A first aid ship, carrying 200 tons of much-needed food, has begun unloading supplies in Gaza as part of new efforts to ease a humanitarian crisis. However, aid agencies have repeatedly warned that no method of relief is as effective as delivery by land.
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official told CNN he “cannot reassure anyone” that hostages in Gaza are safe. Basem Naim also rejected a UN special representative’s finding of “clear and convincing information” that some of them were sexually abused.
Our live coverage of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has moved here.
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Houthis fire 3 missiles toward the Red Sea on Friday, US military command says
Iranian-backed Houthis fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea on Friday, according to the US Central Command.
There were no injuries or reported damage to any ships, CENTCOM said.
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At least 95 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, journalism advocacy group says
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Mourners pray during the funeral of Palestinian journalist Mohammed Abu Hattab, who was killed in an Israeli strike, in Khan Younis, Gaza, on November 3.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
At least 95 journalists have been killed in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon since the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
As of March 15, CPJ’s preliminary investigations documented 90 Palestinians, two Israelis, and three Lebanese journalists died during the Israel-Hamas war.
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Senior Hamas member says hostage deal must include Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Catch up on the latest
From CNN staff
Basem Naim, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, told CNN that he cannot provide any assurances about the wellbeing of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, “because all these war prisoners are facing the same bombardment and starvation our people (are) facing on the ground.”
He also denied the allegations that the hostages were sexually abused.
Israel said the latest Hamas demands, which include calls for a large number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, were ridiculous” and “absurd” but said it will send a negotiating team to Qatar in the coming days to continue negotiations.
Here are some other developments:
Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque: An estimated 80,000 Muslim worshippers attended the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, according to the Islamic endowment department in Jerusalem. It concluded without incident amid a raging debate in Israel over whether to reduce the number of worshippers at the mosque, which holds profound religious significance for Muslims as the third holiest site in Islam.
Australia to resume funding UNRWA: The Australian government said it would resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following steps to strengthen the integrity of the organization’s operations. The government said it is “responding to a humanitarian situation in Gaza which is dire.” It said its decision was “in line with steps taken by Canada, Sweden and the EU.”
Attack in the Red Sea: A merchant ship in the Red Sea was “struck by a missile,” resulting in damage to the vessel, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a warning note, adding that the incident happened 76 nautical miles west of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah. It did not specify the nationality or flag of the vessel. The crew was reported safe and the vessel was proceeding to its next port of call.
A new US resolution at UNSC: The United States has drafted a resolution to put to the UN Security Council that expresses concern about any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, and suggests that the US is underlining its insistence that a temporary halt in hostilities is linked to efforts to reach a long-term ceasefire. The draft is subject to further changes and amendments and is not yet scheduled for a vote.
Israel denies responsibility for violence in Kuwait Square: The Israel Defense Forces claimed that a preliminary review found that Israeli forces “did not open fire at the at the aid convoy in Kuwait Square” in northern Gaza on Thursday when more than 20 people waiting for food aid were reported killed. On Friday, the IDF released video it claimed showed Palestinian gunmen “opening fire in the midst of Gazan civilians.” CNN cannot independently verify the content of the video, the location or the time.
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Israel's military claims video shows "Palestinian gunmen" opening fire in the midst of Gazans waiting for food
From CNN's Amir Tal and Mohammed Tawfeeq
The Israeli military released a video Friday that it claimed shows “Palestinian gunmen opening fire in the midst of Gazan civilians” as they waited for desperately needed food in Gaza City on Thursday.
The Israel Defense Forces’ aerial video does not show clear details on whether the people in the video were carrying guns or opening fire on civilians around them. CNN can not independently verify the content of the video, the location or the time.
The Israel Defense Forces said the events in the video happened “about an hour before the humanitarian aid convoy entered the area” of the Kuwait roundabout in Gaza City on Thursday. The roundabout is an area where aid trucks are known to pass out food and where crowds of people frequently gather.
What Gazans have said: While the IDF denies opening fire on civilians Thursday, the video does not disprove claims made by the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza and eyewitness accounts that CNN previously reported.
The health ministry said at least 20 people were killed and 155 were wounded by Israeli shelling as they sought humanitarian aid at the roundabout. Eyewitnesses said the area was struck by what sounded like tank or artillery fire.
A man identifying himself as Ibrahim Al-Najar, who went to Al-Shifa Hospital after the reported attack, said: “We were sitting there, and there was nothing. Suddenly, they bombarded us with shells.”
Hamas continues to demand complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in ceasefire talks
From CNN's Abeer Salman
Hamas demands still include the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and allowing the return of residents in Gaza to their homes, a senior Hamas official told CNN on Friday, in regard to ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Naim also warned Netanyahu and his government against invading the southernmost city of Rafah, where an estimated 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, as the Israel Defense Forces gears up for a planned offensive.
