He also said that Schumer had contacted his senior staff beforehand to let the White House know he’d be making the speech. 

The White House has not seen any plans from the Israeli government related to Rafah, a US National Security Council spokesperson told CNN, following comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Friday approving “plans for action” in the southernmost Gazan city.

“We have been clear about the need to prioritize civilian protection,” the spokesperson said. “We have not seen a plan from Israel related to Rafah.”

A spokesperson for Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces was preparing for both “the operational side” of a military operation, as well as for the “evacuation of the population.” More than a million Palestinians are in the city, with many of them having been forced to flee there since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

US President Joe Biden said last weekend in an interview that he viewed Israel going into Rafah as a “red line,” which the White House then attempted to walk back. White House officials have said repeatedly that the Biden administration would not condone Israel expanding its military operations into Rafah without a credible plan to protect civilians in the area. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the comments during a news conference in Vienna on Friday with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

“We have to see a clear and implementable plan, not only to get civilians out of harm’s way, but also to make sure that once out of harm’s way, they’re appropriately cared for with shelter, with food, with medicine, with clothing, and we’ve not yet seen such a plan,” Blinken said.

CNN’s Michael Conte contributed reporting to this post.

The US carried out its 11th airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Friday, US Central Command said in a statement.

Two C-130 Hercules aircraft and a C-17 Globemaster dropped 35,700 meals into northern Gaza, as well as 31,800 bottles of water, CENTCOM said. 

“These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial activities,” the statement said.

The effort to airdrop aid into Gaza continues as the US has begun the process of establishing a floating pier to allow in far greater quantities of aid.

Some key context: While the United Nations and aid groups have welcomed the meals, they have warned that maritime or airdropped aid cannot replace aid delivered by land, which since October 7 has been increasingly restricted by Israel. Israel maintains that it is working to respond to the needs on the ground in Gaza.

The first batch of humanitarian aid by sea reached Gaza on Friday, intended to provide the equivalent of one meal each for a quarter of the enclave’s more than 2 million people — of whom hundreds of thousands are on the brink of famine.

The nonprofit spearheading the operation, World Central Kitchen, said it is working with international partners to open a maritime aid corridor, and that it has “another 500 tons of aid in Cyprus ready to be loaded on future boats.”

With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any assistance is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. And some have warned it risks setting a “dangerous precedent” where land-based aid is undermined and hostilities continue.

“States cannot hide behind airdrops and efforts to open a maritime corridor to create the illusion that they are doing enough to support the needs in Gaza,” wrote 25 non-governmental organizations in a joint statement calling on governments to prioritize a ceasefire and land-based aid deliveries.

The ship is carrying 200 tons of aid. By comparison, one truck can carry about 20 tons of aid, and an average of about 94.5 trucks were getting into Gaza every day through two crossings as of last month. That’s far below the 500 trucks that entered through the Rafah crossing alone before the war started.

Land crossings into Gaza remain heavily restricted by Israel. Aid agencies have accused Israel of imposing arbitrary and contradictory criteria that obstruct the entry of relief into the war-ravaged territory. Israel insists there is “no limit” on the amount of relief that can enter.

Read more about the aid efforts and barriers.

A diplomat familiar with ceasefire deal discussions told CNN that it “is not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to the terms in Hamas’ latest response, adding that he’s waiting for the Israeli reply and “not celebrating yet.” 

Upon receiving the latest proposal, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that “Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands” but an Israeli delegation is being sent to Doha for further talks.

The diplomat confirmed to CNN the contours of the latest proposal that were reported by Reuters, which include:

A diplomatic source previously told CNN that mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.”

The Spanish aid ship Open Arms has begun unloading cargo after reaching the shoreline of central Gaza on Friday, according to a journalist on the ground working for CNN.

Workers have begun loading the 200 tons of food aid on smaller boats off the shore of the Gaza City neighborhood of Sheikh Ajleen. 

The ship was organized by the nongovernmental organization World Central Kitchen and set off from Cyprus on Tuesday.

The delivery comes as northern Gaza is on the brink of famine as aid deliveries fall short, according to the head of the UN World Food Programme. The number of children dying of malnutrition and dehydration in the area is rising, including two newborn girls on Monday, a pediatrician at the Kamal Adwan Hospital said.

Khader Al-Za’anoun of WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, contributed reporting for this post.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “approved the plans for action in Rafah,” his office said in a statement Friday.

“The IDF is preparing for the operational side and for the evacuation of the population,” the Prime Minister’s office said.

