April 11, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

Our live coverage of Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza has moved here.

A specialized UN committee failed to reach a consensus Thursday on Palestinian membership in the United Nations, according to the president of the UN Security Council.

Two-thirds of the committee members were in favor of moving on with membership, with many countries arguing that “Palestine fulfills all the criteria that are required” to be granted full state member status, Malta’s Ambassador and Security Council President Vanessa Frazier said. 

She added that no one explicitly objected to the membership qualifications.

Frazier also said she would circulate a draft report on the deliberations as soon as Friday. If the committee doesn’t agree on the report, it could hold another meeting to iron out any differences.

Asked whether the process of deliberating Palestinian membership in the committee is now over, Frazier said, “Unless the next step of agreeing (to) the report of the committee warrants another meeting to iron out the differences, it’s not foreseen that there would be any further committee action.”

But she noted that any UN Security Council member can still table a resolution to vote on Palestinian membership at any time, regardless of the committee’s report.

People attend the funeral procession for seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members killed in a strike in Syria, which Iran blamed on Israel, in Tehran on April 5.

Concerns about a possible Iranian attack against Israel has prompted many diplomatic conversations around the globe.

Here are some developments on diplomacy around the threat of an attack:

Meanwhile, here’s some other updates:

American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) has resumed Gaza operations “after a temporary pause” following an airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers on April 1.

Carroll said Israeli authorities informed him during a meeting Thursday that “certain measures would be taken to protect humanitarian aid workers in Gaza – including Anera’s staff.”

“With the full support of our Gaza team, we have determined that the circumstances have changed sufficiently to resume our vital humanitarian work in Gaza,” Carroll said. 

Anera on Thursday resumed “full operations in Gaza to deliver meals, food parcels, hygiene kits, tents, medical treatments, and more to families in dire need,” according to the statement.

Emergency services work at a building hit by an air strike in Damascus, Syria, on April 1.

The imperative for Tehran to “punish” Israel for the deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week might have been avoided if the attack had been condemned at the United Nations, Iran’s Mission to the UN said Thursday.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack on April 1, according to a statement from the UN spokesperson Stephan Dujarric. A Security Council discussion was held on April 2 to discuss the attack, but differences among members prevented any formal action or condemnation from taking place.

The United States is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region in response to the strike in Damascus that killed top Iranian commanders.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron speaks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, DC, on April 9.

Britain’s foreign secretary warned his Iranian counterpart on Thursday that Tehran “must not draw” the Middle East into a wider conflict following a series of escalating threats made by Iran toward Israel.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that the United Kingdom was “deeply concerned about the potential for miscalculation leading to further violence. Iran should instead work to de-escalate and prevent further attacks,” according to a post on X.

Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news agency on Thursday reported that Amir-Abdollahian had told Cameron that the silence from the UK and the United States following Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week only served to encourage Israel to continue waging war in Gaza and expand its conflict in the region.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant today to “reaffirm the US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies,” according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

The call comes a day after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel “must be punished and it will be” following a strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria that killed seven Iranian officials.

Israel “will not tolerate an Iranian attack on its territory,” the statement read, adding that the two defense leaders also discussed detailed preparations “for an Iranian attack against the State of Israel.”

Gallant said an Iranian attack on Israel could lead to a regional escalation.

It is the second discussion held between Gallant and Austin over the past week, according to the statement. Gallant expressed his appreciation for Austin’s personal commitment to the security of the State of Israel and for the deepening cooperation between the defense establishments of both countries, as well as between the Israel Defense Forces and US CENTCOM.

The US State Department has restricted the travel of US government personnel in Israel in the wake of public threats against Israel by Iran.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said he would not “speak to the specific assessments that led to us to restrict our employees and family members’ personal travel, but clearly we are monitoring the threat environment in the Middle East and specifically in Israel.”

“We have seen Iran making public threats against Israel in the past few days,” Miller said. “Israel is in a very tough neighborhood and we have been monitoring the security situation. You saw us slightly adjust for travel warnings at the beginning of this conflict and we conduct ongoing assessments all the time about the situation on the ground.”