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US is "cautiously optimistic" ahead of ceasefire talks in Doha, White House official says
From CNN's Betsy Klein
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on March 15.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
The US expressed cautious optimism about the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, and a proposed deal from Hamas, despite the Israeli prime minister’s office calling it “unrealistic.”
The most recent proposal from Hamas is “certainly within the bounds of – in broad brushstrokes – within the bounds of the deal that we’ve been working on now for several months. I don’t want to go into more detail than that,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House on March 15.
Andrew Harnik/AP
The US, he noted, is not participating in next week’s in-person meetings in Doha, but has been involved in the conversations and will “stay engaged.”
“The fact that we’re physically not going to have a delegation there should not be taken as any kind of signal that this isn’t a serious, positive move forward. We think it could be,” he told CNN.
While he was optimistic, he acknowledged the agonizing process for the families of hostages as they watch the process take its course: “It’s just another set of agonizing days to wait, and we understand that, too. … We’re cautiously optimistic that things are moving in a good direction, but that that doesn’t mean that it’s done, and we’re going to have to stay at this to the very, very end.”
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Senior Hamas official tells CNN he "cannot reassure anyone" that hostages in Gaza are safe
From CNN's Jeremy Diamond and Abeer Salman
Basem Naim speaks at a press conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2023.
Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty Images/File
A senior Hamas official told CNN that he cannot provide any assurances about the wellbeing of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, but rejected a United Nations special representative’s finding that there is “clear and convincing information” that some of them have been sexually abused.
In a wide-ranging and sometimes contentious Zoom interview from his office in Istanbul, Turkey, Naim spoke to CNN on Wednesday about the state of ceasefire negotiations with Israel, the fate of 130 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, and Hamas’ share of responsibility for the widespread devastation unleashed by the Israeli military in Gaza in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,200 people.
During the interview, Naim rejected defining Hamas’ attacks as terrorism, falsely claiming that his organization does not target civilians. Instead, he blamed Israel for carrying out what he claimed is “state terrorism” in Gaza and reiterated Hamas’ calls for Palestinians to join in “armed resistance” against Israel during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began Sunday night.
Israel has denied targeting civilians and accuses Hamas of hiding behind civilian infrastructure. More than 31,000 people, a majority of whom are women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli military campaign began, according to the health ministry in the enclave.
Palestinian father in southern Gaza says his sick and starving child "has become like a skeleton"
From CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman and Sana Noor Haq
Left: Hassan is pictured in a Gaza City wedding hall in August 2023. Right: Hassan at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on March 12.
Courtesy Muhammad Hassan Abu Watfa
Muhammad Hassan Abu Watfa, 30, prays that his little son, Hassan, will live through the war in Gaza. But as a parent, he is helpless.
The father and son, displaced in the European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, have survived Israeli air strikes, besiegement and forced displacement from Gaza City in northern Gaza.
Muhammad Hassan Abu Watfa in Khan Younis, Gaza, last month. He was severely wounded by a strike while trying to buy bread in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, in northern Gaza, on October 16. His right foot was amputated twice.
Courtesy Muhammad Hassan Abu Watfa
Israel’s military campaign since the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has crushed the Gazan medical system and drastically diminished critical supplies, exposing the entire population of more than 2.2 million people to severe malnutrition, dehydration and disease.
At least 27 Palestinians have starved to death in Gaza, including newborn babies, pediatric doctors told CNN.
“He has become like a skeleton. His health condition is very bad. I do not know what to do,” added Watfa. “Please, help my son get out of Gaza for treatment. I don’t care about my own injuries. My son should be the priority to receive treatment. I do not want to lose him.”
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Aid ship arrives in Gaza as Israel says it approved "plans for action" in Rafah. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Israel will review the latest response from Hamas in the talks for a ceasefire and hostage release, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said Friday, and a delegation is likely to travel to Qatar early next week for further talks.
A diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN it’s “not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to Hamas’ terms in the latest proposal, while another diplomatic source said mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.”
Relatives of hostages gathered in protest outside the Israeli military headquarters on Friday, calling on the government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “make a decision that will save our beloved ones.”
Here’s what else you need to know:
Israel approves plan for Rafah: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “approved the plans for action in Rafah,” his office said in a statement Friday, adding that the Israel Defense Forces is preparing for the same. This comes after Israel said it intends to move displaced Palestinians from Rafah to “humanitarian enclaves” in Gaza before any Israeli military assault, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Wednesday. The White House says it has not seen any plans from Israel related to Rafah.
Aid ship reaches Gaza: A Spanish aid ship reached the central Gaza shoreline and the first pallet of aid was offloaded successfully on Friday, according to the nongovernmental organization World Central Kitchen, which helped organize the mission that set off from Cyprus on Tuesday. The 200 tons of food aid onboard is being moved to smaller boats off the shore of the Gaza City neighborhood of Sheikh Ajleen, the nonprofit said.