The announcement followed a meeting in Tel Aviv of the Israeli security cabinet. No further details were immediately available.

There are an estimated 1.4 million people in Rafah in southern Gaza, many of whom have been displaced several times from other parts of Gaza. 

The Prime Minister’s office also said that “Regarding the hostages - Hamas’s demands are still ridiculous. An Israeli delegation will leave for Doha after the Security Policy Cabinet discusses Israel’s position.”

Remember: Israel intends to move displaced Palestinians from Rafah to “humanitarian enclaves” in Gaza before any Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assault on the last remaining area in Gaza the military has not yet reached, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Wednesday. 

The IDF does intend to invade Rafah, he said, calling it “something we need to do.”

But the timing of the assault depends on “the conditions to allow it,” Hagari said.

Relatives of hostages are gathering in protest outside the Israeli military headquarters on Friday after reports emerged that the latest Hamas response to a ceasefire and hostage release deal is being considered by the Israeli war and security cabinets. 

The protest is being organized by The Hostages Families Forum, a group who have been lobbying extensively for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. 

The group told CNN that its members would gather outside the headquarters of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) when the Israeli War Cabinet and Security Cabinet meet to consider the proposal submitted by Hamas.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office said a meeting had been convened on Friday morning.

Protestors called on the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “make a decision that will save our beloved ones.” 

Photos from the protest showed large crowds carrying signs inscribed with slogans including: “Get Them Out of Hell” and “Stop the world-the hostages are still there.”  

32 out of the 130 hostages taken on October 7 are thought to be dead, according to CNN records.

The first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem concluded without incident.

An estimated 80,000 Muslim worshippers attended the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the Islamic endowment department in Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, holds profound religious significance for Muslims worldwide as the third holiest site in Islam.

It comes after debate raged in Israel over whether to reduce the number of Muslim worshippers at Al-Aqsa during Ramadan.

Netanyahu said at the beginning of a security establishment meeting on preparations for Ramadan that the government prioritizes freedom of worship for all religions. 

Ben Gvir, leader of the extreme nationalist Jewish Power party, had been advocating to limit the number of Muslim worshippers permitted to visit the compound over the holiday.

Netanyahu’s decision not to reduce the number of Muslim worshippers “endangers” Israelis, Ben Gvir said in a statement earlier this month.

The decision “shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the small cabinet think that nothing happened on 7/10. This decision endangers the citizens of Israel and may allow a picture of victory for Hamas,” the statement said.

Before the war, Raghad Ezzat Hamouda enjoyed spending time with her friends and going to the movies. These days, she struggles to find time for herself in the chaos of an improvised shelter in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.

“More than 20 men are sitting with me in the displacement room,” the 19-year-old told CNN on March 10 in a WhatsApp message.
“I do not have privacy, and this affects my mental health.”

Women and girls in the enclave face “acute” survival challenges in the face of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, according to the British Medical Journal.

Palestinian women and health workers told CNN they use rags to manage their periods because they have no access to sanitary towels, causing vaginal infections and skin diseases.

Muslim women who wear the hijab have limited privacy in sprawling displacement camps. Others say they struggle to deal with the exhaustion of trying to survive a war. “When it’s my period time, I feel so exhausted, so tired,” Aseel, 25, a journalist displaced in Rafah, in southern Gaza, told CNN in February. “I need painkillers … but it’s not available in the pharmacy, or even clinics.”

“For pregnant and breastfeeding women, war is a very difficult and terrifying event,” added Hamouda.
“How will they feed their children … how will they provide milk?”

Doctors previously told CNN starving mothers in Gaza are unable to produce enough milk to breastfeed their babies. “Women in Gaza must be protected,” said Hamouda. “I miss my freedom.”

A diplomatic source tells CNN that mediation efforts on a ceasefire in Gaza are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.”

The source also said that fresh reporting about the possible shape of a ceasefire deal in Gaza “describes an agreement that Hamas would be prepared to sign up to.”

The source was referring to a Reuters report early Friday that said that Hamas had presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators in which the first stage would include releasing Israeli women, children, elderly, and sick hostages in exchange for the release of 700-1000 Palestinian prisoners.

The releases would include 100 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli prisons and the release of Israeli “female recruits” held in Gaza, according to Reuters, which said it had seen the proposal.

CNN reported late Thursday that Hamas had sent a new response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators in ongoing contacts over a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. 

