October 28, 2023 Israel-Hamas war

Our coverage of the Israel-Hamas war has moved here.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wants to “increase the urgency” of its warning to civilians in Gaza to move to areas south of Wadi Gaza as it expands ground operations in the enclave, according to a spokesperson.

“Civilians in northern Gaza, in Gaza City should temporarily move south of Wadi Gaza to a safer area,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a video posted to IDF social media on Sunday morning

On Monday “humanitarian efforts to Gaza, led by Egypt and the United States, will be expanding,” Hagari claimed, without providing further details.

Telephone and internet services have been out across much of the territory since Friday night making it unclear how predominantly Arabic-speaking Gazans will receive the most recent call in English from the IDF to evacuate.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities in Gaza and delivery of humanitarian aid.

“It is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement Saturday.

Spoljaric added that the “immediate imperative must be to save lives” by ensuring healthcare services, water, and electricity are restored in Gaza.

“Under international humanitarian law, the parties are obligated to spare civilians from the effects of military operations at all times, to distinguish between civilians and military targets, and to never use human shields to prevent military objectives from being attacked,” Spoljaric said.

The ICRC also called for the “immediate release of all hostages” and reiterated the organization’s previous offer to facilitate any future hostage release operation. 

Israeli ground forces are inside Gaza after entering the enclave overnight, as Palestinians experienced what they have described as the most intense round of airstrikes since Israel began its retaliation against Hamas’ October 7 terror attack.

The expanded operation has left families of the more than 200 hostages taken to Gaza fearful for their loved ones. A group lobbying for the families of Israeli hostages spoke of “the most terrible of all nights” as emotions spiked with the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) expansion of its ground operation.

Catch up below on the latest developments in the war:

Israel’s goals in this stage: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Saturday the war in Gaza is “going to be long.” He said the goals of this stage of the war are to destroy Hamas and return the hostages the militant group took on October 7 and still holds in Gaza. Netanyahu confirmed he spoke with family members of the hostages and said he vowed to them that he would exhaust all options to return their loved ones home.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement his country had entered “a new phase in the war.” The official said Israel “attacked above ground and below ground. We attacked terrorist operatives at all levels, in all places. The instructions to our forces are clear: the operation will continue until a new order is given.”

Details on the expanded ground operation: Israeli forces “went into the Gaza Strip and expanded the ground operation where infantry, armor and engineer units and artillery with heavy fire are taking part,” IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday morning. “The forces are in the field and continue the fighting,” he added, without giving further details.

Hagari’s words confirm the military operation has undergone a significant expansion after what it had earlier described as two “targeted raids,” which took place on Wednesday night and Thursday night. Both those raids saw ground forces withdraw after a few hours. However, it does not appear as though any major ground offensive aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway. In a fresh call for Gazans to move south, the IDF spoke of an “impending” operation.

Mourning in Gaza: Gazans mourned the loss of their loved ones on Saturday following a night of intense Israeli airstrikes, with many gathering at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah in central Gaza. Video captured by CNN shows multiple bodies, including those of children, covered in white shrouds or thick blankets, placed on the ground in the hospital yard. Another video showed a young man lying on the floor of the hospital as doctors operated on him.

More than 2 million people live in the enclave, and for weeks people in the territory have faced Israeli airstrikes and a growing humanitarian situation, with shortages of water, food and fuel. The IDF said Gazans who had moved south of Wadi Gaza, a waterway bisecting the center of the strip, were in a “protected space,” and would receive more food, water and medicine today, but did not give any details.

Aid agencies lose contact: Communications in the enclave have been severely disrupted, leaving aid agencies out of touch with their staff on the ground and emergency services struggling to reach those in need. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday morning that reports of the intense bombardment are “extremely distressing.” He added: “We are still out of touch with our staff and health facilities. I’m worried about their safety.” Several United Nations agencies have also reported losing contact with their local staff in Gaza.

Police temporarily shut down all lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday after a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators started heading in that direction.

The bridge, which connects Manhattan with the borough, was closed in both directions, according to an alert from the local government’s NotifyNYC service. 

The rally started at Brooklyn Museum at 3 p.m. ET, continued in front of Barclays Center arena at 4 p.m. ET and ended at the Brooklyn Bridge, according to a post by Within Our Lifetime, which promoted the demonstrations.

“Join us at Brooklyn Museum or march and converge with us throughout the day,” a post from the Palestinian-led community organization reads. “The more they try and silence us, repress us, push us off the streets, the larger our numbers will be, the louder we will be.”

The New York City Police Department said the demonstration has been nonviolent and they have not had any incidents with demonstrators at this time.

The rally in the most populous US city was among several seen around the world this weekend, including a “March for Palestine” in London that drew thousands of participants Saturday, and a demonstration by a Jewish group calling for a Gaza ceasefire in New York’s Grand Central Terminal, which led to around 300 people getting arrested Friday night.

Fighter jets can be heard in the sky and huge flashes seen on the horizon in the direction of Gaza Saturday, according to a CNN team on the ground in Sderot, Israel.

“Today there was an eruption of activity … Last night was strong, it was active, it was busy. Tonight, it seems a step up from that,” CNN’s Nic Robertson said in a live report around 11 p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET).

On top of the sound of airstrikes, Robertson said he is hearing artillery fire into Gaza and heavy machine gun fire from his location. 

CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, reporting from the Israeli city of Ashkelon, said explosions on Saturday night were the loudest he’s heard in weeks. 

“It made the room shake … and we are 6 miles from the border with Gaza,” Diamond said during a live report.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fighter jets struck several Hezbollah targets on Saturday, following rockets and missile fire from Lebanon into Israel, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said.

“During the strikes, Hezbollah terror infrastructure was targeted, including a military compound and observation posts,” he said.

