Hope in Gaza "drowned out by bombs," UNICEF spokesperson says
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March 29, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Deva Lee, James Legge, Sana Noor Haq, Adrienne Vogt, Leinz Vales, Aditi Sangal, Tori B. Powell and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 8:05 a.m. ET, April 2, 2024
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3:57 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

Hope in Gaza "drowned out by bombs," UNICEF spokesperson says

From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Athens

Palestinian children gather on the site of an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza, on March 27.
Palestinian children gather on the site of an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza, on March 27. Bassam Masoud/Reuters

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told CNN on Friday that people in Gaza were hopeful when the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, but that hope has since disappeared as Israeli bombing of the enclave continues.

"When that announcement was made, there was a breath, there was a palpable relief, but that hope has been drowned out by bombs," Elder said from Gaza.

"Right now, it's meant nothing. Hostages are still here, bombardments continue, restrictions on aid continue."

Elder said the conditions in Gaza have "deteriorated massively" since prior visits, with the nutrition situation having "rapidly declined" and cities becoming "unrecognizable."

"Everything continues to get worse," he said. "Everyone's life has unfortunately just deteriorated into levels that I didn't think I'd see."

Elder said people told him on a recent visit to northern Gaza that they need basic humanitarian resources.

“Why did they keep telling me they need food, water and medicine? They assume the world doesn’t know, because if the world knew, how could this possibly be happening?” Elder said.
4:16 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

"Dignity denied" to young women in Gaza, UNICEF spokesperson says

From CNN staff

A girl and woman eat biscuits as they evacuate from Gaza City on March 25.
A girl and woman eat biscuits as they evacuate from Gaza City on March 25. Stringer/AFP/Getty Images

Dignity is being denied to young women on an unprecedented level in Gaza, UNICEF global spokesperson James Elder told CNN's Michael Holmes on Friday.

Elder was asked about his comments in a press briefing this week, in which he said UNICEF workers in Gaza spoke with "teenage girls hoping they are killed" to escape the conditions in the enclave.

"For a girl, it's 850 people to a toilet. For an adolescent girl, it's three-and-a-half thousand people to a shower... the dignity being denied these young women is kind of like we haven't really seen before," Elder told CNN.

Elder said Israel's planned ground offensive in Gaza's southern city of Rafah "would lead to potentially the biggest catastrophe of this war" as the city is many people's "last hope."

2:55 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Aleppo result in casualties, state media says

From CNN's Eyad Kourdi

A series of Israeli airstrikes targeting areas close to the Syrian city of Aleppo have led to casualties among both civilians and military personnel early on Friday, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.

According to a military source quoted by SANA, Israeli warplanes initiated an attack around 1:45 a.m. local time from the direction of Athriya, southeast of Aleppo.

Israel has not publicly commented.

Israel has for years launched airstrikes on Syria to target Iran-backed militant groups, with their frequency increasing since the October 7 Hamas attacks.

2:45 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

What we know about Israel's raid on Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital

From CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim, Sana Noor Haq, Khader Al Za'anoun and Abeer Salman

Israeli forces last week launched another military operation on Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, bringing the sprawling medical facility in the north of the enclave back into the spotlight.

The raid comes despite the Israel Defense Forces in January saying it had completed dismantling Hamas’ command structure in northern Gaza.

While the IDF said civilians, patients, and medical teams were evacuated during the operation, Palestinians inside and around Al-Shifa have reported civilian casualties and arrests, as well as large-scale destruction at the complex.

Heavy fighting around the hospital has also been reported by Israel, Hamas and civilians, with the UN saying hospitals must not be battlegrounds.

Here’s what we know about the raid:

Why are Israeli forces raiding Al-Shifa? Israeli forces said they were conducting “precise operational activities against terrorists” at Al-Shifa.

The IDF said Wednesday that “approximately 200 terrorists have been eliminated in the area of the hospital since the beginning of the activity.”

