On the ground in Gaza, at least two people were killed Sunday by an Israeli drone strike on tents outside the Al-Aqsa medical complex, a hospital spokesperson said. In the north, a raid on Al-Shifa Hospital – Gaza’s largest medical facility – entered its 14th day.
Our live coverage of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza has moved here.
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New Palestinian government sworn in
From CNN staff
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa takes an oath during the swearing-in ceremony for the newly formed cabinet in Ramallah, West Bank on March 31.
Issam Rimawi/Anadolu/Getty Images
A new Palestinian government has been sworn in amid intense international pressure for the Palestinian Authority to reform.
The cabinet, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, was officially sworn in on Sunday before President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Following the ceremony, Abbas chaired a meeting of the new government, during which he said:
“Work is underway with Arab and international parties to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza,” he said at the meeting, according to WAFA.
Abbas emphasized the need for “far-reaching institutional reforms to enhance performance and provide better services to the Palestinian people everywhere.”
He added that the new government will need to focus on humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza and the revitalization of the Palestinian economy, according to WAFA.
The PA faces intense pressure from the US to reform and improve its governance in the West Bank. It has long been seen as corrupt by US politicians and Palestinians themselves.
Some background: The PA held administrative control over Gaza until 2007. Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied territories and thereafter expelled the Palestinian Authority from Gaza. Hamas has ruled the enclave since, while the PA governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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Family members of hostages attend massive protest calling for Netanyahu to resign
From Tamar Michaelis, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Benjamin Brown
A drone view shows protesters calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to resign, near the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem on March 31.
Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters
Some of the anti-government protesters who took to the streets of Jerusalem on Sunday, calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, were family members of the hostages being held in Gaza.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the current opposition leader, called on the Israeli government to pay attention to the ongoing demonstrations and the protesters’ demands.
“Present here in the crowd are families of hostages. They stood outside the Kirya (the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv), screamed their souls out, and nobody heard. They waved signs and no one saw. The Israeli government is ignoring their existence,” Lapid said while at the rally outside the Knesset in Jerusalem.
Danny Elgarat, brother of one of the hostages, Itzhak Elgarat, also called on Netanyahu to leave his position.
Thousands more protesters gathered outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, carrying flags and banners.
“Bring everyone home now. Without returning the hostages, Israel doesn’t have a justification to exist,” one of banners reads.
The Israel Police said in a statement that “a number of pyrotechnic items, including smoke flares, were set off near the demonstrators” and that one person was arrested on suspicion of being involved.
Meeting with Netanyahu: Separately, the family of an Israeli female soldier held hostage in Gaza said “no good news” came out of their meeting with Netanyahu on Sunday.
“After six months, we hoped and expected to get some good news as the negotiations progressed,” the father of 19-year-old captured soldier Naama Levy said in an interview with Israel’s Army Radio. “We received no such news. On the contrary, we are disturbed that negotiations are progressing slowly.”
This post has been updated with remarks from the family of another hostage.
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Deadly strike reported outside Gaza hospital as Israeli raid continues at another. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
At least two people were killed Sunday by an Israeli drone strike on tents outside the Al-Aqsa medical complex in central Gaza, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Thousands of displaced people are sheltering on the hospital grounds, along with several journalist teams working from tents in the area. Al-Aqsa is the only remaining functional medical facility in the central city of Deir al-Balah.
Videos of the aftermath, shared by journalists, show panic as people ran for cover and to aid the injured.
The Israeli military claimed in a statement that one of its aircraft struck an “operational Islamic Jihad command center and terrorists that operated from the courtyard” of the hospital. It did not provide evidence to support this claim.
Meanwhile, in the north, a raid on Al-Shifa Hospital — Gaza’s largest medical facility — entered its 14th day Sunday. Israel claims it has killed more than 200 militants at the facility, while Palestinians inside Al-Shifa and around it have reported civilian casualties and arrests, as well as large-scale destruction. The health ministry in Gaza says Israel is not allowing patients and medical staff to evacuate, trapping them without basic resources.