Remember: This fighting is centered on northern Israel and southern Lebanon — separate from Israel’s fighting with Hamas farther south, which is centered around Gaza. But an uptick in clashes with Hezbollah has raised fears the powerful Lebanese paramilitary group could actively participate in the conflict. Hezbollah has unambiguously supported the Palestinian militants and roundly condemned Israel’s large-scale airstrikes on Gaza, but it has not intervened on behalf of Hamas so far.

A senior Hamas official said Thursday that Hezbollah and other allies were expected to play a bigger role than they have so far in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

All Israeli diplomatic staff have been called back from Turkey following Turkish criticism of Israel’s current military operations in Gaza. 

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Saturday that Israeli-Turkish ties were going to be reevaluated.

“Given the grave statements coming from Turkey, I have ordered the return of diplomatic representatives there in order to conduct a reevaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey,” Cohen wrote.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said attacks on Gaza “have long passed the point of being self-defense,” adding, “It is now oppression, atrocity, massacre and barbaric.”

On Saturday, Erdogan told a crowd of Palestinian supporters in Istanbul that they should leave the rally “with the determination to never allow new Gazas to arise.”

CNN’s Gul Tuysuz contributed reporting to this post.

Families of hostages held in Gaza say they told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they would only accept an “everyone in return for everyone” deal, which would secure the immediate release of all hostages.

The families held a news conference shortly after meeting Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Saturday, just before the prime minister held his own media briefing, where he announced the launch of the second stage of the war in Gaza.

“We spoke bluntly and made it clear to the prime minister in no uncertain terms that a comprehensive deal based on the ‘everyone for everyone’ principle is a deal the families would consider, and has the support of all of Israel,” Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of Romi Gonen, said on behalf of the families.

An “everyone for everyone” deal would involve the release of the over 200 hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons, which the nongovernmental organization Palestinian Prisoners Club estimates to be 6,630 people.

Hamas released a statement Saturday claiming the group was willing to engage in such a trade, though any such deal would be hugely controversial in Israel.

Hamas said it is “immediately ready” to initiate a comprehensive prisoners swap with Israel, according to a statement issued by Abu Obaida, the spokesperson of Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing. The spokesperson added that Hamas is ready, whether Israel seeks an all-inclusive approach to the prisoner issue or prefers a “segmented” approach. 

On Friday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari characterized Hamas’ most recent hostage exchange overture a form of “psychological terror aimed to manipulate Israeli civilians.”

Netanyahu was asked about such a deal at his Saturday news conference, and acknowledged he discussed the option with the families.

“I think that elaborating on this will not help achieve our goal. In the meeting with the families, I felt emotionally helpless,” Netanyahu said.

As the efforts to free the hostages drag on, loved ones have also expressed alarm at the possibility Hamas’ captives will be harmed in Israel’s intensifying bombardment of Gaza.

“We came with an unequivocal demand that military action takes into account the fate of the hostages and missing, and that any move considered will take into account the well-being of our loved ones,” Gonen said on behalf of the families.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the leaders of Arab nations to convene an emergency Arab League summit in response to Israel’s operation in Gaza, he said in a speech Saturday from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

“Israel responded to the UN resolution yesterday with more bombing and destruction,” Abbas said.

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Friday, initiated by Jordan, which calls for a halt in hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The resolution faced strong opposition from both the United States and Israel, along with 12 other countries that voted against it.

Abbas advocated for immediate action from the international community and Arab leaders to put an end to the ongoing “aggression.” He underscored the necessity of bringing in humanitarian aid and implementing measures to prevent further displacement of Palestinians.

Remember: Israel is at war with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza and carried out the devastating October 7 attacks that left 1,400 people dead and over 200 taken hostage.

Abbas is the leader of the Palestinian Authority, a government body with limited self-rule in the West Bank. It was established as part of a 1993 peace pact between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Hamas — which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US, European Union and other countries — presents itself as an alternative to the Palestinian Authority, which has recognized Israel and has engaged in multiple failed peace initiatives with it.

What Arab League members are saying: The United Arab Emirates has condemned Israel’s ground operations in Gaza and said it is deeply concerned by what it called “Israeli military escalation and exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis,” according to UAE state news agency WAM.

The UAE foreign ministry called for an immediate ceasefire “to ensure that civilians and civilian institutions are not targeted,” according to WAM.

Saudi Arabia “condemns and denounces any ground incursions” by Israeli forces into Gaza due to the impact on civilians, the country’s foreign ministry wrote in a statement. The latest “military escalation” in Gaza “poses a threat to the lives of Palestinian civilians and exposes them to more dangers and inhumane conditions,” the ministry said. 

Meanwhile, Egypt warned of the “grievous risks and the unprecedented humanitarian and security implications” that it said would result from an Israeli incursion into Gaza.

In the statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry expressed its “deep concern” over the repercussions of the ground military operation and warned of an “increasing number” of civilian casualties.

CNN’s Benjamin Brown, Caroline Faraj, Chris Liakos, Jo Shelley and Sarah Sirgany contributed reporting to this post.

Israel vowed to fight Elon Musk’s pledge to provide aid organizations in Gaza with Starlink satellite service as the besieged strip struggles with internet connectivity.

Israeli Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Hamas “will use it for terrorist activities.”

“Perhaps Musk would be willing to condition it with the release of our abducted babies, sons, daughters, elderly people. All of them! By then, my office will cut any ties with starlink,” Karhi posted.

Musk made the announcement on X, which he owns, after US Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that “cutting off all communication to a population of 2.2 million is unacceptable.”

“Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza,” Musk said in a post replying to Ocasio-Cortez. 

In another post replying to another X account, Musk said, “No terminals from Gaza have attempted to communicate with our constellation.”

Communications in the Gaza Strip have been severely disrupted as Israel intensifies its air and ground assault on the region. Aid groups say they have been unable to communicate with teams in the area. 