What are Palestinians saying? About 3,000 people were sheltering in Al-Shifa at the time of the raid, Gaza's Health Ministry said, adding that those attempting to leave were being targeted by snipers and fire from helicopters.

Hundreds of those stranded in the hospital have little food or water — and were warned by the Israeli military that they would be shot if they left the hospital without receiving instructions to evacuate.

Eyewitnesses said medical personnel and other civilians were detained by Israeli troops.

One eyewitness estimated about 400 to 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members and their families arrived at the hospital in mid-March. Some of them appeared to be members of Hamas’ political branch, while others were armed militants.

Read the full story.

4:46 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

Biden says Arab nations "prepared to fully recognize Israel" for the first time

From CNN's DJ Judd and MJ Lee in New York City 

President Joe Biden is seen at a fundraising event in New York City on Thursday.
President Joe Biden is seen at a fundraising event in New York City on Thursday. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

President Joe Biden said Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are “prepared to fully recognize Israel” during remarks at an off-camera fundraiser Thursday night, according to reporters in the room.

Biden repeated calls for a “post-Gaza plan” for Israel, including “a train to a two-state solution.” 

The remarks reflect Biden’s increased willingness to publicly call for Israel to increase efforts to protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

"I won't go into detail now. But look, I've been working with the Saudis and with all the other Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan and Qatar. They're prepared to fully recognize Israel, fully recognize Israel for the first time,” Biden said, according to reports from journalists in the room.

“But there has to be a post-Gaza plan, and there has to be a train to a two-state solution, it doesn't have to occur today, but there has to be a progression, and I think we can do that,” Biden said. 

Arab states offered to recognize Israel in 2002 in exchange for a Palestinian state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel rejected the proposal then.

The fundraiser, which featured Biden in conversation with former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, was interrupted at least four times by protesters, with at least three calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

“That's alright. Let them go. There's a lot of people who are very, very — there are too many innocent victims, Israeli and Palestinian. We've got to get more food and medicine, supplies in to the Palestinians,” Biden said, according to reports.

“But we can't forget, Israel is in a position where its very existence is at stake. You have to have all those people. They weren't killed. They were massacred. They were massacred.”

This post has been updated to add background on Israel's relations with Arab nations.

12:37 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

Israel has not been given every requested US weapon, top general says

From CNN's Natasha Bertrand 

Israel has not been provided every weapon it has asked the US for, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair CQ Brown.

“Although we’ve been supporting them with capability, they have not received everything that they’ve asked for,” Brown told reporters on Thursday. 

“Some of that is because they've asked for stuff that we either don't have the capacity right now to provide or are not willing to provide right now in particular."

Brown’s spokesperson Navy Captain Jereal Dorsey said the chairman’s comments “were solely in reference to a standard practice before providing military aid to any of our allies and partners. We assess US stockpiles and any possible impact on our own readiness to determine our ability to provide the requested aid. There is no change in US policy. The United States continues to provide security assistance to our ally Israel as they defend themselves from Hamas."

Brown also told reporters that during the meetings he had with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and his team this week in DC, “they did make requests” for different forms of military assistance.

“They've made requests in pretty much every meeting I've been in as well.” 

Some background: CNN previously reported that Gallant reiterated Israel’s desire to buy a new squadron of F-15 and F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters. 

The growing weapons sales from the US remain top of mind for Israeli defense officials, who have been pushing their US counterparts for faster approval and progress on the weapons transfers, multiple officials and people familiar with the requests told CNN.

12:25 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

It's morning in the Middle East. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Palestinians carry the body of a woman found under the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, on Wednesday.
Palestinians carry the body of a woman found under the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, on Wednesday. Fatima Shbair/AP

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Thursday, Annelle Sheline discussed her decision to publicly resign from her fellowship with the State Department, where she worked in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

"As it became clear what US policy was going to be as far as enabling the ongoing military operations in Gaza, as well as the intentional use of starvation as a weapon... eventually it became clear that from my position inside State, there was really very little that I could do," Sheline said.

