Israeli Supreme Court halts plan to return Palestinian hospital patients to Gaza after doctors appeal
From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Kareem Khadder, Mick Krever, and Abeer Salman in Jerusalem
Israel’s Supreme Court has temporarily halted a government plan to send a group of Palestinian patients being treated in East Jerusalem and Tel Aviv hospitals back to Gaza.
The decision follows a petition by the Israeli non-profit organization Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which decided to take action following a CNN report on the Palestinian hospital patients.
“Returning residents to Gaza during a military conflict and a humanitarian crisis is against international law and poses a deliberate risk to innocent lives,” the organization’s spokesperson Ran Yaron said Wednesday. “All the more so when it concerns patients who may face a death sentence due to insanitary conditions and hunger, along with the unlikely availability of medical care.”
Following the group’s appeal, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction to prevent the Israeli government from sending around two dozen Palestinian patients and their companions back to Gaza.
The Palestinians were set to be bussed to Gaza early Thursday morning.However, after the temporary court injunction, the Israeli government delayed that until at least Monday, hospital officials told CNN.
This post has been updated with information from Israeli officials.
5:43 p.m. ET, March 20, 2024
Israeli military subjected Palestinians to "humiliating investigation" during raid, Al-Shifa official says
From CNN's Abeer Salman, Khader Al Za’anoun, Ibrahim Dahman, Sana Noor Haq, Kareem Khadder, Lauren Izso and Tim Lister
Israeli forces detained Palestinian journalists and health workers, blindfolded them and stripped them down to their underwear in Al-Shifa Hospital, in northern Gaza, according to eyewitness accounts shared with CNN.
The Israeli military raided Al-Shifa after it claimed “senior Hamas terrorists” were using the facility to “conduct and promote terrorist activity.” It claims to have detained a senior Hamas operative during the operation.
CNN cannot independently verify the IDF’s statements.
Dr. Marwan Abu Saada, head of surgery at Al-Shifa, was not at the hospital when the Israeli raid began on Monday. He said on Tuesday that colleagues who had been permitted to leave the hospital reported Israeli troops breaking into most of the hospital buildings.
He said male medical staff were forced to strip and left “for hours in the cold,” an assertion made by other men who have been released from the area.
“They scanned their faces with a camera and took them one by one for humiliating investigation,” he said in the account, shared with CNN by a colleague. “Many were arrested and were taken to an unknown place, some were forced to leave the hospital and displaced to the south half naked, and others were ordered to go back to the hospital,” added Abu Saada. “Soldiers assaulted and violated our medical staff and workers in Al-Shifa Hospital, left them without food or water for two days, taking into consideration that this is the month of Ramadan and they are fasting.”
CNN has asked the IDF for its response to the allegations levied by Saada. The IDF has not so far responded.
Regional relationships are needed for sustained peace in Gaza, US and Saudi officials say
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 20. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud emphasized the importance of continuing regional partnerships in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza and eventually resolving the conflict.
The two leaders “discussed the urgent need to protect all civilians in Gaza" and immediately increase the flow of aid, according to a readout from their Jeddah meeting by State Department spokesperson Matt Miller.
“The Secretary emphasized the United States’ commitment to achieving sustained peace through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” the readout said.
US officials have been working to lay the groundwork for such a “sustained peace” for months, with the idea that this facilitates a Saudi-Israel normalization agreement.
On his recent trips to the region, Blinken has stressed that the Israeli government must make “difficult” decisions and move toward a two-state solution if it wants to achieve that normalization with Saudi Arabia and if it wants the support of its Arab neighbors for security and reconstruction in Gaza.
The top US diplomat will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman on Wednesday.
4:28 p.m. ET, March 20, 2024
Netanyahu was critical of Schumer in address to Senate Republicans
"Clearly, the prime minister was not happy with Sen. Schumer's speech. Nor was he happy with President (Joe) Biden's praise of Sen. Schumer's speech. But I think the prime minster understands the politics of all of it," Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy said afterward.
"We made it clear to the prime minister that in our judgment, the American people overwhelmingly support Israel's war," Kennedy said. "And he made clear he intends to prosecute the war against Hamas to the full extent of his power"
Kennedy said Netanyahu spoke for about 15 minutes via video link to the GOP meeting in the Capitol, and then took about 45 minutes of questions.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said Netanyahu was not critical of Biden.
"He said he was grateful of the support he's gotten from President Biden and he hopes that support continues," Cruz said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said Netanyahu was "candid" and "thorough" and said the Israeli leader gave a "pretty detailed update" of the war, answering questions about the prosecution of the war and explaining what Israel's needs are from the US.
Hawley said Netanyahu was "very mindful" of concerns over civilian deaths and "talked about it at some length" and was "alert to the sensitives" over that issue, even talking about the estimated death toll of Palestinians.
"He wanted to project that the end is in sight," Hawley said. "By far the greatest portion of this war is over."
Netanyahu told the senators he does not envision US troops getting directly involved in combat.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed back on Republican criticism of his Israel speech, in which he called for the US ally to hold new elections. Pool
More on Schumer's speech: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed back on Republican criticism of his Israel speech, in which he called for the US ally to hold new elections.
“I gave this speech, out of a real love for Israel. And if you read the speech, we called only for there to be an election after the hostilities, declined after Hamas was defeated,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju, when asked about GOP critics saying that his remarks amounted to foreign election interference, and that there shouldn’t be any daylight between the US and an ally when they are at war.
5:29 a.m. ET, March 21, 2024
Israel’s response to Hamas' latest counterproposal was "negative in general," Hamas spokesperson says
From CNN's Jen Deaton and Mitch McCluskey
Israel's response to Hamas' latest counterproposal on a ceasefire and hostage release deal "was negative in general" and did not meet the demands of Hamas, according to Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan.