Earlier, the World Health Organization said they are “out of touch” with its staff in Gaza and the commissioner general of the UN Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees wrote to staff on Saturday saying that the organization is “deeply worried” about them amid the blackout. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday drew a connection between the conflict with Hamas and the Arab-Israeli War between 1947 and 1949, which occurred as Israel declared its independence.

“The war inside Gaza is going to be long. This is our second independence war. We’re going to save our country,” Netanyahu said. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that the second stage of the war against Hamas has begun, with the goal of destroying the group’s armed wing and government, and returning hostages held in Gaza home.

“Our heroic fighters have one goal: To destroy this enemy and to make sure the existence of our country. Never again. ‘Never again,’ is now,” Netanyahu said during a news conference Saturday.

On hostages: Netanyahu also confirmed he spoke with the family of hostages held by Hamas and vowed to them that he would exhaust all options to return their loved ones.

During the same media briefing, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the intensifying assault will increase the chances Hamas will return hostages it is holding in Gaza.

“As we hit the enemy harder, there’s a better chance that the enemy will agree to solutions to return the loved ones,” Gallant said. 

The expansion of ground operations has alarmed families of hostages, with an advocacy group saying Saturday that loved ones face “absolute uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages held (in Gaza), who were also subject to the heavy bombings.”

“Anxiety, frustration, and especially enormous anger that none of the war cabinet bothered to meet with the families of the hostages to explain one thing - whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages in Gaza,” the group said in a statement.

Israel’s military chief said today marks a new stage in the country’s war against Hamas, and that it requires a ground offensive.

“This is a war with multiple stages. Today, we move to the next one,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said in a video released by the IDF. “Our forces are currently operating on the ground in the Gaza Strip. These activities are being supported by precise and heavy fire, all in service of the war’s objectives: dismantling Hamas, securing our borders and the supreme effort to return the hostages home.”

“The objectives of this war require a ground operation,” Halevi added, saying, “In order to expose and destroy the enemy there is no other way than to enter its territory with force.”

More context: A ground offensive in Gaza has been widely expected following the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas, but it does not appear as though any major operation aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.

On the ground: Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday that it had struck several Hamas targets in Gaza as part of its expanded ground operation in the strip. 

“Since early Friday evening, combined combat forces of armor, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in the northern Gaza Strip. As part of the operation, IDF soldiers identified terrorist cells attempting to launch anti-tank missiles and mortar shells and struck them. IDF soldiers also identified and destroyed a booby-trapped structure,” the IDF said in a release.

The IDF said that helicopters, under the direction of IDF tanks, struck a building being used by Hamas as an operational meeting point.

The military also said that Israeli soldiers “neutralized” several terrorist cells that attempted to fire anti-tank missiles at them. Forces also struck Hamas members who were located in what was described as a “booby-trapped structure.”

Gaza civilians say they endured the heaviest airstrikes of the conflict so far overnight, taking shelter from the bombardment and mourning those killed in hospitals. A communications blackout has disrupted emergency services and cut off contact between family members.

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf says he has not heard from his wife’s parents in Gaza since communications links were badly disrupted on Friday. 

“Gaza is under intense bombing. Telecommunications have been cut. We can’t get through to our family who have been trapped in this war zone for almost 3 weeks. We can only pray they survive the night,” Yousaf posted on X, formerly Twitter, late Friday.

In an update on Saturday morning, he said there was still no word from them. “Thank you for your good wishes, I’m afraid we have not heard from my in-laws,” he wrote. 

Yousaf’s parents-in-law, who live in Dundee in Scotland, went to visit family in Gaza about a week before the October 7 attacks, he has previously told UK media. “They can’t leave. Gaza is under blockade. And even with the assistance of the Foreign Office now, they cannot guarantee any safe passage to any of the borders,” he said then. 

His brother-in-law also works as a doctor in Gaza and Yousaf shared video of him treating injured children in hospital last week. 

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday said he was surprised by the “unprecedented escalation” of bombardments in Gaza by Israel, which he said is “undermining” humanitarian help to the enclave. 

“I was encouraged in the last days by what seemed to be a growing consensus in the international community, including the countries supporting Israel, for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting to facilitate the release of hostages in Gaza, the evacuation of third country nationals and the necessary massive scale up of the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza,” Guterres said in a statement.

“Regrettably, instead of the pause, I was surprised by an unprecedented escalation of the bombardments and their devastating impacts, undermining the referred humanitarian objectives,” Guterres said.

Guterres also said the UN is “extremely concerned” about its staff in Gaza after communications links were badly disrupted by an aerial assault overnight. 

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini earlier Saturday said that, while he was able to contact a few UNRWA colleagues in Rafah via a satellite phone, he has not heard from the “vast majority” of his team.

Guterres, who is currently in Doha, also thanked Qatar for “mediation initiatives,” including the release of some hostages.

“I want to repeat what I said yesterday. This is the moment of truth. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. History will judge us all,” the statement concluded.

The UN’s ceasefire vote: An overwhelming majority of nations – 120 countries – voted on Friday for a United Nations resolution calling for a “sustained humanitarian truce” in Gaza, even as Israel’s military announced it is “expanding ground operations” in the besieged enclave.

The United States and Israel were among the 14 countries that voted against the resolution. The European Union has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, instead appealing for humanitarian “pauses.”

CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed reporting to this post.

A near total communications blackout has impacted the work of medical staff in Gaza, with paramedics unable to reach the injured and hospitals unable to contact each other.

Dr. Mohamad Al-Rayan, a physician at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, said medics have faced delays in getting to people injured by Israeli airstrikes overnight. 

“Paramedics could not reach (the injured), because they had no communication with them. There were a few solutions to the problem, but the situation was very difficult and dangerous. The injured arrived at the hospital many hours later, (as) we could not reach them in a fast and direct manner,” he said. 

He told CNN that hospitals in Gaza had also lost contact with one another, making the transfer of patients needing specialist surgery between hospitals even harder. 