Sheline said she speaks for "many people" when she stands against the US government's relationship with Israel and its actions in Gaza, telling Amanpour that "people are shocked and appalled by what the US government is doing."

Here are the latest developments in the conflict:

  • Rafah offensive looms: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s military has “conquered” the north of Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis and is “preparing to enter Rafah,” where more than 1 million people are sheltering in dire conditions.
  • Hospital raids: More traumatic accounts have emerged from people who escaped Al-Shifa Hospital or are still trapped there. The Israeli military has laid siege to Gaza's largest hospital for nearly two weeks. Seven members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society detained during an Israeli military raid on Al-Amal Hospital in the city of Khan Younis have been released after 47 days. Eight PRCS staff members “are still missing and their fate unknown," the group said.
  • ICJ provisional measures: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued further provisional measures against Israel in an ongoing genocide case brought by South Africa, compelling Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza in light of famine “setting in." Israel said it is committed to “its legal obligations” to allow and facilitate aid. Aid agencies have accused Israel of denying access for arbitrary reasons.
  • Children dying of hunger: At least 24 children have died of hunger-related causes in Gaza, according to medical sources speaking to CNN. This includes six-year-old Mohammad Al-Najjar, who died Thursday because of malnutrition, dehydration and the scarcity of medical supplies.
  • Aid crisis: Israel has committed to help protect US troops traveling to the Mediterranean to build and operate a floating dock that will be used to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday. Rights groups have repeatedly said that land crossings are the most effective aid route. Also on Thursday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said “there is no alternative to the large-scale delivery of aid by land” to Gaza.

11:53 p.m. ET, March 28, 2024

Netanyahu tells families of kidnapped Israeli soldiers "we are preparing to enter Rafah" and will not "leave anyone behind"

From CNN’s Larry Register in Atlanta

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference in Jerusalem on March 17.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference in Jerusalem on March 17. Leo Correa/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/File

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told families of soldiers kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas that the country's forces “will not leave anyone behind," according to a statement from his office Thursday.

He said Israel’s military had “conquered” the north of Gaza and Khan Younis.

“We have secured the strip, and we are preparing to enter Rafah.”

Netanyahu told the families: "I know that every day you go through is hell”. He said to date “we have returned 123 of our abductees” adding: “I am obliged to return them all, including everyone.”

He said all assets Israel has, including military pressure on Hamas, “need to be used wisely in the negotiations that I conduct myself every day - to get them all back and not just some."

12:23 a.m. ET, March 29, 2024

Why a former US State Department employee publicly resigned in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war

From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls and the Amanpour team in London

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Thursday, Annelle Sheline discussed her decision to publicly resign from her fellowship with the State Department, where she worked in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

"As it became clear what US policy was going to be as far as enabling the ongoing military operations in Gaza, as well as the intentional use of starvation as a weapon... eventually it became clear that from my position inside State, there was really very little that I could do," Sheline said.

Israel has repeatedly justified its military action in Gaza by stating that it is in self-defense. A senior US defense official told reporters on Tuesday that the US “will continue to stand up for Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law, and to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.”

Sheline said that she speaks for "many people" when she stands against the US government's relationship with Israel and its actions in Gaza, telling Amanpour that "people are shocked and appalled by what the US government is doing."

The former employee suggested that the US has made a "political calculation" to "maintain extreme support for Israel regardless of the illegal behaviors that Israel engages in."  

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed questions about Sheline's resignation during a press briefing on Wednesday.

“There is a broad diversity of views inside the State Department about our policy with respect to Gaza, just as there is a broad diversity within the State Department about our policy in a number of important foreign policy issues, as there is a broad diversity of views and opinions throughout American society about this issue and others,” he said. “What we try to do in the State Department – what the Secretary has instructed his team to do – is to make sure that people have an opportunity to make their views known.”

Watch the interview.