Here are more of the day’s latest headlines:
Anti-government protests in Israel: Protesters called for the release of hostages held in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s removal outside the country’s parliament Sunday. The protests marked the second day of mass anti-government demonstrations this weekend. Thousands took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea, Raanana and Herzliya on Saturday. At least 16 people were arrested, according to Israeli police.
Netanyahu speaks before surgery: In comments to media before undergoing surgery for a hernia Sunday night, Netanyahu rejected the calls for early elections, saying it would weaken the war effort. He also reiterated his commitment to invading the southern city of Rafah, saying it was necessary to defeat Hamas. Netanyahu insisted any delay of a military operation in Rafah had nothing to do with US pressure or the month of Ramadan, saying such an operation takes time to plan. Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem later confirmed the prime minister’s surgery was successful.
Talks in Cairo: Negotiations over an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal resumed in Cairo, according to Egyptian state-run media. The talks had reached a stalemate in recent days, a source told CNN on Wednesday. The resumed negotiations take place against the backdrop of massive protests in cities across the world over the weekend, where marchers demonstrated solidarity with the people of Gaza and showed their support for a ceasefire in the strip.
Aid airdrops: The Jordanian Armed Forces made 10 airdrops of humanitarian relief into northern Gaza on Sunday, according to a statement. Jordan said it has carried out 65 aid airdrops on Gaza since November 6 and 119 airdrops in cooperation with other countries. Airdrops are among the faster — but less effective — methods countries are using to try to address the hunger crisis in Gaza while Israel maintains a tight siege on ground deliveries.
World Food Programme: WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said in an interview with CBS on Sunday that the organization needs “full, unfettered access, and right now we don’t have that” in Gaza. She said the aid WFP does get into the enclave is “nothing — it really is.” She called on the Israeli government to make it clear where and when more food can be distributed.
This post has been updated to reflect Netanyahu’s surgery was completed without incident.
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Christians in Gaza observe Easter Sunday with prayers for peace instead of traditional joyous celebration
From Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman in Jerusalem and Sarah El Sirgany in London
People attend Easter Sunday Mass at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City on March 31.
AFP/Getty Images
Easter-observing Christians in Gaza participated in Holy Mass at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on Sunday with prayers for peace and hopes that those displaced by war will be able to return to their homes.
“This is a very different holiday from before. We are all in the same boat suffering from the war. This holiday was reduced to prayers and rituals,” Sister Nabila Saleh said. About a dozen worshippers from the small community of fewer than 1,000 Christians in Gaza took part in the service Sunday, after holding a vigil in darkness at the church on Saturday night.
The missing loved ones, either killed or displaced, loomed over the traditional Holy Week celebrations.
“This holiday that always had the scent of spring flowers is now mixed with the smell of blood and destruction,” Mousa Ayad, one of the attendees, said.
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Netanyahu rejects calls for early elections, saying only Hamas would benefit from them
From CNN's Benjamin Brown, Tamar Michaelis and Mohammed Tawfeeq
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on December 10.
Ronen Zvulun/Pool/Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for early elections again on Sunday, saying they would only hurt the country’s war effort.
Some context: On Sunday, protesters gathered outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to call for Netanyahu’s resignation and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
It marks the second day of mass anti-government protest this weekend, and just the latest demonstration in recent weeks. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea, Raanana and Herzliya on Saturday.
Opposition leader and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a media appearance Sunday that early elections during wartime were not ideal, but critical.
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Israel says it killed "significant" Hezbollah anti-tank commander in Lebanon airstrike
From CNN's Benjamin Brown and Charbel Mallo
The Israeli military said it killed a “significant” commander, responsible for “dozens of anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, communities and security forces” in a Hezbollah anti-tank unit in an airstrike in Lebanon Sunday.
The Israel Defense Forces said Ismail Al-Zin was killed in a strike on a vehicle near the town of Kounine in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah acknowledged Al-Zin’s death in a statement Sunday, without giving his title or saying how he died.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported a drone strike Sunday on a car near Kounine. An Israeli drone had launched a guided missile at the car, NNA said.
Sunday’s announcement came after “numerous” rockets were launched toward Israel from southern Lebanon, according to the IDF. The Israeli military said it had intercepted several of the launches. The IDF said it later struck Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and launch posts.
