CNN reporter breaks down inquiry accusing Israel, Palestinian militants of war crimes
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What we covered here
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded the country’s war cabinet, an Israeli official says, just over a week after opposition leader Benny Gantz withdrew from the body.
Israel says it will allow a daily “pause” of military activity along a route in southern Gaza to facilitate aid deliveries, but warned its operations in and around the city of Rafah would continue uninterrupted.
More than 1.3 million people are believed to have been displaced from Rafah to other parts of Gaza in six weeks, according to a UN relief agency.
A UNICEF official told CNN that warnings about children dying in Gaza are falling on deaf ears. “Both these parties seem woefully disconnected from the suffering of children,” he said.
US says forces destroyed 4 Houthi radars, a surface sea drone and an aerial drone
US forces destroyed four Houthi militant radars and a surface sea drone in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the past 24 hours, US Central Command said.
The US military also destroyed a Houthi drone over the Red Sea, according to a CENTCOM statement.
“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels,” it said.
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Both sides are "woefully disconnected" from children's suffering in Gaza, UNICEF official says
A UNICEF official said Monday that warnings about children dying in Gaza are falling on deaf ears.
Speaking to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Elder said he has seen “so many children with amputations” and “children with head wounds, with terrible burns, not being able to get the medical attention because we’ve seen the systematic devastation.”
“It’s just no place for children,” Elder said about the entire Gaza Strip.
Elder said that while “any pause in bombing anywhere on the Gaza Strip that will protect children is good news,” he said the “tactical pause” aimed at allowing more aid trucks into the enclave has not led to any improvements yet.
Elder said the problem is larger than just the area that is under the pause and called for more crossings to be opened. Agencies also need to then be able to deliver the aid safely across Gaza, he said.
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At least 9 people arrested during anti-government protest in Jerusalem, Israeli police say
From CNN Staff
Protestors light flares near the residence of the Israeli prime minister during an anti-government rally calling for early elections, in Jerusalem on Monday, June 17.
Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
At least nine people were arrested during an anti-government protest in Jerusalem on Monday night, according to a statement from an Israeli police spokesperson.
Some were arrested on suspicion of attacking policemen and disruption, and four were arrested on suspicion of setting fire or trying to set fire, the statement said.
Some officers were slightly injured, it said.
“Following the fact that the protest turned into a disturbance and a violent riot, a police officer declared the protest illegal and ordered [protesters] to disperse from the place,” the statement said.
Two protesters were lightly injured and taken to the hospital, according to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services.
Some context: Thousands of people gathered during anti-government protests on Azza Street in Jerusalem.
Some attempted to break through police barriers from the legally designated protest area around the Israeli Knesset to attempt to get close to the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, police said.
Since October 7, many anti-government protests have taken place as Israelis have called for the Netanyahu government to finalize a deal that would allow for the return of all hostages being held in Gaza and for early elections to be held in Israel.
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US assessment of Gaza war not impacted by decision to disband Israel's war cabinet, State Department says
From CNN's Michael Conte and Jennifer Hansler
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller speaks during a briefing on Monday, June 17.
Pool
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dissolution of the war cabinet does not change the Biden administration’s “fundamental assessment” of the war in Gaza, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Miller would not comment specifically on the dissolution of the war cabinet, saying “ultimately, those decisions are decisions for the government of Israel and for the people of Israel.” Miller also would not offer his assessment on what the dissolution of the war cabinet might mean for US discussions on the ceasefire proposal, conversations around which continue with the governments of Israel, Qatar, and Egypt.
He also said the US “very much” welcomed the announcement of a “tactical pause” by the Israel Defense Forces along a route in southern Gaza to allow for further distribution of aid, a decision that an Israeli official told CNN made Netanyahu unhappy when he first heard of it.
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Israeli airstrike kills 8 Palestinians east of Rafah, hospital officials say
From CNN's Kareem Khadder and Mohammed Tawfeeq
An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight Palestinians east of Rafah on Monday, the European Hospital Media Unit told CNN.