Israel's response "was negative in general and did not meet the demands of our people and their resistance. In fact, they backed away from agreements previously made to the mediators," Hamdan said at press conference in Beirut on Wednesday.
He also said it was a "continuation of their policy of procrastination, which could hamper the negotiations or even lead them to a dead end."
More context: On March 14, Hamas delivered a counterproposal that included the release of Israeli hostages for 700 to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Canadian government indefinitely suspends arms exports to Israel
From CNN’s Paula Newton
The Canadian government has indefinitely suspended arms exports to Israel, according to the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Canada has one of the most rigorous export permit regimes in the world,” a statement from the office reads. “There are no open permits for exports of lethal goods to Israel.”
“The export permits approved between October 7th and January 8th have been shared with the parliamentary committee studying this matter. Since January 8th, the government has not approved new arms export permits to Israel and this will continue until we can ensure full compliance with our export regime,” the statement continued.
Export permits that were approved before January 8 are still in effect, according to the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Remember: CNN previously reported that Canada had paused exports of non-lethal military equipment and technology to Israel in January given the risk of human rights violations.
3:09 p.m. ET, March 20, 2024
Gazans in desperate need of humanitarian aid as WHO issues stark warning on starving babies. Catch up here
From CNN staff
An aircraft airdrops humanitarian aid over northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, March 20. Leo Correa/AP
A growing number of infants in Gaza are on the "brink of death" from acute hunger, the World Health Organization said, issuing another grim warning this week about the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
Meanwhile, international entities and aid organizations are working to get supplies and funding to provide humanitarian assistance to the enclave.
Saudi Arabia announced it will provide $40 million in funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the main UN aid agency for Palestinians in Gaza, the kingdom announced on Wednesday.
The United Kingdom's largest aid delivery to Gaza entered the enclave, the British Foreign Office said Wednesday. More than 2,000 tonnes of food aid that entered Gaza via the Jordanian land corridor were being distributed by the World Food Programme and will feed "more than 275,000 people," the office said.
Israel also announced that 248 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday, according to a statement from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
The US and Jordanian militaries conducted another airdrop of humanitarian assistance into northern Gaza on Wednesday, US Central Command said in a statement. Jordan said it carried out six airdrops of food into the northern strip.
Death toll: 104 people were killed and 162 were injured over the past 24 hours in Gaza, the Gaza Ministry of Health said in its daily update. The number of people killed in Gaza now stands at 31,923 with 74,096 injuries, the ministry said in its statement. CNN cannot independently verify the numbers from Gaza.
US and Israel: Officials from Israel and the US are expected to meet in Washington next week to discuss alternatives to a planned military offensive in Rafah, where about 1.5 million people are sheltering. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he told US President Joe Biden it was impossible to defeat Hamas without Israel entering Rafah. US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he isconsidering inviting Netanyahu to address Congress. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Israel on Friday.
Al-Shifa Hospital raid: As Israel continues its offensive at Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza Civil Defense says thousands of civilians sheltering inside are running out of basic necessities and subject to interrogations and torture. Israeli's military said it killed 90 "terrorists" in the area.
Palestinian patients in East Jerusalem: The Israeli Supreme Court is temporarily stopping the Israeli government from sending a group of Palestinian patients being treated in East Jerusalem hospitals back to Gaza. The court issued the temporary injunction on Wednesday following an appeal from an Israeli nonprofit.
4:47 p.m. ET, March 20, 2024
Israeli attack kills at least 3 militants in Jenin, Palestine Red Crescent Society says
From CNN’s Mitch McCluskey, Mick Krever, Max Saltman and Tim Lister
An Israeli drone strike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin killed at least three people and left one person seriously injured, according to the Palestine Red Crecent Society (PRCS).
The three people who died were militants with the Jenin battalion of Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization, PRCS said on its Telegram channel.
The attack occurred near Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin, PRCS's director in Jenin, Mahmoud Al-Saadi, told CNN.
The injured individual, who was not identified, is in critical condition with burns all over their body, Al-Saadi said.
The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency said in a statement that an aircraft struck "terrorist operatives" inside a vehicle in the area of Jenin. The IDF and ISA allege that one of the militants killed Israeli settler Meir Tamari in 2023 near the Israeli settlement of Hermesh in the occupied West Bank.
CNN cannot independently verify these allegations.
2:15 p.m. ET, March 20, 2024
US House speaker considering inviting Israeli prime minister to address Congress
From CNN's Haley Talbot and Melanie Zanona
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Getty Images
US House Speaker Mike Johnson is considering inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress after House members raised the idea in their closed-door conference meeting this morning.
“It’s one of the things that we have in mind, and we may try to arrange for that,” Johnson told reporters when asked about inviting Netanyahu to address Congress. “I think it’s very important for us to show solidarity and support for Israel right now in their time of great struggle, and we certainly stand for that position, and we’ll try to advance that in every way that we can.”
Johnson said he had a “lengthy” conversation with Netanyahu this morning but said “those logistics” did not come up. The news was first reported by Axios.
An invitation to address a joint session of Congress would require buy-in from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who sharply criticized Netanyahu in a floor speech last week when he also called for Israel to hold new elections.
The consideration of having Netanyahu also comes as additional military aid to Israel appears stalled on Capitol Hill. The House passed a standalone military aid bill to Israel in November that the Senate did not advance because the House bill offset the cost with cuts to the Internal Revenue Service. The Senate passed a bill with aid to Ukraine and Israel in February, but Johnson has made no effort to put that legislation up for a vote as House Republicans have mulled several alternatives for sending aid overseas.
This post has been updated with additional information.