US officials are on high alert for a potential retaliatory strike by Iran or its proxies against Israel.

A member of Hamas’ political bureau said a prisoner-hostage exchange is being discussed as part of larger ceasefire negotiations.

Naim’s statement was in response to questions from media outlets about whether Hamas has been rejecting the latest proposal, which was made in Cairo over the weekend, because it can not release 40 hostages in the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire deal.

According to an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, Hamas indicated it is currently unable to identify and track down those 40 Israeli hostages, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known. 

CNN’s record of the conditions of the hostages also suggests there are fewer than 40 living hostages who meet the proposed criteria.

Judi and Gadi Haggai

Iris Weinstein Haggai received confirmation that her father, Gadi, and her mother, Judi, were killed by Hamas during the attacks on October 7. She and her family then had an unthinkable decision to make. Could they sit shiva, as is customary for Jews after the passing of a loved one?

Judi and Gadi’s bodies were still being held by Hamas.

There was ultimately a small family gathering in Toronto, where some members of the Weinstein Haggai clan grew up and still live. Weinstein Haggai and her three siblings did not participate but watched the recordings of the Zoom gatherings afterward. 

“I felt it was very final, and my heart’s — I couldn’t bear that yet. Because I don’t have bodies to bury,” Weinstein Haggai, 38, told CNN. “To hear people talk about them, and kind of like a shiva, kind of like a ceremony — to me, it was hard. And I couldn’t really join that.”

Trying to grieve and honor the life of a deceased family member, before getting the chance to bury their bodies, is the wrenching position that numerous families of the hostages abducted by Hamas now find themselves in. Three American hostages have been confirmed dead so far: Judi Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai and Itay Chen, all dual Israel-American citizens. Their families say there can be no peace of mind until the bodies are returned.

A White House official told CNN that the recovery of the bodies remains an active and urgent part of the ongoing hostage release negotiations.

Read the full story of what the American families are saying.

 The top US general for the Middle East is currently in Israel as the region braces for a possible Iranian retaliation to Israel’s strike in Damascus, Syria.

US Central Command Gen. Erik Kurilla is “traveling throughout the region” but has moved up his meetings with Israeli military leaders because of threats from Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Thursday.

Remember: On April 1, Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria, risking a dangerous escalation in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the foreign ministers of Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night and Thursday morning to tell them that countries should be urging Iran not to escalate the conflict in the Middle East after threats made by Tehran against Israel, according to a State Department spokesperson.

What Blinken told his counterparts: “Escalation is not in anyone’s interest and that countries should urge Iran not to escalate,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing. The US has also “engaged with European allies and partners over the past few days” to deliver a similar message on Iran, he added.

What Blinken told Israel: He spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to reiterate US support for Israel against these threats, and also emphasize “the importance of Israel meeting the commitments that Prime Minister Netanyahu made to President Biden last week to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and to put in place enhanced deconfliction and coordination measures,” Miller said.

A top United Nations humanitarian official said it is clear Israel is working to ramp up humanitarian aid into Gaza, but that Israel has not yet implemented all of the measures it has announced.

Israel’s plan for more aid: The Israeli Defense Forces announced Thursday they would be building a land crossing between Israel and northern Gaza after, on Wednesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised his country would “flood Gaza with aid” deliveries. 

COGAT, the Israeli agency that coordinates the inspection and delivery of humanitarian assistance for Gaza, said the daily number of trucks entering Gaza has doubled from last week’s numbers, but UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian affairs which tracks the flow of aid into Gaza, has not reported a similar increase.

The UN’s humanitarian coordinator has welcomed the new announcements by the Israeli government but says more needs to be done to facilitate operations inside Gaza. 

McGoldrick said the logistical complications are numerous, and take time to resolve. He also said Israel’s restrictions on movement inside the strip complicate matters.