More anti-government protests held in Israel as Netanyahu heads in for medical procedure
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis, Jessie Gretener, Benjamin Brown and Mohammed Tawfeeq
People take part in a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and call for the release of hostages held in Gaza, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem on March 31.
Leo Correa/AP
Protesters gathered in Israel again Sunday to call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation, as the Israeli leader held a news conference and prepared for a medical procedure.
Netanyahu’s office earlier announced that he was diagnosed with a hernia on Saturday evening and would be undergoing surgery under full anesthesia tonight. Yariv Levin, who serves as the country’s deputy prime minister and justice minister, will step up as prime minister during the procedure.
Netanyahu addressed media before heading in for the surgery Sunday evening local time.
What Netanyahu said: During the news conference, the prime minister said Israeli forces have killed more than 200 people he described as militants in Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital. The Israeli military has made similar claims about its ongoing raid at the medical facility. He also reiterated his commitment to invading the southern city of Rafah, saying it was necessary to defeat Hamas.
Netanyahu vowed to return to work “very quickly” after his procedure.
Ongoing protests: As the prime minister spoke, another major protest was underway outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza and the resignation of Netanyahu. Sunday’s protests mark the second day of mass anti-government protest this weekend. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea, Raanana and Herzliya on Saturday. At least 16 people were arrested, according to Israeli police.
In anticipation of Sunday’s protests, a police spokesperson said hundreds of officers and border guard members would be deployed.
This post has been updated with comments from Netanyahu’s news conference.
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At least 2 killed by Israeli strike near Al-Aqsa medical facility, hospital spokesperson says
From Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder in Jerusalem, Lauren Izso in Tel Aviv and Sarah El Sirgany
Palestinians and journalists check the damage after an Israeli strike at a makeshift camp for displaced people in front of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on March 31.
AFP/Getty Images
An Israeli drone strike on tents surrounding the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza killed at least two people and wounded more than a dozen others Sunday, a hospital spokesperson told CNN.
Thousands of displaced people are sheltering on the hospital grounds, along with several journalist teams working from tents in the area. Al-Aqsa is the only remaining functional medical facility in the central city of Deir al-Balah.
Videos of the aftermath, shared by journalists, show panic as people ran for cover under flying debris, while others rushed toward the smoldering tents to aid the injured and put out small fires.
IDF statement: The Israeli military claimed in a statement that one of its aircraft struck an “operational Islamic Jihad command center and terrorists that operated from the courtyard” of the hospital. The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Security Agency did not provide evidence to support this claim.
The IDF said the operation was planned for “minimizing harm to uninvolved civilians” and to avoid damaging the main hospital building.
Firsthand accounts: Journalist Usama Al-Kahlout told CNN the strike was “direct targeting of the journalists’ tents,” which are surrounded by the tents of displaced people at the hospital’s emergency entrance.
Video shot by a CNN stringer shows the destruction to some of the journalists’ tents and equipment. In the footage, people are seen inspecting the damaged tarp tents and going through the blood-stained wreckage to salvage what’s left of their belongings.
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Jordan says it made 10 more aid drops into northern Gaza
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
The Jordanian Armed Forces made 10 airdrops of humanitarian relief into northern Gaza on Sunday, according to a statement.
The airdrops were carried out in cooperation with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement from the military Sunday.
“This step comes within the framework of Jordan’s keenness to provide more aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip to help them overcome the difficult conditions during the holy month of Ramadan,” the statement said.
Jordan said it has carried out 65 aid airdrops on Gaza since November 6 and 119 airdrops in cooperation with other countries.
Remember: While Jordan, the US and other countries making airdrops into Gaza are hoping to provide a lifeline to Palestinians there, the United Nations and aid agencies have questioned how effective they will be at alleviating the situation.
Airdrops are more expensive and have more limited capacity than ground deliveries. They can also lead to chaos on the ground as desperate people try to reach supplies.
Thousands have protested across the world this weekend for a ceasefire in Gaza
From CNN's Eve Brennan in London
Thousands of protesters gather to call for a ceasefire in Gaza on March 30, in London.