Acute malnutrition doubles in a month in northern Gaza: The United Nations agency for children on Friday reported an increase in acute malnutrition rates among children in the northern Gaza Strip, with figures doubling within just one month. At least 23 children have died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza in recent weeks, according to UNICEF.
Israeli delegation likely heading to Doha early next week for hostage release talks, officials say
From Amir Tal in Tel Aviv
People look at posters with photos of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 8.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
An Israeli delegation is likely traveling to Doha early next week for further talks on a ceasefire-hostage release deal, an Israeli official with direct knowledge told CNN Friday.
Israel’s war cabinet will convene on Saturday evening to discuss and formulate the guidelines for the delegation, the official said.
The delegation will go to Doha after Hamas submitted a new response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators in the ongoing talks, which the source called “extreme and absurd.”
A second Israeli official who spoke to CNN on Friday said Israel will make a decision by the end of Saturday about the scope of the mandate given to the negotiating team and will authorize the mediators to promote indirect negotiations with Hamas.
The delegation is expected to depart at the beginning of next week, the second Israeli official said.
The Israeli and Hamas delegations are both set to be in Doha at the same time, but not sitting in the same room.
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US is sending a floating dock the size of a football field to the Gaza coast to help with aid delivery
From CNN's Haley Britzky
Service members load up the M/V Roy Benavidez
Haley Britzky/CNN
US service members and their civilian counterparts in Newport News, Virginia, are working to load up the M/V Roy Benavidez, a roll-on/roll-off vessel that will transport critical cargo to help build out a floating pier off the coast of Gaza.
The vessel is carrying a roll-on/roll-off discharge facility (RRDF), which is a floating dock the size of a football field, Navy Capt. Jamie Murdock, commander of Military Sealift Command Atlantic, told reporters outside the Benavidez on Friday.
“We’ve only been going for about a week, 10 days, at this point, since the word ‘go,’” he said, adding that the vessel is nearly ready.
The Benavidez in Newport News, Virginia.
Haley Britzky/CNN
The Benavidez is being sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea as part of the joint effort to establish a floating pier that will help facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid in Gaza. Murdock said it is still being determined where specifically the Benavidez will go and when it will leave Virginia. Five total Army vessels have already left from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
Brian Carroll, the vessel master of the Benavidez, said he will have 44 civilian crew members on board supporting the military’s mission.
“I talked to everybody: ‘Be ready for the long-haul once we get out of station,’” Carroll said.
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White House doesn't answer directly when asked if Biden thinks Netanyahu is an obstacle for peace
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
The White House would not directly answer if US President Joe Biden thinks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace in Gaza, shortly after Biden praised a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that strongly criticized Netanyahu.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC that Biden “has great respect” for Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US.
Pressed on if Biden agrees with Schumer, who said that Netanyahu was standing in the way of peace, Kirby said Biden “knows that the Israeli people get to determine who their elected government representatives are, that’s what democracy is all about, and he respects that.” He also said Biden had been “candid and forthright” in discussions with Netanyahu “about ways in which we think things can be done differently.”
Asked again on if he thought Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace, Kirby reiterated that Biden would keep working with Netanyahu and the war cabinet to help alleviate suffering in Gaza. He said the White House has been “very, very frank” in discussions over the amount of aid reaching the enclave.
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Yemen's Houthis threaten to expand strikes on Israeli and US ships sailing across Indian Ocean
From CNN's Kareem Khadder and Eyad Kourdi
Yemen’s Houthi rebels warned they would expand military operations against merchant shipping to the Indian Ocean, according to a spokesperson.
Houthi forces’ spokesperson Yahya Saree said during a televised speech that the group wanted to prevent Israeli- and US-associated vessels from traversing the Indian Ocean toward the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa.
It’s a move that, if successful, could severely disrupt the primary diversion route used by commercial shipping to avoid the Houthi’s attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
On Thursday, Abdul Malek Al-Houthi, leader of the Yemeni rebels’ Houthi movement, announced intentions to prevent vessels “associated” with Israel from traversing toward the Cape of Good Hope from the Indian Ocean during a televised speech.
On Wednesday, a Houthi ballistic missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, killing three and injuring at least four.
Earlier this month, the United States and Western officials said the group launched more than 45 missile and drone attacks against commercial and US and coalition naval vessels operating in the Red Sea since the latest escalation in the region — most of which have been intercepted by US or coalition destroyers or landed harmlessly in the water.
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Blinken says intense efforts underway to close gap between Hamas and Israel in deal discussions
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there are intense efforts underway to close the gap between Israel and Hamas after a counterproposal was put forward by Hamas in the ongoing talks for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.