A journalist in central Gaza told CNN that Israeli artillery shelling “did not stop” on Saturday. Video filmed by Hassan Eslayeh showed ambulances and cars arriving at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, with crowds of people waiting outside the hospital entrance. Another video showed a young man lying on the floor of the hospital as doctors operated on him.

Eslayeh said the injured and dead being brought to the hospital were casualties of artillery shelling rather than airstrikes.

Families unable to speak: CNN’s producer in Gaza, Ibrahim Dahman, said he is struggling to contact relatives in the enclave in the face of the blackout. 

“I cannot reach them, and I don’t know anything about them,” Dahman said in one of several short voice recordings sent to CNN colleagues on Saturday using a phone with a foreign SIM card, which allows him intermittent connection via WhatsApp. 

Since fleeing Gaza City with his wife and children on October 9, Dahman has been using WhatsApp to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. 

Now he says “there is no internet throughout the whole of the Gaza Strip” – another cause for concern for him and the other families he is sheltering alongside in the southern city of Khan Younis. 

“Everybody is gloomy, everybody is scared. … This is a big, big shock to everyone,” Dahman said. 

Jawwal and Ooredoo, two mobile phone companies operating in Gaza, and Paltel, a fixed-line operator, said in separate statements Saturday that their services in the strip remained down.   

Israel’s military says troops are still fighting in the besieged enclave after launching what it called an expanded ground operation.

Meanwhile, Palestinians last night faced what they said were the most intense round of airstrikes on Gaza since Israel began its retaliatory offensive against Hamas.

Here are the headlines you need to know:

As darkness fell over the Gaza Strip a short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces appeared to step up its bombardment of the enclave.

Intense and near-continuous thunder of explosions can be heard from the direction of the Gaza Strip for the past hour and a half, after more sporadic and less intense fire during most of the afternoon, a CNN team in Ashkelon, Israel, reports.

Fighter jets and military helicopters can be heard flying overheard.

Earlier, sirens indicating incoming rockets sounded across several parts of Israel. CNN observed several interceptions of these rockets by the Iron Dome, Israel’s air defense system.

CNN teams on the ground near the Gaza Strip have also seen tank movements throughout the day. Israeli staging grounds that were previously full with Israeli tanks, armored vehicles and bulldozers appeared mostly empty Saturday, amid what the IDF called an expanded ground operation in northern Gaza.

However, it remains unclear how many Israeli troops are currently in Gaza, as the IDF did not provide any further operational details.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and strike group has passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, entering the Mediterranean Sea, ship tracking data from MarineTraffic.com shows. 

The strike group — the aircraft carrier, a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers — were deployed from Norfolk, Virginia, on October 13. 

It’s now the second carrier strike group in the Mediterranean. The USS Gerald R. Ford strike group is currently in the eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Israel.

Some background: As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, the US is seeking to send a strong message to adversaries to prevent the conflict spreading more widely in the region.

CNN has reported that the US has intelligence that Iranian-backed militia groups are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East, as Iran seeks to capitalize on the backlash in the region to US support for Israel.

Roughly 900 US troops have been deployed or are deploying to the Middle East amid the heightened tensions in the region, the Pentagon announced this week, after previously putting roughly 2,000 troops on prepare-to-deploy orders. That is in addition to US troops already in Iraq and Syria – roughly 2,500 and 900, respectively – and Navy assets in the region, now including the Eisenhower and Ford.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has confirmed military operations against Hamas have progressed.

“We moved to a new phase in the war,” he said in a statement delivered in Hebrew.

“Tonight, the ground in Gaza shook. We attacked above ground and below ground. We attacked terrorist operatives at all levels, in all places. The instructions to our forces are clear: the operation will continue until a new order is given,” he said. 

Some context: Earlier, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israeli ground forces were inside Gaza, having entered the enclave overnight from the north.

Israeli forces “went into the Gaza Strip and expanded the ground operation where infantry, armor and engineer units and artillery with heavy fire are taking part,” Hagari said during a press briefing in Tel Aviv. 

“The forces are in the field and continue the fighting,” he said, without giving further details. 

Additionally, the Israeli military reissued a call for civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate. That statement made reference to an impending IDF operation against Hamas in Gaza.  

A ground offensive has been widely expected following the attacks, but it does not appear as though any major operation aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.

The Palestinian Water Authority told CNN that a second line has been turned back on to bring water from Israel to central Gaza.

Gaza has three lines that bring water it purchases from Israel to the enclave. All of the lines were shut off at one point. A line that runs to southern Gaza was turned back on 10 days ago, according to the authority. 

The Palestinian Water Authority said a second line has now been restored. It has a production capacity of 15,000 cubic meters per day. 

The Palestinian Water Authority said it is working to ensure that the water reaches communities in central Gaza, but that task is difficult because it has lost communications with colleagues on the ground.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters streamed onto London’s streets on Saturday in a national “March for Palestine,” calling for a ceasefire over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

The organizers of the march, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said on Saturday afternoon that “hundreds of thousands” of people had gathered at the march. The London Metropolitan Police has not released any figures related to this procession.

In videos online, marchers were heard chanting for a “ceasefire now.”

London’s Metropolitan Police said that it was aware of the procession and that it had deployed more than 1,000 officers to police the event.

The Met also said that nobody involved in the Palestine Solidarity Campaign march would be allowed to gather near the Israeli embassy in London.

In another pro-Palestinian solidarity march that took place last Saturday, up to 100,000 people were estimated to have attended, according to police estimates. 

The Israeli military’s expansion of its ground operation in Gaza has alarmed families of hostages seized during the Hamas attacks.

“It was a long and sleepless night, against the backdrop of the major IDF operation in the Strip, and absolute uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages held there, who were also subject to the heavy bombings.

“Anxiety, frustration, and especially enormous anger that none of the war cabinet bothered to meet with the families of the hostages to explain one thing - whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages in Gaza.”

