US President Joe Biden announced plans for the US military to establish a temporary port along the Gaza coast to bring desperately needed additional humanitarian aid into the war-torn strip.
Speaking in his State of the Union address, Biden said, “Israel has a right to go after Hamas,” but is also responsible for protecting civilians. He also reiterated US calls for a two-state solution to bring peace to the Middle East.
A Hamas delegation has left Cairo after days of talks, with no obvious breakthrough in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases. A deal appears unlikely to happen by the start of Ramadan, which the US had been aiming for, according to sources.
Biden addressed Israel's war in Gaza in his State of the Union speech. Here's the main takeaways
From CNN staff
US President Joe Biden acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” conflict in Gaza in his State of the Union remarks Thursday, calling on Hamas to release all hostages and urging Israel to “do its part,” to increase humanitarian aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave.
“Israel has a right to go after Hamas” following the October 7 attack, Biden said, but he added that Israel also has a “fundamental responsibility” to protect civilians in Gaza.
“This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined,” he said.
Here are the main takeaways from Biden’s speech:
Hostages pledge: Biden promised to bring home American hostages held in Gaza since October 7, saying his teams have been “working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for at least six weeks.” At least six Americans are believed to be among 99 hostages who are still alive. “I pledge to all the families that we will not rest until we bring their loved ones home,” Biden said.
Temporary aid port: The president announced plans for the US military to establish a temporary port to bring additional aid into the war-torn strip. The pier on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast would receive “large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters,” Biden said. “Israel must allow more aid into Gaza and ensure that humanitarian workers aren’t caught in the cross-fire,” he added.
Two-state solution: Biden reiterated US support for a two-state solution to help bring a lasting peace to the Middle East, saying “no other path” would guarantee that “Palestinians can live with peace and dignity” alongside guaranteeing Israel’s security and democracy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously rejected calls for Palestinian sovereignty.
Iran threat: Creating stability in the Middle East also means “containing the threat posed by Iran,” Biden said. He highlighted the US-led international coalition of more than a dozen countries in the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels are attacking commercial shipping. Biden said he had “ordered strikes to degrade Houthi capabilities and defend US forces in the region” and “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and military personnel.”
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Stability in the Middle East means "containing the threat posed by Iran," Biden says
From CNN staff
Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address at the US Capitol on Thursday.
Shawn Thewn/Pool/Reuters
Creating stability in the Middle East also means “containing the threat posed by Iran,” US President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union address on Thursday.
Biden highlighted the US-led international coalition of more than a dozen countries in the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels are launching attacks on commercial shipping, which they say are retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Escalating attacks: Two Filipino seafarers are among the dead after a Houthi ballistic missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, marking the first fatal attack by the Iran-backed militant group in its ongoing assaults in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have launched more than 45 missile and drone attacks against commercial and US and coalition naval vessels operating in the Red Sea, according to US and Western officials, most of which have been intercepted by US or coalition destroyers or landed harmlessly in the water. To date, no military vessels have been impacted, according to the US Defense Department.
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Biden says "Israel has a right to go after Hamas," but is also responsible for protecting civilians
From CNN staff
After the October 7 attack, “Israel has a right to go after Hamas,” US President Joe Biden said during his State of the Union address on Thursday. But Israel also has a “fundamental responsibility” to protect civilians in Gaza, the president said.
As the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates, Biden announced that the United States will establish a temporary pier near the enclave that will be used to deliver supplies.
The president also said his administration, along with other countries, has been working to reach an agreement for a temporary ceasefire to release Israeli hostages.
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Biden reiterates US call for a two-state solution
From CNN staff
President Joe Biden on Thursday reiterated US support for a Palestinian state to help bring a lasting peace to the Middle East.
“As we look to the future, the only real solution is a two-state solution. I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime,” Biden said during his State of the Union Address.
Remember: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously rejected calls for Palestinian sovereignty following talks with Biden about Gaza’s future, suggesting Israel’s security needs would be incompatible with Palestinian statehood. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called opposition to a two-state solution “unacceptable.”
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Biden says US military will open temporary aid port in Gaza
From CNN staff
US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced plans for the US military to establish a temporary port along the Gaza coast to bring desperately needed additional humanitarian aid into the war-torn strip.
Speaking during his State of the Union address, Biden said the structure on the Mediterranean coast would receive “large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters.”
No US boots will be on the ground in Gaza, the president said. It was not immediately clear when the port would be up and running.
Earlier, a senior Biden administration official said the additional assistance would be coordinated with Israel, the United Nations and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. Initial aid shipments will come via Cyprus, the official said.
New land crossing: A senior US administration official also said earlier that Israel has “prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza,” a development that comes after weeks of increasing US pressure as the humanitarian crisis worsens. The Israeli government allowed just a quarter of the planned UN and humanitarian partner aid missions to enter areas of northern Gaza in February, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Thursday.
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Biden pledges to bring American hostages home
From CNN staff
US President Joe Biden on Thursday pledged to bring home American hostages held in Gaza.
Hamas’ attacks on October 7 killed around 1,200 Israelis, with more than 200 people taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel believes that 99 people are still being held in Gaza, along with the bodies of 31 dead hostages. At least six Americans are believed to be among the captives.
More than 30,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel waged war against Hamas five months ago, but recent efforts to bring about a ceasefire that would allow the release of the remaining hostages have been frustrated.