CNN has previously reported that the first phase of a deal had been expected to include a six-week humanitarian pause, the release of around 40 Israeli hostages, and a large number of Palestinian prisoners.

A US official tells CNN that the administration currently feels “cautiously optimistic” about the direction that the talks are going. But they declined to share any further details.

The Israel Defense Forces says that a preliminary review has found that Israeli forces “did not open fire at the at the aid convoy in Kuwait Square” in northern Gaza on Thursday night, when more than 20 people waiting for food aid were reported killed.

In a statement Friday, the IDF said: “A review of our operational systems and IDF forces on the ground found that no tank fire, air-strike or gunfire was carried out toward the Gazan civilians at the aid convoy.” 

The IDF said that on Thursday it had “facilitated the passage of a convoy of 31 humanitarian aid trucks containing food and supplies intended for distribution to civilians in the northern Gaza Strip.”

“Approximately one hour before the arrival of the convoy to the humanitarian corridor, armed Palestinians opened fire while Gazan civilians were awaiting the arrival of the aid convoy. As aid trucks were entering, the Palestinian gunmen continued to shoot as the crowd of Gazans began looting the trucks. Additionally, a number of Gazan civilians were run over by the trucks.”

The statement said the IDF is continuing to review the incident. It also accused Hamas of a smear campaign “with the aim of spreading baseless misinformation for the sake of instigating violence in other arenas.”

What Gaza health ministry says: The ministry says at least 20 people were killed and 155 wounded by Israeli shelling as they waited for aid late on Thursday, as desperate Palestinians increasingly face deadly violence in their search for food. 

Graphic footage from the immediate aftermath of the scene filmed by an eyewitness showed multiple bodies with traumatic injuries as well as pools of blood on a street strewn with rubble and dust. 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Friday he is hoping for a ceasefire in Gaza “in the next few days, at most.”

“We hope to reach a ceasefire in Gaza in the next few days, at most, and hope no negative developments will make the situation worse than it already is,” Sisi said in an address at the Egyptian police academy.

The president said there must be an increase in the entry of aid into Gaza, and Palestinians displaced in central and southern Gaza should be allowed to move back to the north. 

“We are talking about reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, meaning a truce, providing the biggest quantity of aid, and also to allow people in central and southern Gaza to move back to the north,” he said. 

Some background: Talks around a ceasefire appeared to be at a standstill after CNN reported last week that a ceasefire deal in Gaza was unlikely to happen by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which the Biden administration had been aiming for, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The United States has drafted a fresh resolution to put to the UN Security Council that expresses concern about any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza and says that an initial truce, if and when agreed, should “lay the foundation for a sustainable ceasefire.” 

The draft resolution, obtained by CNN, notes “intensified diplomatic efforts by Egypt and Qatar, aimed at releasing the hostages, increasing the provision and distribution of humanitarian aid, and alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza through an agreement for the release of hostages and an immediate ceasefire of roughly six weeks.” 

It proposes that the Security Council “unequivocally supports international diplomatic efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire as part of a deal that releases the hostages, and that allows the basis for a more durable peace to alleviate humanitarian suffering.” 

Elsewhere in the draft resolution, the United States proposes that the Security Council emphasize “its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for regional peace and security.”

Key context: The draft is subject to further changes and amendments and is not yet scheduled for a vote.

As proposed, the draft suggests that the US is underlining its insistence that a temporary halt in hostilities be linked to efforts to reach a long-term ceasefire.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s warning that Israel risked becoming a “pariah” and his call for new elections marked a momentous moment in modern US-Israel relations.

Schumer’s rebuke of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday contained extraordinarily strong language for a senior US politician criticizing the Israeli government. It was all the more remarkable coming from the New York Democrat who has a long record of staunch support for the Jewish state.

The Senate floor speech was also an unmistakable sign of increasing frustration among top Democrats about Netanyahu’s conduct of the war in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas terror attacks that killed 1,200 people and his unwillingness to listen to US advice. It also reflects political realities in the United States.

The deaths of more than 30,000 Palestinians in the conflict, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, have outraged US progressives, Arab Americans and younger voters in the US – all key parts of President Joe Biden’s coalition as he seeks reelection.

Read the full analysis here.

The latest response from Hamas in the talks for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza will be submitted to the Israeli War Cabinet and Security Cabinet on Friday, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said.

In response to the latest proposal, the office said that “Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands.”

CNN has previously reported that the first phase of a deal had been expected to include a six-week humanitarian pause, the release of around 40 Israeli hostages, and a large number of Palestinian prisoners. The hostages would be the remaining Israel women - including IDF soldiers, the elderly, sick and wounded.