Phil Lewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across the world over the weekend, including in London, Paris, New York, Tunis and Amman, to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Gaza and show their support for a ceasefire in the strip.
Here’s where people have demonstrated so far:
Amman, Jordan: Police can be seen in a video published by AFP pushing back against a massive crowd of demonstrators who gathered Saturday – also known as “Land Day” – chanting, holding signs and waving Palestinian flags.
Tunis, Tunisia: In the capital, demonstrator Mona Elsayed told AFP on Saturday, “This march is the least we can do for the Palestinian people. A people who have been suffering for years. Today is ‘Land Day’ and it’s an opportunity to remind people that oppression exists. As Arabs and Muslims, we must stand by our brothers.”
Paris, France: A French-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri told AFP on Saturday that he expects France “to put an end to its complicity in this ongoing genocide (in Gaza), to totally halt the sale of arms to the Israeli occupier, and to impose a military and economic embargo on the occupying force.” Left-wing politician Manon Aubry was also among those demonstrating Saturday.
London, UK: A significant police presence could also be seen in London on Saturday as large swathes of people joined a pro-Palestinian march waving the Palestinian flag in front of a smaller pro-Israeli demonstration.
New York, US: Protesters marched through the streets chanting and banging drums.
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Pope calls for ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza in Easter Sunday message
From CNN's Christopher Lamb
Pope Francis celebrates Easter Mass at the Vatican, on Sunday, March 31.
Andrew Medichini/AP
Pope Francis reiterated his plea for an immediate ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid and the release of hostages in Gaza during his Easter Sunday message.
During his remarks, the Pope also addressed Russia’s war on Ukraine, calling for a “general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all.”
The Pope appealed for the world to stop the “strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean,” and condemned war as an “absurdity and a defeat.”
Francis also said that children caught up in war had “forgotten how to smile.”
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Yariv Levin to temporarily act as Israeli prime minister as Netanyahu undergoes hernia surgery
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis, Benjamin Brown, and Jessie Gretener
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Justice Minister Yariv Levin attend a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, in February 2023.
Abir Sultan/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo a surgery under full anesthesiaon Sunday after being diagnosed with a hernia, according to a statement from his office.
“Last night, during a routine examination, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discovered to have a hernia. In consultation with his doctors, it was decided that following the end of business today (Sunday, 31 March 2024), Prime Minister Netanyahu would be admitted to hospital for a hernia operation,” the statement outlined on Sunday.
The statement also said the operation will be performed under full anesthesia.
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, will step up as Prime Minister during the time of the surgery.
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Besieged Al-Shifa Hospital will turn into a graveyard of doctors and patients, medical staff warn
From CNN’s Sarah El Sirgany and Muhammad Darwish in London
Al-Shifa Hospital medical staff say the complex will turn into a graveyard if the Israeli siege, now on its 14th day, continues.
“The situation as reported by many of the staff is horrific and inhumane; no ventilation, cleaning conditions, water, nor minimum medication has been provided leading to septic wounds with white flies out of them,” British-Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who conducted surgeries at the hospital for years, wrote on X. He shared a message from Al-Shifa staff he says he received from a colleague in northern Gaza.
Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert, who also worked at the hospital in the past, shared a similar message he says he received from the Gaza deputy health minister Yousef Abu Al-Reech. “Patients’ companions are either executed, arrested or displaced to the south by the military which add another burden on the staff,” the message from Al-Reech read.
“The staff representative tried multiple times to convey their needs to the military leadership, however; he was met by violation and mistreatment. Prior to every negotiation attempt, soldiers undress him and leave him half naked for 3 hours at least before meeting the concerned officer,” the message shared by Gilbert continued.
Some 107 patients, including 30 paralyzed patients and 60 medical staff remain at the hospital, the media office of the Hamas run government said on Saturday. At least 400 people were killed and 1,050 houses in the vicinity of the complex were targeted during the ongoing Israeli siege, it added.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
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Israeli operations at Al-Shifa Hospital enter 2-week mark as those trapped inside run out of basic supplies
From CNN's Lauren Izso, Sarah Sirgany, Kareem Khadder and Sophie Jeong
Smoke rises above buildings during an Israeli strike in the vicinity of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on March 28.