The “civilian volunteers” were securing commercial trucks in the area, it said.
The hospital officials said it was in an Israeli airstrike, citing witnesses who arrived with the injured people and those who helped to pull the bodies from under the rubble.
The area that was hit is designated for commercial trucks, the media unit said.
The European Hospital also released the names of the people killed and said others were also injured.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
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2 Israeli hostages share stories of their captivity in Gaza
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Mohammed Tawfeeq
Two Israeli hostage survivors who were held by militant groups in Gaza for weeks shared their horrific stories while in captivity, according to a news release from the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters on Monday.
Danielle Aloni, who was held hostage for 49 days along with her five-year-old daughter Amelia, said they were taken into tunnels after being snatched following Hamas attack on Israel in October 7.
She said they were afraid of many things: “that they would shoot us, that they would get tired of us, that they would lose patience as the days went on.”
“One day, one of our guards came in armed with a weapon and sat between us — what does that mean? That they’re afraid of an IDF rescue operation? “she added.
Aloni and Amelia were among the Israeli hostages released last November in a hostage for Palestinian prisoner exchange deal.
“It’s very difficult to think about the day after, when everyone returns, because the long-awaited day isn’t coming,” she said.
Luis Har, left, is greeted by relatives after being rescued from captivity in Gaza, at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, February 12.
Israeli Army/AP/File
Hostage survivor Luis Har recounted his rescue after 129 days in captivity. Har was rescued in February in an early morning raid in which the Israeli military carried out airstrikes that local officials said killed around 100 people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
“Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. I rolled towards the door and then they called out to me, “Luis, over here!” I crawled on all fours, and someone grabbed my head and leg and shouted, “Luis, IDF, IDF, we’ve come to take you home.” From that moment, all the worries and fears disappeared,” he said.
Israel and Hamas are at war, after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
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Israel claims it killed more than 500 Hamas militants in Rafah. Here's the latest on Israel's war in Gaza
From CNN staff
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday claimed its military operations in Rafah have killed more than 500 Hamas militants since early May. In addition, the Israeli military said forces located and destroyed 230 tunnel shafts.
CNN is unable to independently verify these claims. This comes as fierce fighting has been underway in Rafah.
Meanwhile, the IDF announced a “tactical pause” of military activities along a road in southern Gaza that has been designated for humanitarian aid deliveries every day for 11 hours.
Here’s what else to know:
The war cabinet: In disbanding the cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have avoided having to accede to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s calls to join it, which could have further strained Israel’s relations with the US, or having to reject his demands, which could have angered the more extreme wing of Netanyahu’s coalition.
Palestinian displacement: More than 1.3 million people are believed to have been displaced from Rafah to other parts of Gaza in about six weeks, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The agency also said 193 of its staff have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, calling Gaza “the most dangerous places in the world for aid workers.”
Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank: Israel’s government says it is looking to “strengthen” Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after several countries unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state. All of the proposals would be voted on at the next Security Cabinet meeting, the prime minister’s office said Sunday.
More from Middle East: The Iran-backed Houthis, a militant group in Yemen, have launched more than 190 attacks on commercial shipping and US Navy assets in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Monday. Separately, the IDF said it killed Hezbollah’s “key operative in the Rocket and Missile Department” in an airstrike in southern Lebanon on Monday.
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Israeli defense minister approved the "tactical pause" in southern Gaza, military spokesperson says
From CNN’s Elliott Gotkine
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks to the media at in Tel Aviv on October 16, 2023.
Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AP/File
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant approved the“tactical pause” of military activity along a specific route in southern Gaza to allow for the distribution of aid, according to an Israeli military spokesperson.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson was responding to a request from CNN asking who decided to institute the pause.
He said COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for approving aid into Gaza, and the Southern Command would first make this kind of decision before it would go up the chain of command for approval, depending on the situation.