Blinken said the fact that Israel has sent back a team to Doha to pursue the negotiations “reflects the sense both of possibility and of urgency to get an agreement, to get a ceasefire, to get the hostages back to get even more humanitarian assistance in.”
“This is something that we’re committed to and we will work as long and as hard as it takes to get it done,” Blinken added.
The latest from sources involved: A diplomatic source told CNN that mediation efforts are moving in a positive direction “but are not there yet.” Another diplomat familiar with the discussions told CNN that it “is not going to be easy to convince Israelis” to agree to the terms in Hamas’ latest response, adding that he’s waiting for the Israeli reply and “not celebrating yet.”
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Acute malnutrition doubles within one month among children in northern Gaza, according to UNICEF
From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi
Palestinian families try to feed their children by cooking the limited food they can barely afford at Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza on Februrary 8.
Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty Images
The United Nations agency for children on Friday reported an increase in acute malnutrition rates among children in the northern Gaza Strip, with figures doubling within just one month.
At least 23 children have died from malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza in recent weeks, UNICEF added.
UNICEF’s screenings in February revealed that severe wasting, the most dangerous form of malnutrition, affects 4.5% of children in shelters and health centers, a condition that significantly increases the risk of death without immediate treatment.
The health ministry in Gaza reports that 13,450 Gazan children have been killed since October 7.
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Nonprofit confirms first pallet of aid has been offloaded after barge connected to Gaza jetty
From CNN's Muhammad Darwish, Niamh Kennedy and Alexander Marquardt
Nongovernmental organization World Central Kitchen, which organized the first aid ship to Gaza, confirmed to CNN Friday that the first pallet of aid has been offloaded successfully into the besieged enclave.
A spokesperson for the nonprofit, founded by chef José Andrés, said the pallet was offloaded after the ship’s barge was connected successfully to the purpose-built jetty in central Gaza. The jetty was rapidly assembled by workers who began construction on or after March 10, according to satellite images provided to CNN by Maxar on Thursday.
The Israeli military completed a security inspection on the ship and the aid it was carrying when it arrived, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Friday. The check was to ensure “compliance with safety standards,” the IDF said.
WCK said it also hopes to send a second aid ship to Gaza soon and began loading new supplies onto a vessel docked in the Cypriot port of Larnaca on Friday.
They also managed to load a large crane, which they hope “will assist with future maritime deliveries to Gaza.” The NGO has not yet been able to confirm when this second ship will be able to set sail toward Gaza.
More on aid to Gaza: With Palestinians in Gaza in dire need, any aid is welcome, but aid groups say maritime and airdropped aid should be complementary to land deliveries, not a substitute. Agencies and officials have repeatedly warned that no method of humanitarian relief can be as effective as delivery by land.
In a joint statement, 25 non-governmental organizations called on states to prioritize a ceasefire and increased land-based aid deliveries, warning that maritime aid may set a dangerous precedent that undermines land routes and allows for prolonged hostilities.
This post has been updated with comments from the IDF.
CNN’s Amir Tal and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting to this post
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Biden praises Schumer speech critical of Netanyahu and says it shared "serious concern" among Americans
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 15.
Press Association/AP
US President Joe Biden described Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s floor speech criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “good,” saying the New York Democrat “expressed serious concern.”
He also said that Schumer had contacted his senior staff beforehand to let the White House know he’d be making the speech.
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White House says it has not seen any plan on Rafah from Israel
From CNN's MJ Lee
The White House has not seen any plans from the Israeli government related to Rafah, a US National Security Council spokesperson told CNN, following comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office Friday approving “plans for action” in the southernmost Gazan city.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces was preparing for both “the operational side” of a military operation, as well as for the “evacuation of the population.” More than a million Palestinians are in the city, with many of them having been forced to flee there since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.
US President Joe Biden said last weekend in an interview that he viewed Israel going into Rafah as a “red line,” which the White House then attempted to walk back. White House officials have said repeatedly that the Biden administration would not condone Israel expanding its military operations into Rafah without a credible plan to protect civilians in the area.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the comments during a news conference in Vienna on Friday with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
CNN’s Michael Conte contributed reporting to this post.
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US airdrops more humanitarian aid into Gaza
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
Planes drop humanitarian aid over northern Gaza on March 15.
Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images
The US carried out its 11th airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Friday, US Central Command said in a statement.
Two C-130 Hercules aircraft and a C-17 Globemaster dropped 35,700 meals into northern Gaza, as well as 31,800 bottles of water, CENTCOM said.
“These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial activities,” the statement said.
The effort to airdrop aid into Gaza continues as the US has begun the process of establishing a floating pier to allow in far greater quantities of aid.
Some key context: While the United Nations and aid groups have welcomed the meals, they have warned that maritime or airdropped aid cannot replace aid delivered by land, which since October 7 has been increasingly restricted by Israel. Israel maintains that it is working to respond to the needs on the ground in Gaza.