AFP/Getty Images
The Israeli military says it is continuing its operations in and around Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for a 14th day, while forces continue to conduct operations in the Al Amal area of Khan Younis.
The Israel Defense Forces claimed it was “preventing harm” to civilians, patients and medical teams, and said it killed what it described as “terrorists barricaded in the area in close-quarters combat and located weapons in the area of the hospital.”
However, Gaza’s health ministry on Saturday said 107 patients, including 30 paralyzed patients, and 60 medical staff remain in Al-Shifa Hospital in “inhuman conditions, without water, medicine, food or electricity.”
“The occupation has prevented all attempts to evacuate these patients through international institutions,” the ministry said, adding that the lives of these patients are in grave danger.
Israel and Hamas truce talks resume in Cairo, Egyptian media report
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza hold signs during a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 26.
Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
Negotiations over a ceasefire and a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas resumed in Cairo on Sunday, Egypt’s state-run media Al-Qahera News said on Sunday, citing a security source.
CNN is reaching out to the Israeli government as well as Hamas.
Earlier this month, talks over the release of hostages and a humanitarian pause were held in Qatar’s Doha. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized an Israeli negotiating delegation to travel to Qatar and Egypt in the coming days.
Some context: CIA Director Bill Burns was also in Doha late last week to meet with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari counterparts.
Burns put forward a proposal that was accepted by Israel and sent back to Hamas, according to a source and an Israeli official. On Tuesday morning, Israel was informed that the proposal was rejected by Hamas.
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Ireland might just be Europe's most pro-Palestinian nation. Colonialism explains why
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Eoin McSweeney
Ireland has become the latest nation to say it will intervene in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, in a reflection of the country’s long-standing position of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Ireland announced this week it would file its intervention, adding to growing international pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to dial back its devastating assault on Gaza and end severe restrictions on food aid pushing Palestinians toward famine.
Its position on the Israel-Hamas conflict has made it an outlier among European governments. Zoë Lawlor, who leads the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), said there was “deep empathy and sympathy in Ireland with Palestinian people.”
That solidarity is largely born out of a shared experience of subjugation by an occupying state. The island nation was under English and then British rule for more than 800 years, after Anglo-Norman invaders seized huge stretches of land from the native Irish in the 12th Century.
Read more:
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Two people were "lightly injured" in a stabbing attack in southern Israel
From CNN's Lauren Izso and Alex Stambaugh
Two people, including an Israel Defense Forces officer, were “lightly injured” in a stabbing attack in the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva on Sunday, according to Israeli security and emergency services.
The incident took place at Be’er Sheva’s central bus station. Police said the attacker was shot and killed by security forces during the assault.
The two injured individuals were transported to the nearby Soroka Medical Center, a police statement said.
Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that the stabbing took place on Sunday.
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Israeli police arrest 16 people in Tel Aviv during anti-government protests
From CNN's Lauren Izso and Mohammed Tawfeeq
Protestors are seen in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
The Israel Police said 16 people were arrested in Tel Aviv during large protests calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza and the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The demonstrators were arrested “for disruption of traffic and road blockages,” the police said in a statement released Saturday.
Video shows police using a water cannon to disperse protesters on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv and arresting at least one person, who was taken into a police vehicle.
The footage shows a number of protesters standing in front of the water cannon, chanting: “We will not give up until things get better.”
Israel Police encouraged protesters in Tel Aviv to obey the law and avoid violent protests in a separate statement released on Saturday and posted on X.
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Fresh talks on ceasefire and hostage deal set for Cairo on Sunday, Egyptian state-run media reports
From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi
Palestinians inspect the damage to a residential building after an Israeli airstrike in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on March 29.
Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP
Negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas are expected to resume in Cairo on Sunday, Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News reported on Saturday, citing a security source.
“Egypt and the UAE continue their joint efforts to achieve progress in the negotiations between the two sides,” the security source added, according to Al-Qahera News.
CNN is reaching out to the Israeli government as well as Hamas.
Remember: Earlier this month, talks over the release of hostages and a humanitarian pause were held in Qatar. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized an Israeli negotiating delegation to travel to Qatar and Egypt in the coming days.