When asked if this kind of decision would need approval from the Israeli government or cabinet, the spokesperson said, “this kind of decision does not necessarily need to be approved by the cabinet, and it was approved by the minister of defense.”
Some background: According to an Israeli official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unhappy when he first heard of the “tactical pause.” According to the official who spoke to CNN on Sunday and requested anonymity, Netanyahu then contacted his military secretary and said this was unacceptable until he was assured the fighting in Rafah would continue.
CNN’s Lauren Izso contributed reporting to this post.
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Israeli military claims to have killed 500 Hamas militants in Rafah military operations since early May
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Mohammed Tawfeeq
Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in Rafah in the southern Gaza on May 28.
Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday claimed its military operations in Rafah have killed more than 500 Hamas militants since early May.
The IDF also said that hundreds of buildings in the southern Gaza city were rigged with explosives but without giving further details. In addition to that, the Israeli military’s forces located and destroyed 230 tunnel shafts including 100 in the Philadelphi Corridor, it said.
“We have caused severe damage to Hamas’ Rafah Brigade. Of the 4 Rafah Battalions, 2 are currently at medium level of operational functioning and 2 are at a low level of operational functioning,” the IDF said in a statement.
CNN is not able to independently confirm these claims made by the IDF.
“We will continue our operations until we have decisively destroyed the Rafah Brigade,” the IDF added.
This weekend: The fierce fighting that has been underway in Rafah continued over the weekend, with a civil defense official in Gaza telling CNN that heavy clashes were ongoing in neighborhoods in the western part of the city on Sunday
On Saturday, eight IDF soldiers were killed near the city, one of the single deadliest incidents of the war for Israeli troops.
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Houthis have launched over 190 attacks on commercial shipping and US Navy since November, Pentagon says
From CNN's Haley Britzky
The Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence is seen ablaze following a Houthi missile attack at sea on March 6.
DVIDS/Handout/Reuters
The Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 190 attacks on commercial shipping and US Navy assets in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Monday.
The Houthis, a militant group in Yemen, have launched attacks as recently as last week. On Wednesday the M/V Tutor, a bulk cargo carrier, was hit by a Houthi uncrewed surface vessel, resulting in the crew abandoning the ship and one civilian mariner going missing.
On Thursday, another bulk cargo carrier the M/V Verbena was also struck in two missile attacks, seriously injuring at least one civilian mariner. The crew later abandoned the ship.
Despite the ongoing attacks, however, Singh defended US efforts in the region as successful against the Houthis.
More about the Houthis: The Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks directed at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched its invasion of Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack.
The Houthi attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes, which could potentially cause a shock to the global economy.
The Houthis are believed to have been armed and trained by Iran, and there are fears that their attacks could escalate Israel’s war against Hamas into a wider regional conflict.
CNN’s Christian Edwards contributed reporting to this post.
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Saudi Crown Prince denounces Israel's war on Gaza in Eid Al-Adha address
From CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq and Michael Mitsanas
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) condemned Israel’s “heinous crimes” in the Gaza Strip on Monday, imploring the international community to implement Gaza-related UN Security Council resolutions and work toward a ceasefire.
The Crown Prince also called on the international community to immediately recognize an independent state of Palestine based on “1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” which he said would “enable the brotherly Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights and to achieve comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
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Israel’s plan for "tactical pause" in aid raises questions as humanitarian conditions worsen in Gaza
From CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim, Paula Hancocks, Eugenia Yosef and Lauren Izso
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a “tactical pause” of military activities along a road in southern Gaza that has been designated for humanitarian aid deliveries every day for 11 hours.
The announcement comes as the strip’s population of more than 2 million grapples with humanitarian conditions that the United Nations has described as “unspeakable.”