Sticking points: Hamas had refused to send Israel a list of all the hostages believed to be alive or dead. Hamas has been asking for a large number of Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged, additional aid into the strip, and the IDF to withdraw from Gaza in a second phase.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari told CNN’s Becky Anderson this week that the two sides are “engaged in constructive dialogue between both sides, the situation on the ground is very much difficult, and we are nowhere near a deal at the moment.”

A group of civilians gathered on Gaza’s shoreline told CNN that they were waiting “patiently” for an aid ship that was approaching the enclave on Friday morning.  

The ship organized by NGO World Central Kitchen set off from Cyprus on Tuesday and is less than 10km (6.2 miles) from the coast. 

A father named Ibrahim who was among the group of civilians said it was “not clear” how the 200 tons of food aid onboard the ship would be distributed. 

“We are waiting patiently for that ship over there, which is still in the sea now. Waiting for its arrival to the Gaza strip to be able to take flour, aid and food. To be distributed among the people equally,” Ibrahim said. 

World Central Kitchen previously told CNN it had engaged a huge number of volunteers and contractors to help organize and distribute the aid when it is unloaded at a purpose-built jetty. 

Speaking to a journalist working for CNN, Ibrahim said he hoped the food would be enough to help those on the brink of starvation. 

“We ask God that it will be enough. People here are dying of hunger. There are no ways to sustain life here at all.”

Ibrahim said he would take any aid he received directly to his children, who had gone a long time without certain food items. 

An aid ship bound for Gaza is less than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) off the coast, according to MarineTraffic.com data.

The aid ship departed Cyprus on Tuesday with 200 tons of food onboard, according to World Central Kitchen, a non-profit that said it is the first maritime shipment of aid to Gaza.

Eyewitnesses in the northern part of Gaza told CNN on Friday that they could see a white non-military cargo ship off the coast — something Gazans don’t often see — and that it is within the maritime borders of the enclave and being accompanied by an Israeli military ship.

CNN has asked the Israeli military for confirmation.

WCK has partnered with the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, and the Spanish charity Open Arms to coordinate the dispatch.

Brink of famine: Israel’s siege on Gaza has drastically diminished essential supplies entering the strip, where Palestinians are facing starvation, dehydration and hunger.

As Israel continues to restrict the entry of aid via land crossings, countries are trying to get aid into the enclave via air and sea routes, as more than two million people in Gaza await desperate aid.

The United Nations World Food Programme has said people in Gaza are facing “crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity”. 

Hope is fading for the imminent return of the international crew of a cargo ship hijacked by the Houthis last year, with a Filipino diplomat saying he does not expect a release until the war in Gaza is over and the Houthis saying the sailors’ fate is now in Hamas’ hands.

A Houthi-owned helicopter hijacked the Galaxy Leader cargo ship on November 19 in the Red Sea, as rebel gunmen laid siege to the vessel and took the ship’s crew of 17 Filipinos, two Bulgarians, three Ukrainians, two Mexicans and a Romanian hostage.

It’s been more than 116 days since the hijacking and there is no indication that the Houthis are open to releasing them until the hostilities end, according to a senior Filipino government official.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been striking ships in the Red Sea since late last year, which they say is retaliation against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.

The Houthis said Thursday they had handed over the decision about the release of the Galaxy Leader to Hamas.

Read more on the crew held hostage in the Red Sea.

A merchant ship in the Red Sea was “struck by a missile,” resulting in damage to the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said Friday in a warning note.

The British maritime tracking agency said the incident happened 76 nautical miles west of Yemen’s western port city of Hodeidah. It did not specify the nationality or flag of the vessel.

UKMTO said that the crew was reported safe and the vessel was proceeding to its next port of call.

Red Sea attacks: In recent weeks, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been stepping up strikes on commercial ships in the Red Sea, in attacks that they say are retaliation against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.

The US and UK have deployed anti-ship missiles and other weapons to intercept the Houthi attacks in the economically vital waterway.

The Australian government announced on Friday that it would resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following steps to strengthen the integrity of the organization’s operations.

More than a dozen countries, including the US and UK, had paused their funding for UNRWA after Israel alleged that several of the agency’s employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack.

UNWRA has fired employees implicated in the accusations and warned it may be forced to halt its work in Gaza as funds dry up.

In resuming funding, the Australian government said it is “responding to a humanitarian situation in Gaza which is dire.”