Here’s what we know about the hostages:

Efforts continue: The White House said Friday that it would continue to work to secure the release of hostages. “We are working as hard today as we were yesterday and the day before and the day before to get these hostages home,” National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby told CNN. Kirby maintained the US still supports a humanitarian pause – or pauses – in fighting for the release of hostages, but refused to discuss Israeli military operations. It comes after US President Joe Biden earlier this week denied asking Israel to hold off a ground invasion while hostages remain in captivity.

What the IDF is saying: Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Friday to “disregard rumors” when asked about a possible deal to release the hostages in Gaza, saying that “any relevant information will be given to the families first once it’s confirmed, and then we’ll notify the public.” Hagari said the IDF had notified the families of 310 fallen IDF soldiers and 229 hostages of the expanding ground operations in the Gaza Strip. “We’re committed to the national task of returning all hostages,” he said.

Earlier reports of progress: Prior to the expanded ground campaign, diplomatic sources familiar with the negotiations told CNN that there has been “significant progress” in the talks, but there were issues still remaining. A US official told CNN there had been progress on the hostages but it’s still “all very touch and go.” They voiced caution around the idea that there has been a “breakthrough.” Qatar and Egypt have been mediating between Israel, the US and Hamas to release the hostages.

Four freed: Hamas has released a total of four hostages since its October 7 attacks. Last Friday two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, were released following negotiations between Qatar and Hamas. On Monday, Yocheved Lifshitz, a frail 85-year-old grandmother, was released alongside her neighbor and friend Nurit Cooper, 79. Lifshitz said she “went through hell” and described being taken to a network of tunnels.

Scores remain captive: Among those being held are people from countries including Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Germany and Thailand, as well as Israeli civilians and soldiers. Among them is Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman, who last week appeared in a video clip released by Hamas. Speaking into the camera, Schem, who looks pale but is sitting up straight with her head held high, says she was injured and taken to Gaza, then pleads to be returned to her family.

Around 300 people were arrested Friday after a large group of demonstrators from a Jewish group gathered in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, according to police. 

A spokesperson for the New York Police Department told CNN the arrests range from charges of disorderly conduct to trespassing. Some were given a criminal court summons. 

The NYPD said the exact number of charges is unknown at this time. Police were not able to estimate the total number of demonstrators in the area Friday evening. 

The Israeli military has reiterated its call for residents in northern Gaza to evacuate.

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, “This is an urgent military advisory from the Israel Defence Forces. For your immediate safety, we urge all residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily relocate south.” 

Hagari made reference to what he described as a coming IDF operation against Hamas in Gaza.  

“The impending IDF operation is set to neutralize the threat of Hamas with precision and intensity,” he said. “To the residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City, your window to act is closing… Move south. This is not a mere precaution, it is an urgent plea.”

Some background: The latest warnings from Israel came after the IDF said Friday it would expand its ground operation following the October 7 Hamas attacks.

A ground offensive has been widely expected following the attacks, but it does not appear as though any major operation aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday of potentially “catastrophic consequences” in Gaza if Israel pushes further with large-scale ground operations. 

“Thousands have already died, many of them children. Given the manner in which military operations have been conducted until now, in the context of the 56-year-old occupation, I am raising alarm about the possibly catastrophic consequences of large-scale ground operations in Gaza and the potential for thousands more civilians to die” he said in a statement. 

The commissioner said that Israel’s bombardment of Gaza Friday night took “this terrible crisis to a new level of violence and pain” and that damaging communications infrastructure put the population of Gaza in “grave danger.”

He said more violence was not the answer and called on “all parties as well as third States” to do what they could to de-escalate the conflict. 

Some context: The Israeli military said ground forces were inside Gaza Saturday morning, after announcing Friday it would expand its ground operation following the October 7 Hamas attacks that left 1,400 dead and over 200 taken hostage. 

Gaza residents told CNN that Friday’s airstrikes were the most intense they had experienced since Israel began to retaliate against Hamas around three weeks ago. 

Since then, at least 7,650 people have been killed and over 19,000 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to figures released Saturday by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah drawn from sources in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that health workers, patients, and civilians in Gaza spent the night “in darkness and fear,” due to a communications and electrical blackout across the Gaza strip.

“During a night of intense bombardment and ground incursions in Gaza, with reports of hostilities still continuing, health workers, patients and civilians have been subject to a total communication and electrical blackout,” WHO wrote in post on X.

According to WHO, hospitals across Gaza are operating at maximum capacity, unable to take in new patients whilst also “sheltering thousands of civilians.”

“There are more [people] wounded every hour,” WHO said. “But ambulances cannot reach them in the communications blackout. Morgues are full. More than half of the dead are women and children.”

WHO reiterated its call for “immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” writing that safe passage must also be ensured for “desperately needed medical supplies, fuel, water and food into and across Gaza.”

“WHO appeals to the humanity in all those who have the power to do so to end the fighting now, in line with the UN resolution adopted yesterday, calling for a humanitarian truce, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held captive.”

Some context: Many are struggling to get in touch with people in Gaza after communications links were badly disrupted by an aerial assault overnight.

The last standing major internet operator in the region, Paltel, experienced damage to its international routes, according to NetBlocks, an internet outage monitoring firm based in London.

A group lobbying for the families of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas say they are racked with anxiety that Israel’s expanded ground operation will put the hostages in more danger.

 “This night was the most terrible of all nights. It was a long and sleepless night, against the backdrop of the major IDF operation in the Strip, and absolute uncertainty regarding the fate of the hostages held there, who were also subject to the heavy bombings,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on Saturday.
 “Anxiety, frustration, and especially enormous anger that none of the war cabinet bothered to meet with the families of the hostages to explain one thing - whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages in Gaza,” they continued. 

Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old American who was wounded and kidnapped by Hamas at an Israeli music festival, said in a separate statement that the expansion of Israel’s ground operation in Gaza was “of extreme concern to us.”

“We pray for the safety and security of the Israeli soldiers on the frontlines as they begin their mission and the safety of all hostages and innocent lives. We implore all world leaders, especially of the 33 countries represented among the hostages, to take urgent and immediate action to bring all the hostages safely home. There is not a moment to waste,” they said. 

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters on Friday that they had notified the families of the hostages about the expanded operations.

Some context: The Israeli military’s expansion of its ground operation in Gaza has thrown into question the fate of the more than 200 hostages who remain inside the besieged enclave.

Hamas has released a total of four hostages since its October 7 attacks, but the IDF estimates that 224 remain trapped inside Gaza.

The hostages include Israeli civilians and soldiers as well as foreign nationals and children as young as 9 months. Among them are scores of hostages holding foreign passports from 25 different countries, including Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Germany and Thailand, according to the Israeli government.

Near the Gaza border, staging grounds once teeming with hundreds of Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers and bulldozers have mostly emptied out. Logistics support vehicles and armored personnel carriers flowed toward Gaza. 

Meanwhile, other tanks traveled north, returning to those same staging grounds north of the border after a night of heavy fighting in Gaza.

These are the scenes CNN observed Saturday morning, more than 12 hours after Israel launched what it described as an “expanded ground operation” in northern Gaza.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Saturday morning that Israeli forces remain “in the field and continue the fighting.”

The signs of Israel’s incursion into northern Gaza the previous evening were clearly visible as CNN returned to multiple staging grounds north of the Gaza Strip, which days earlier were filled with tanks and armored personnel carriers pointed toward Gaza.

Near the staging grounds, north-south tread marks on the surrounding roads marked the routes where tanks charged forward toward Gaza. Fields once teeming with tanks and armored personnel carriers were mostly filled with the trash left behind by troops given orders to mobilize. 

CNN also observed some tank units returning from the direction of Gaza, back to their forward operating positions. But unlike the tank raids the IDF carried out inside Gaza the two previous nights, many troops that charged into Gaza Friday night remained inside enemy territory as the IDF said its troops were still fighting Hamas inside Gaza Saturday morning.

The Israeli military says it is inside Gaza after announcing Friday it would expand its ground operation following the October 7 Hamas attacks. A spokesman said “the forces are in the field and continue the fighting.”

Israel has pounded the territory with more airstrikes after what Gazans called Friday night the heaviest bombardment of the conflict so far.

Below are the latest developments…

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon overnight, after the militant group fired rockets towards Israeli territory on Friday. 

“Yesterday (Friday), Hezbollah terrorists attempted to launch rockets toward Israeli territory. The rockets fell in Syria. Overnight in response, an IDF fighter jet struck Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement. 

In a separate update on Saturday morning, the Israeli military said it used a UAV to strike a “terrorist cell” in Lebanon on Saturday after that “cell” tried to launch anti-tank missiles towards Israel. 

“A short while ago, a terrorist cell attempted to launch anti-tank missiles from Lebanon toward northern Israel, near Kibbutz Hanita,” the IDF said in a statement. “An IDF UAV struck the cell.” 

The IDF and Hezbollah have exchanged fire repeatedly along the Israel-Lebanon border in tit-for-tat skirmishes since the war began.

On Friday, Hezbollah said it used guided missiles to attack Israeli military positions in the disputed Shebaa farms area – controlled by Israel but claimed by Lebanon – as well as several other Israeli border locations.

Lt. Gen. James Glynn – the US Marine Corps three-star general who went to Israel to counsel the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – has returned home, according to Marine Corps commandant Gen. Eric Smith, in comments to reporters in DC on Friday. 

“Jim’s home, I talked to him last night,” Smith said. “Lt. Gen. Glynn went over to provide advice. But make no mistake – what is, has or will unfold in Gaza is purely an Israeli decision… He provided his expertise as the lead planner for a first marine expeditionary force going into the battle of Fallujah. He was asked to go over… and say, ‘Here’s what I learned,’ so we would call that a professional military exchange. He was over, he’s back now and he provided his experience to be taken, (or) not taken.”

Glynn is currently the deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and was previously the commander of Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). 

Some context: As CNN previously reported, the US and its allies have urged Israel to be clear about its goals in Gaza for a broader operation targeting the coastal enclave.

The US has warned against a prolonged occupation of Gaza and has placed a particular emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties, US and Western officials told CNN.

At least publicly, Israeli officials have articulated their plans only in broad strokes, saying that the goal is to eliminate Hamas and its infrastructure.

Previous reporting by CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann, MJ Lee and Katie Bo Lillis

The World Health Organization has lost contact with its staff in Gaza, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday.

“Reports of intense bombardment in Gaza are extremely distressing,” Tedros wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “We are still out of touch with our staff and health facilities. I’m worried about their safety.”

The WHO chief said that the evacuation of patients is not possible due to the bombardment, and that it is not possible to “find safe shelter.”

“The blackout is also making it impossible for ambulances to reach the injured,” he said.

The WHO “appeals to all those who have the power to push for a ceasefire to act NOW,” Tedros wrote. 

The remarks from Ghebreyesus after several United Nations agencies reported losing contact with the Gazan staff amid severe communications interruptions.

Gaza is approaching a near total internet blackout as the region suffered its worst loss in connectivity today since fighting first broke out on October 7.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are conducting heavy artillery strikes against northern Gaza, with multiple explosions heard every minute.

A CNN team on the ground at an Israeli checkpoint near the Gaza Strip perimeter is observing and hearing intense and continuous explosions and air power. Smoke can also be seen rising from the enclave.

Some of the explosions are so strong that the impact can be felt physically where the team is, around a kilometer from the border.