The “pause,” which the IDF announced Sunday but COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for approving aid into Gaza, said came into effect on Saturday, raised questions about what it means for the conflict and for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Human rights groups have described health concerns “beyond crisis levels” for Palestinians in the enclave, with over 75% of the population displaced, according to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Israel’s military campaign has pulverized neighborhoods, damaged health infrastructure and depleted food, water and fuel supplies.
The announcement also appeared to have deepened existing political rifts in the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unhappy when he first heard about it, according to one official.
More about the “tactical pause:” It will take place every day from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. local time until further notice.
The pause began Saturday, the IDF said, and is meant to allow trucks to move from the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the main entry point for incoming aid to southern Gaza, up the Salah al-Din Road and northwards.
The IDF has designated a specific route for aid trucks to take, which starts from Kerem Shalom to Al Bayuk neighborhood and onto the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
The route will be run in coordination with international organizations, the IDF said, as part of efforts to increase volumes of aid reaching Gaza.
Israel says airstrike killed Hezbollah's "key operative in the Rocket and Missile Department" in southern Lebanon
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem and Ben Wedeman in Beirut
Hezbollah’s “key operative in the Rocket and Missile Department” was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Monday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a statement.
The IDF said an Israeli warplane “struck and eliminated” Muhammad Mustafa Ayoub in the area of Selaa in southern Lebanon.
“Over the past few months, Ayoub was involved in promoting terror attacks against Israeli civilians and communities, he promoted and planned terror attacks from southern Lebanon against the State of Israel,” the IDF statement added.
Separately, Israeli fighter jets also struck Hezbollah’s “infrastructure and a military structure in the area of Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon,” the statement said.
Hezbollah confirmed the death of Ayoup in a short statement on Tuesday, saying he “died as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem,” but without providing further details on the circumstances of his death.
Why this matters:Israel and Hezbollah have been ramping up cross-border attacks after months of low-intensity fighting, prompting the Israeli military to warn that it is prepared to launch a large-scale attack on its northern border. With both sides trading fire for more than eight months, experts say Israel feels it can no longer ignore its northern front or delay taking action there.
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More than 1.3 million people displaced from Rafah to other parts of Gaza within 6 weeks, UN agency says
From CNN's Kareem Khadder in Jerusalem
Palestinians packed up their tents and fled to safe areas with what they could take with them following the Israeli army attack on a refugee tent encampment in the al-Mawasi area in Rafah, Gaza on May 28.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images
More than 1.3 million people are believed to have been displaced from Rafah to other parts of Gaza in a span of six weeks, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
“UNRWA estimates that 65,000 people are sheltering in Rafah,” it said on X. “Six weeks ago there were around 1.4 million.”
UNRWA didn’t provide any detail as to where in Gaza those people had been displaced to.
More on displaced Gazans: Last week, the Norwegian Refugee Council outlined in a report that almost a million people — half of Gaza’s population — have been displaced in the past month following Israel’s expanded military operations in Rafah.
The report stated that it is becoming increasingly difficult for displaced people in Gaza to relocate, facing issues such as clogged streets, overcrowding, fuel shortages, and a sixfold surge in transport costs. It also warned of a rise in Hepatitis A cases, with the accumulation of solid waste becoming a “critical problem.”
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi and Mohammad Al-Sawalhi contributed to this report.
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Israel will "strengthen" Jewish settlements in the West Bank after several nations recognize Palestinian state
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
The Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on February 3, 2023.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images/File
Israel’s government says it is looking to “strengthen” Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after several countries unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office said all of the proposals for strengthening settlements in what Israel biblically refers to as Judea and Samaria would be voted on at the next Security Cabinet meeting.
Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have each recognized an independent Palestinian state in recent weeks, a move motivated at least in part by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s open refusal to commit to a two-state solution.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the move was a reward for terrorism and would strengthen Hamas.
The statement also said Israel would look at what actions to take against the Palestinian Authority as it took actions against Israel in international bodies.