The top US humanitarian official said Wednesday it is “credible” to assess that famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

Although US officials have been sounding the alarm about the imminent risk of famine in the war-torn strip, Samantha Power, the administrator of the US Agency for International Development, is the first official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place. Power noted that the rate of malnutrition in northern Gaza prior to October 7 “was almost zero” and is now “one in three kids.”

The comments come as UNICEF says one of its vehicles was hit by “live ammunition” while waiting to enter northern Gaza from the south of the territory on Wednesday. In a statement released on X Thursday, UNICEF says the “incident has been raised with relevant Israeli authorities.”

Here’s what else to know today:

Israel aid plan: Israel plans to “flood Gaza with aid,” its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. US pressure on Israel played a role in the country’s decision to ramp up the entry of humanitarian aid he told reporters, saying Israel’s defense establishment “takes the United States very seriously.”

Gaza death toll: At least 33,545 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7 according to The Gaza Ministry of Health. The ministry added that 76,094 people have been injured in this timeframe. CNN cannot independently verify these numbers.

Hamas leader’s grandchildren killed: Four grandchildren of Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by Hamas. Initial reports suggested three of his grandchildren were killed along with three of his sons on Wednesday. Hamas confirmed the names of Haniyeh’s grandchildren as Mona, Amal, Khalid and Razan.

New military crossing: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are constructing a new land crossing from Israel to northern Gaza, according to a statement released Thursday. The IDF says it will “enable more aid to flow directly to civilians in the areas that have been challenging for trucks to access.״ 

Regional tensions: Israel is preparing for “scenarios” in locations other than Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a visit to an Israeli airbase on Thursday. Tensions have been mounting throughout the Middle East following warnings from US officials that Iran could carry out an imminent attack on US or Israeli assets in the region.

Aid workers repatriated: The families of the three British World Central Kitchen workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike last week have released statements about their loved ones, following the repatriation of their bodies to the United Kingdom. Read what they said here.

Israel polling: Only a minority of Israelis think the government will complete its four-year term, an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll released Thursday suggests, while a majority think that Hamas has succeeded in refocusing international attention on the Palestinian issue. Find out more about the poll here.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 18, 2024, addressing the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations  in Jerusalem.

Only a minority of Israelis think the government will complete its four-year term, an Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll released Thursday suggests, while a majority think that Hamas has succeeded in refocusing international attention on the Palestinian issue.

According to the survey, only about one-third of respondents think that the Israeli government will survive to the end of its four-year term. IDI found no significant difference between populations they described as Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis, with 36% of the former group and 38% of the latter group saying the government would last its term. 

Jewish Israelis identified as being politically on the Right – like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government – are more likely than those on the left or in the center to expect the government to complete its full term, but even on the right, it’s only 44%. A quarter of Jewish Israelis (24%) in the political Center think the government will last, while one in five (19%) on the left does, the polling suggests.

The Netanyahu government took office at the end of 2022. It is very rare for an Israeli government to last its entire term without early elections being called. 

The Israel Democracy Institute interviewed 755 men and women by telephone and internet between March 31 and April 3, 2024. Some 606 interviews were in Hebrew and 149 in Arabic. The margin of error on the full sample was 3.65 points.

Simon Harris outlines his key priorities in a speech before being announced as the new Fine Gael leader later today, on March 24, 2024 in Athlone, Ireland. 

Israel has slammed the new Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Simon Harris for failing to mention the hostages being held by Hamas during his first speech after being elected leader. 

Harris notably used his first speech to condemn Israel’s war in Gaza, highlighting how “men, women, and children are being slaughtered” there. He also told lawmakers that the Irish government has “not been silent on the unforgivable terrorist actions of Hamas” on October 7. 

In a blistering statement published Thursday, Israel’s foreign ministry criticized the speech, saying there are people “in Ireland who persist on being on the wrong side of history.”

“Simon Harris, the new Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland, chose to refer to the war in Gaza in his inaugural address but “forgot” to mention the 133 Israeli hostages who have been rotting in Hamas tunnels for the past six months,” the foreign ministry added. 