The IDF reserve soldiers who are manning the position told CNN that Friday night was by far the most intense night of bombing. They have been in the area since October 7 when Hamas launched attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people and saw hundreds taken as hostages.

They said that while there have been many alerts of incoming fire coming from Gaza in the past three weeks, there were only a few on Friday and none so far on Saturday.

They said the bombardment observed and heard on Saturday morning is far less intense than overnight.

Israeli troops have cleared out a large perimeter around the Gaza Strip, fearing incoming anti-tank weapons.

Israeli ground forces are inside Gaza having entered the enclave overnight from the north, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said Saturday morning.

Israeli forces “went into the Gaza Strip and expanded the ground operation where infantry, armor and engineer units and artillery with heavy fire are taking part,” Hagari said during a press briefing in Tel Aviv. 

“The forces are in the field and continue the fighting,” he said without giving further details. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman’s words confirm the military operation has undergone a significant expansion after what it had earlier described as two “targeted raids,” which took place on Wednesday night and Thursday night. Both those raids saw ground forces withdraw after a few hours. 

However, it does not appear as though any major ground offensive aimed at seizing and holding significant amounts of the territory is yet underway.

Hagari said the army had suffered no casualties in overnight fighting, and added, “we keep doing everything in order to keep our forces safe.”

The IDF spokesperson said Gazans who had moved south of Wadi Gaza, a waterway bisecting the centre of the strip, were in an area he called a “protected space,” and would receive more food, water and medicine today, though he did not give any details. 

Hagari also reiterated his appeal to disregard rumours of a hostage deal with Hamas, calling it a cynical move by the group aimed at promoting what he called “psychological terror.” 

“Returning the hostages home is of highest national effort. And all our operational activities are directed towards the realization of this goal,” he said. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says its warplanes have struck 150 underground targets overnight as it is “expanding ground operations” in the Gaza Strip. 

Among those killed was Asem Abu Rakaba, the man in charge of Hamas’ aerial assets, who helped plan the October 7 attacks on Israel and “directed the terrorists who infiltrated Israel on paragliders,” the IDF said.

A major Israeli ground offensive has been expected since Hamas’ initial attacks, but it is not yet clear whether the IDF’s announcement signals the start of it.

Here are the latest developments…

People gathered at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on Saturday morning to mourn loved ones lost in a night of intense Israeli airstrikes. 

Video captured by CNN shows multiple bodies, including those of children, covered in white shrouds or thick blankets, placed on the ground in the hospital yard.

Dr. Khalil Al-Dikran told CNN the hospital had received 22 bodies overnight and hundreds of injured. He said people had brought the dead and the wounded to hospital using everything from cars, bikes, and donkey carts.

Hospitals have lost contact with each other, he said, after communications networks were cut across the Gaza Strip.

Al-Dikran also said that after a pause of several hours, airstrikes had resumed again in central and northern Gaza.

Artillery fire had continued uninterrupted through the night, he said.

The Israeli military says its warplanes hit 150 underground targets overnight and killed the head of Hamas’ aerial operations.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had struck what it called terror tunnels and underground combat spaces during a period of very heavy air strikes on the north of the Gaza Strip.

Among several Hamas operatives killed, the military said, was the man in charge of Hamas’s aerial assets, who it named as Asem Abu Rakaba. 

Abu Rabaka was responsible for Hamas’s UAVs, drones, and paragliders, as well as its aerial detection and aerial defense systems, the IDF said in a statement.

He had taken part in planning the October 7 attack on Israeli communities close to the Gaza border and “directed the terrorists who infiltrated Israel on paragliders,” according to the IDF.

Questions swirled around the extent of the Israel Defense Forces’ operation in Gaza overnight as the sun rose Saturday on a quiet, foggy morning in southern Israel.

In the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, heavy bombardment, sustained artillery fire and the roar of fighter jets were heard from the direction of the coastal enclave overnight in what appeared to be the busiest night of fighting during Israel’s war with Hamas.

The IDF said Friday it was “expanding ground operations” in the Gaza Strip and “operating forcefully.” It has not given more details about the number of troops that have entered the enclave.

A substantial Israeli ground offensive has been expected ever since the October 7 attacks, in which Hamas killed more than 1,400 people and took some 200 others to Gaza as hostages. However, it is not yet clear whether the IDF announcement of an expanded operation signals the start of that push.

Meanwhile, Hamas militants continued firing rockets into Israel overnight — several alarms indicating incoming rockets were heard late into the evening in towns north of Gaza.

Early on Saturday, the sounds of war have mostly quietened, with only sporadic thunders of explosions heard in the distance.

All eyes are now on what Israel does next.

Earlier, an Israeli government spokesperson confirmed the IDF was “expanding its ground operations,” in Gaza but said he would not comment further on the status of the military action.

“But it’s important to understand what’s coming up,” spokesperson Eylon Levy told CNN. “The days ahead are going to be long, they’re going to be difficult, because we’re going to go after the totality of the Hamas terror and governing infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip.” 

Yanir Ishay has thrown away three boxes of cigarettes in the past two weeks.

He said he thought he could smell death on them, having carried the packets in his pockets while collecting human remains from the sites of Hamas’ terror attack in southern Israel. Then his wife told him they were brand new — he’d just bought them.

“That’s when I realized the smell was in my mind, not in the box,” he told CNN.

Ishay is one of 120 volunteers – all of them men – working with ZAKA, a religious search and rescue organization, to recover the bodies of people killed near the Israel-Gaza perimeter by Hamas militants on October 7. Israeli authorities say more than 1,400 people were killed in the attack.

Weeks on, ZAKA volunteers are still collecting remains.

“With all the preparations and with all the experience, never in our worst nightmares have we ever imagined we would see anything like what we have seen here,” Snir Elmalih, a longtime ZAKA member, told CNN at a cemetery in Ashdod, where he was working on Friday.

He and other volunteers told CNN the victims of the massacre included whole families, little children, babies, even pregnant women, and that their bodies were found in a horrific state – mutilated and burnt.