It said its decision was “in line with steps taken by Canada, Sweden and the EU.”

The government said the funding agreement “will include stringent conditions such as guarantees of staff neutrality, and confidence in supply chains.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that “the Australian Government will work with UNRWA on an ongoing basis to ensure its integrity and neutrality are beyond reproach.”

Australia said it will also deliver 140 parachutes for use in humanitarian airdrops by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Australia will also provide about $2.6 million to UNICEF and about $1.3 million to a new mechanism of the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.

Israeli shelling killed at least 20 people and wounded 155 others as civilians waited for food aid in Gaza City on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied the attack and said it was assessing “the incident with the thoroughness that it deserves.”

The Palestinian Health Ministry accused Israeli forces of “targeting a gathering of citizens waiting for humanitarian aid to satisfy their thirst at the Kuwaiti Roundabout in Gaza.”

The roundabout is known to be an area where aid trucks commonly distribute food, attracting crowds of people desperate for supplies.

Videos showed dozens of bodies at the scene covered in rubble.

Eyewitnesses said the area was struck by what sounded like tank or artillery fire.

The attack came a day after at least seven Palestinians were killed at the same roundabout when Israeli troops opened fire as civilians waited for humanitarian aid, according to an eyewitness and a doctor at a nearby hospital.

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Israeli shelling killed at least 20 people and wounded 155 others as civilians waited for food aid on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.

The ministry accused Israeli forces of “targeting a gathering of citizens waiting for humanitarian aid to satisfy their thirst at the Kuwaiti Roundabout in Gaza.”

The roundabout in Gaza City is known to be an area where aid trucks commonly distribute food, attracting crowds of people desperate for supplies.

The ministry said nearby hospitals didn’t have the staff or supplies to deal with the volume and severity of injuries.

Graphic footage from the immediate aftermath of the scene filed by an eyewitness showed multiple bodies with traumatic injuries as well as pools of blood on a street strewn with rubble and dust.

Eyewitnesses said the area was struck by what sounded like tank or artillery fire.

In a statement shared with CNN early Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied attacking the food line and said it was assessing “the incident with the thoroughness that it deserves.”

“The reports that the IDF attacked dozens of Gazans at an aid distribution point are false,” it said.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal also accused Israel of being behind the attack in a statement late Thursday.

Earlier violence at the site: At least seven Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire on civilians gathered to receive aid at the roundabout, an eyewitness and a doctor at Al-Shifa Hospital told CNN on Thursday.

The IDF did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday’s alleged shooting.

The Gaza-based Government Media Office said Tuesday that at least 400 people had been killed in similar incidents since the beginning of the war.

On February 29, at least 112 people were killed and 760 wounded after IDF troops used live fire as hungry and desperate Palestinian civilians were gathering around food aid trucks. 

CNN cannot independently verify casualty figures due to the lack of international media access to the enclave.

The US State Department announced new sanctions on three Israeli settlers and two farms in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, as the administration targets threats to peace and security in the area.

The latest sanctions follow an executive order signed by President Joe Biden last month aimed at targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank whom he said undermined stability in the area.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that “since the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, violence in the West Bank has increased sharply.”

“Today, we are taking further action to promote accountability for those perpetuating violence and causing turmoil in the West Bank by imposing sanctions on three Israeli individuals and two associated entities involved in undermining stability in the West Bank.”

Miller reiterated the US position that there is “no justification for extremist violence against civilians or forcing families from their homes, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, race, or religion.”

More on US sanctions: One of the individuals sanctioned, Moshe Sharvit, “repeatedly harassed, threatened, and attacked Palestinian civilians and Israeli human rights defenders in the vicinity of MOSHES FARM, an outpost in the West Bank,” a fact sheet from the State Department said. 

A settlement that was sanctioned, Zvis Farm, “perpetrates violence against Palestinians and prevents local Palestinian farmers from accessing and using their lands,” the document said. 

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that the US Treasury Department’s decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank was “further proof that the US government does not understand who is the enemy and who is a friend.”

Settler violence: About 500,000 Israeli Jewish settlers live in the West Bank according to Peace Now, an Israeli rights and monitoring group. Many settlements are heavily guarded, fenced-off areas that are off-limits to Palestinians.

Most of the world considers the settlements illegal under international law and Israel has been criticized for allowing their expansion.

It will take years to clear nearly 23 million metric tons of debris in Gaza from the destruction of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the United Nations.