The foreign ministry also criticized Ireland’s recent move to intervene in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case taken by South Africa and its intention to soon recognize the statehood of Palestine. From the outset of the war, Ireland has been one of the strongest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, with politicians from across the political divide speaking out on the issue. 

In a speech days before his appointment, Harris directly addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying: “Prime Minister Netanyahu,  the Irish people could not be clearer. We are repulsed by your actions.”

The vehicle in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip, where employees from the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 2.

The families of the three British World Central Kitchen workers who were killed in an Israeli military strike last week released statements about their loved ones, following the repatriation of their bodies to the United Kingdom. 

The family of James Kirby, 47 — a military veteran who had previously served in the British armed forces in Afghanistan and Bosnia — said that they were “shocked and saddened by the sudden death of our beautiful James,” who “was loved and will be missed by so many.”

The family of James “Jim” Henderson, 33, said that they are “deeply shocked, saddened and upset at the untimely tragic death of Jim,” adding that he was a “kind, compassionate, loyal and considerate man, our shining light.”

And John Chapman, 57, said he was “an incredible husband, father, brother, son and friend who will be missed deeply and he was an inspiration to many.” 

All three families asked for privacy to grieve their losses.

Israel and Indonesia have been holding discussions over the last three months to normalize relations, two Israeli officials familiar with the matter told CNN Thursday. 

The establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel is a precondition for Indonesia’s entry into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which Jakarta is seeking to join. New entrants to the club of many of the world’s top economic powers must have diplomatic relations with all existing members, and existing members can veto applications from countries that want to join.

Israel is a member of the OECD.

Some key context: The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Indonesia – which has the world’s largest Muslim population – could take years.

CNN has reached out to the Indonesian Foreign Ministry for comment.

The talks between Israel and Indonesia were first reported on Thursday by Israel’s Ynet news. The Jakarta Post last month cited Ari Dwipayana, a senior aide to President Joko Widodo, as denying an earlier press report that Indonesia was planning to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

Earlier this week, Israel allowed an Indonesian Air Force jet to fly through Israeli air space to participate in the largest international air drop of aid to Gaza in a single day, involving nine countries and 14 aircraft. 

Samantha Power, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), speaking at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Affairs committee at the U.S. Capitol on April 10.

The top US humanitarian official said Wednesday it is “credible” to assess that famine is already happening in parts of Gaza.

Although US officials have been sounding the alarm about the imminent risk of famine in the war-torn strip, United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power is the first official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place.

Power, speaking at a congressional hearing, was asked about an assessment from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and whether it “is plausible or likely that parts of Gaza, and particularly northern Gaza, are already experiencing famine.”

“The methodology that the IPC used is one that we had our experts scrub,” Power said. “It’s one that’s relied upon in other settings and that is their assessment and we believe that assessment is credible.”

Power noted that the rate of malnutrition in northern Gaza prior to October 7 “was almost zero. And it is now one in three … kids.”

Some background: An IPC analysis from March stated that all 2.2 million people in Gaza do not have enough food to eat, with half of the population on the brink of starvation and famine projected to arrive in the north “anytime between mid-March and May 2024.” It is unclear if this is the analysis cited in the hearing. CNN has reached out to USAID.

Why this matters: The assessment is likely to fuel further calls for the Biden administration to put restrictions on its military aid to Israel. Top officials, including the US president himself, have told Israeli officials they must do more immediately to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk changes in US policy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 28.

Israel is preparing for “scenarios” in locations other than Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a visit to an Israeli airbase on Thursday. 

Tensions have been mounting throughout the Middle East following warnings from US officials that Iran could carry out an imminent attack on US or Israeli assets in the region. Iran has blamed Israel for a recent attack on its consulate in Syria which killed commanders from its elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

Speaking to Israeli air force personnel at the Tel Nof Air Base, south of Tel Aviv, the prime minister said Israel had developed a strategy in the face of potential attacks. “We have determined a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu explained. 

While at the base, the Israeli leader also received an update on Israel’s activity during the war in Gaza from the deputy base commander and squadron commander, according to his office.