ZAKA has long worked in Israel and around the world, responding to terror attacks, accidents and disasters. Most of its members are deeply religious orthodox Jewish men and their mission is driven by the desire to ensure everyone, no matter what the circumstances of their death, can get a proper Jewish burial.

“We believe that the respect for the dead is no less important – and sometimes more important – than the respect for the living,” Elmalih said.

READ MORE: Israel’s body collectors encounter horrors beyond their worst nightmares

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated “the importance of protecting civilians during the Israel Defense Forces’ operations” in a call Friday with the Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, according to a Pentagon readout. 

Austin also emphasized the urgent need for “humanitarian aid delivery for civilians in Gaza” and for Hamas to release all hostages, the Pentagon said.

Austin’s call comes as the Israel Defense Forces announced it is “expanding ground operations” in the Gaza Strip and “operating forcefully” on all fronts to fulfill its goals in the war with Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told international news organizations that they cannot guarantee the safety of journalists reporting from Gaza, according to a Reuters report published Friday. 

International news agencies Reuters and Agence France Presse (AFP) contacted the Israeli military this week for assurance their journalists on the ground in Gaza would not be targeted by Israeli airstrikes. 

The IDF responded in a letter to both agencies saying they are “targeting all Hamas military activity throughout Gaza” and “[u]nder these circumstances, [they] cannot guarantee [their] employees’ safety, and strongly urge [them] to take all necessary measures for their safety.”

The letter also said Hamas deliberately put military operations “in the vicinity of journalists and civilians,” Reuters wrote. Hamas did not immediately respond when asked if these allegations put forth by the IDF were true, Reuters said. 

Reuters and AFP have both expressed concern over the safety of journalists in Gaza, Reuters stated. 

“The situation on the ground is dire, and the IDF’s unwillingness to give assurances about the safety of our staff threatens their ability to deliver the news about this conflict without fear of being injured or killed,” Reuters explained in a statement in response to the IDF’s letter.
“We are in an incredibly precarious position and it’s important that the world understands that there is a large team of journalists working in extremely dangerous conditions,” AFP Global News Director Phil Chetwynd said.

CNN is a client of Reuters and AFP, regularly using live and recorded video feeds from the news agencies. 

Several United Nations agencies report they have lost contact with their local staff in Gaza, as most of the communication capabilities of the enclave appear to have been interrupted.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that the organization has lost touch with its staff as well as with its “health facilities, health workers and the rest of our humanitarian partners on the ground.” 

Lynn Hastings, the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator in Palestine, also took to X to say that “Gaza has lost contact with the outside world amid reports of intensified bombardment.”

The UN’s Children’s Fund executive director, Catherine Russell, said in a post on X that she is “extremely concerned” about her team in Gaza after losing touch with them.

“All humanitarians and the children and families they serve MUST be protected,” Russell said. 

Communications in Gaza have been severely disrupted in the past several hours as a result of airstrikes, the main Palestinian telecoms company says, although those with Israeli or eSIMs still have patchy connection.

Gaza is approaching a near total internet blackout as the region suffered its worst loss in connectivity today since fighting first broke out on October 7.

The last standing major internet operator in the region, Paltel, experienced damage to its international routes, according to NetBlocks, an internet outage monitoring firm based in London. Many Palestinians are experiencing a total loss of internet access and the ability to communicate electronically, according to the data, while some may have very little connectivity.

Jawwal, another Palestinian telecom company that provides mobile service to the Gaza Strip, also released a statement Friday, saying “the intense bombardment in the past hour has resulted in the destruction of all remaining international routes connecting Gaza with the outside world” leading to a “complete interruption of telecommunications services.”

Internet connections are likely to worsen as the Israel Defense Forces announced its “expanding ground operations.”

Those with Israeli or international SIM cards are still reporting some internet access.

Israel is rejecting a call for a ceasefire in Gaza approved by the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, with the country’s foreign minister calling it “despicable” in a post on social media.

“We reject outright the UN General Assembly despicable call for a ceasefire,” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS.”

The UN General Assembly voted Friday to approve a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the war between Israel and Hamas. A total of 120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 14 countries, including the US and Israel, voted against it. Another 45 countries abstained from the vote.

In a speech following the resolution’s passage, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said, “Today is a day that will go down in infamy. We have all witnessed that the UN no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance.”

“The majority of the international community has shown that it prefers to support the defense of Nazi terrorists rather than support the law-abiding state of Israel to defend its civilians,” he said. 

A new, exclusive CNN analysis, aided by artificial intelligence (AI), has identified a significant amount of the destruction across Gaza in satellite imagery. 

Large swaths of buildings around Gaza City, Beit Lahya and Beit Hanoun have been destroyed. A big amount of the damage that CNN was able to confirm is in northern Gaza.

Hundreds of craters across northern Gaza have also been identified.

CNN was able to identify the areas of destruction in Gaza through satellite imagery from Planet Labs, and by working with Synthetaic — a company that utilizes AI to identify and classify data, including satellite imagery.

Using imagery of the entire Gaza Strip from Planet Labs, Synthetaic is analyzing and comparing it through its proprietary AI-driven Rapid Automatic Image Categorization (RAIC) system, looking for destruction such as damaged and destroyed buildings, as well as impact craters. Aided by what RAIC identified as destruction, CNN is taking the Planet Labs imagery and conducting its own analysis to independently confirm the destruction.

The result is a snapshot of the destruction that’s occurred across Gaza.  

CNN’s analysis is continuing, and is expected to identify other areas of destruction across Gaza, especially as the Israel Defense Forces continues to expand its ground operations there. It also differs from CNN’s previously analysis, which used Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar to determine damage.

A total, comprehensive map of the destruction in Gaza is impossible without an on-the-ground survey.

View the satellite imagery and CNN’s analysis.