Much of the debris is from residential units and other properties across the enclave following Israeli bombardment, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, citing UN humanitarian partners.

It will also take years to “clear up unexploded ordnances,” said Dujarric, to give a scope of the “rebuilding efforts that will be necessary once this conflict ends,” he said.

Hamas submitted a new response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators in talks for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, according to a diplomat familiar with the negotiations and a Qatari official.

It is unclear how Hamas may have countered to bridge the significant gaps between the two sides.

CNN previously reported that the first phase of a deal had been expected to include a six-week humanitarian pause, the release of around 40 Israeli hostages, and a large number of Palestinian prisoners.

The hostages would be the remaining Israeli women — including Israel Defense Forces soldiers, the elderly, sick and wounded.

Sticking points: Hamas had refused to send Israel a list of all the hostages believed to be alive or dead. Hamas has been asking for a large number of Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged, additional aid into the strip, and the IDF to withdraw from Gaza in a second phase.

A US official tells CNN the administration currently feels “cautiously optimistic” about the direction that the talks are going. But they declined to share any further details.

CNN’s MJ Lee and Becky Anderson contributed reporting.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Dr. Mohammad Mustafa as prime minister to form a new government, according to the official WAFA news agency Thursday.

“I call on you as Prime Minister-designate of the next government to commit to the highest interests of the Palestinian people, preserve their gains, protect their achievements, develop them and advance them,” Abbas said in a presidential decree, as posted by WAFA.

Mustafa replaces former Prime Minister Mohammed Shttayah, who resigned in February along with his government.

Mustafa has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization since 2022 and has held the positions of deputy prime minister and minister of economy in previous governments, according to WAFA.

Welcome from the US and UK: The White House on Thursday welcomed the appointment.

“We urge the formation of a reform cabinet as soon as possible,” National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.
“A reformed Palestinian Authority is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people and establishing the conditions for stability in both the West Bank and Gaza.”

UK Secretary of State David Cameron also welcomed the appointment, saying that “the formation of a new Palestinian government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package, is one of the vital elements for a lasting peace.”

US forces destroyed nine anti-ship missiles and two drones in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Thursday, according to US Central Command.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Iranian-backed Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden and two more missiles toward the Red Sea, CENTCOM said.

No one was injured and no ships reported any damage.

The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since shortly after Israel’s war with Hamas began, with the group trying to pressure Israel and its allies to stop its offensive in Gaza.

Canada paused exports of non-lethal military goods and technology to Israel on January 8 due to the risk that goods could be used in connection with human rights violations, according to a government source with knowledge of the situation.

The Canadian government source said the approach to reviewing export permits had not changed but, given the changing situation in Israel, export permits to that country would have to be reassessed.

The source said Canada has a robust framework for export approval and, given the dynamic situation on the ground, export permits to Israel were paused.

The source said that export permits are continually reviewed and the approval process for non-lethal exports to Israel is ongoing.

This story was first reported by the Toronto Star.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is “expected to respect Israel’s elected government and not undermine it,” Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party said Thursday after the US senator criticized the Israeli prime minister and his government.

“Israel is not a banana republic but an independent and proud democracy that elected Prime Minister Netanyahu,” reads the Likud statement. “Contrary to Schumer’s words, the Israeli public supports a total victory over Hamas” and “opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza,” it said. 

Remember: In its annual report released Monday, the US intelligence community assessed that the distrust in Netanyahu’s leadership has “deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections.”

Israeli war cabinet minister and the head of the National Unity party Benny Gantz also criticized Schumer’s remarks. 

Schumer “is a friend of Israel, who helps it a lot, also in these days, but he was wrong in his statement,” Gantz said. “Israel is a strong democracy, and only its citizens will determine its leadership and future. Any external intervention in the matter is not right and unacceptable.”

Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US, made the remarks on Thursday. “As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7,” he said.

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said he does not believe that the remarks will make it more difficult for the US to deal with Netanyahu, pointing out that the Israelis know that the comments did not come from the executive branch.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has criticized Israel’s government and called for new elections in a speech about the Israel-Hamas war on the Senate floor.

“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7,” he said, adding that the world has radically changed since the October attacks.

Schumer said he respected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “extraordinary bravery for Israel on the battlefield as a younger man” and believed his “highest priority is the security of Israel.”

“However, I also believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel,” Schumer said.  

In his speech, Schumer said Israelis needed to consider whether they should change course on how Israel is waging its war on Hamas and suggested new elections were the way to do so.

“I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government.”