"We did not stop our fighting against Hamas," IDF spokesperson says about the tactical pause in southern Gaza
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio, Paula Hancocks and Florence Davey-Attley
The Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari admitted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) could’ve been clearer when it came to explaining its announcement of a “tactical pause” in military activity along a route in southern Gaza to allow aid distribution.
Hagari said the military did not stop fighting against Hamas, and the decision was made by the military, not the Israeli government.
“We are a democracy, and we are being ordered by the cabinet and our political echelon, the Ministry of Defense, and this is how the IDF works,” he explained in response to a question by Hancocks. “Our order was to make sure humanitarian aid was getting into Gaza. Israel is working according to the international law. We will keep on doing so, this is what the cabinet have ordered us to do.”
On Sunday, the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza denied that a “tactical pause” was in effect in the southern Gaza Strip.
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US envoy meets with Netanyahu as tensions intensify between Israel and Hezbollah
From Eugenia Yosef and Tamar Michaelis
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the special envoy of the US President Amos Hochstein, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on June 17.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
US special envoy Amos Hochstein met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, the Israeli PM’s office said in a statement.
The statement didn’t detail what was discussed in the meeting but Hochstein’s visit happens as Washington is intensifying diplomatic efforts to try and prevent an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
“The meeting was attended by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Chief of Staff Rabbi Tzachi Braverman, the Prime Minister’s military secretary General Roman Goffman, political advisor Ofir Fleck and US Deputy Ambassador to Israel Stephanie Hallett,” the statement added.
Hochstein also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, where the pair discussed the necessity of securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas as well as Hezbollah’s attacks.
“In their meeting, they discussed the relentless attacks and rocket fire from Hezbollah, instigated by Iran, towards Israel’s northern towns and cities, and the urgent need to restore security to the northern border and allow residents to return safely to their homes,” Herzog’s office added.”
Remember: The latest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful, Iran-backed paramilitary group that operates out of southern Lebanon, was sparked by the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza. Hezbollah has voiced support for Hamas and says it is fighting in support of the Palestinian people.
This post has been updated with additional reporting on the meeting.
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"Gaza is the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers," UN agency warns as staff death toll nears 200
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder in Jerusalem
United Nations workers are brought to the Nassr Hospital after being injured in Israeli attacks in Khan Younis, Gaza on October 19.
Abed Zagout/Anadolu/Getty Images
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says 193 of its staff have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.
“Despite this, our colleagues keep working to support families and provide aid amid the dire humanitarian crisis.”
The agency added that it works in the most challenging circumstances and that its facilities continue to be targeted.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas and other militant groups of embedding themselves amid the civilian population, and it has also denied targeting civilian infrastructure.
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Israeli military spokesperson says "enough food" is getting into Gaza
From CNN’s Paula Hancocks and Florence Davey-Attlee at the Kerem Shalom border crossing
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told CNN that he thinks there is “enough food” going into Gaza when pressed about the humanitarian crisis across the strip; however, he admitted there is “a problem with distribution.”
Speaking to CNN’s Paula Hancocks at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Hagari said the “tactical pause” was to ensure that the road is “safe for the trucks to drive on” and get more aid into the strip. He maintained that the government was fighting Hamas in Rafah.
Hagari also told Hancocks that 1,200 trucks worth of aid, including food, water, medicine, and baby diapers, are currently waiting to be collected at the crossing. He pointed the finger at international aid groups for not distributing the aid.
When pressed about safety concerns expressed by aid agencies, Hagari said Israel would “help them,” “monitor them,” and the “road will be safe, military wise it will be safe.” He did not give specific details about how Israel would help aid agencies secure their vehicles. Hagari previously said there would be a military presence along the route but, when pressed repeatedly by CNN, would not commit to providing military escort to convoys along the route.
According to the United Nations, 254aid workers have been killed in Gaza since October.
Hancocks also asked Hagari about the recent UN report that predicts half of Gaza’s population is “expected to face death and starvation” by mid-July.