On Thursday two American officials agreed that the prospects are not promising of Israel and Hamas agreeing to a temporary truce by the start of Ramadan early next week. “Hope is fading,” one US official said.
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UN Gaza reconstruction leader says aid needs to be flooded into the enclave
From CNN's Richard Roth and Sahar Akbarzai
Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, told reporters Thursday more humanitarian aid is needed in Gaza.
She added: “When everything goes through one or two crossings, you can’t expect a miracle.”
The coordinator noted just counting the number of aid trucks is not enough.
“We need to know quality, relevance and whether it meets the need plus volume,” Kaag said.
With the US working on a port plus delivering by air drops, Kaag said the optimal solution is by land, “it’s easier faster, cheaper.” She said air drops are a “drop in the ocean.”
The airdrops are just a symbol of support for civilians in Gaza, “it’s far from enough,” Kaag told reporters.
She added that air or sea are not a substitute for what needs to be done by land. Kaag said it is important to have a ceasefire, but the people are entitled to food and a level of protection.
More on aid: Only 112 of the 224 UN plannedaid missions were facilitated by Israeli authorities and entered Gaza in February, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said on Thursday, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Dujarric said shelter supplies are needed and that aid workers who deliver the aid face great risks because humanitarians operations have been “impeded by active fighting, bombardment,” and other challenges, the UN said.
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UN welcomes US plan for Gaza port and emphasizes land access for aid distribution
From CNN's Richard Roth and Hamdi Alkhshali
Stéphane Dujarric is seen at UN Headquarters in New York on January 15.
Dujarric also emphasized the importance of increasing aid delivery through land routes, stating: “Our focus and the international community’s focus should continue to be on increasing the large-scale distribution and entry of aid by land.”
He highlighted the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of land-based aid distribution, underscoring the need for additional entry points and increased aid volume through land routes.
Dujarric noted that while the arrival of aid trucks into Gaza is significant, it is just one step in a multi-faceted process. He explained the need for further logistics, including offloading and distributing aid, which often involves coordination with Israeli forces for security.
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UN official in Gaza advocates for road access as "the only solution" to prevent starvation
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
As Palestinian civilians face a mounting hunger crisis, an official with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) suboffice emphasized the urgent need for road access to alleviate starvation, particularly in the northern strip.
Georgios Petropoulos, head of OCHA’s suboffice in Gaza, said he welcomes US President Joe Biden’s expected announcement on US plans to establish a port in Gaza for humanitarian aid. But he underscored the necessity of prioritizing road infrastructure to address acute hunger levels effectively.
As the health ministry in Gaza says at least 20 people have died due to malnutrition and dehydration, Petropoulos cited a lack of access to clean water in northern Gaza and a non-dependable system for aid delivery.
Petropoulos highlighted that from February 24 to March 3, fewer than 1,000 trucks entered Gaza, far below the estimated 500 that are needed daily. Regarding access challenges, Petropoulos pointed to bureaucratic delays, inefficiencies at checkpoints and lack of support for aid missions.
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US military to open port in Gaza for aid as Israel is accused of restricting critical assistance. Catch up here
From CNN staff
International airplanes, pictured from Sderot, Israel, airdrop aid for Gaza on March 7.
Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/picture alliance/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden is set to announce new steps to establish a port in Gaza for humanitarian aid during his State of the Union address Thursday evening, senior administration officials said.
The port will include a temporary pier, a second senior official said, which “will provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day” to be coordinated with Israel, the United Nations and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. Initial aid shipments will come via Cyprus, the official said. It was not immediately clear when the port would be up and running.
A senior US administration official said the Israeli government has also “prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza,” a development that comes after weeks of increasing US pressure as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
The Israeli government allowed just a quarter of the planned United Nations and humanitarian partner aid missions to enter areas of northern Gaza in February, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.
If you’re just joining us, here are the latest headlines:
Impasse on ceasefire talks: Sources say US Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns is in the Middle East this week as ceasefire talks appear to have come to a standstill.A Hamas delegation left Cairo after days of talks, with no obvious breakthrough in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases. A deal appears unlikely to happen by the start of Ramadan, which the US had been aiming for, according to sources.
Food and medical supplies scarce in Gaza: The children in Gaza who survived bombardment “may not survive a famine,” World Health Organization chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus warned amid reports of surging cases of child malnutrition in the enclave. As Israel’s severe restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip drain essential supplies, displaced Palestinians have told CNN they are struggling to feed themselves and their children. Health officials in Gaza also say the strip is in grave need of blood and donation equipment from the international community.
Expansion of West Bank settlements: The UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process condemned Israel’s plan for new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The UN urged Israeli authorities to cease all settlement activity and reiterated that settlements are illegal under international law.
Cross-border clashes: Lebanon has recirculated its “vision” aimed at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel to mediating countries this week, a Lebanese government official told CNN. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Lebanese vision, first presented at the UN Security Council in January, calls for a “full and balanced implementation” of UN resolution 1701 that ended the war in 2006.
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CIA director is in the Middle East amid ceasefire talk impasse, sources say
From CNN's Alex Marquardt
Bill Burns testifies at the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2021.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images
US Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns has traveled back to the Middle East, according to a US official and another source familiar with the trip.
Burns’ trip comes as negotiations to broker a ceasefire in Gaza appear to be at an impasse and are unlikely to be resolved before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The source said Burns was in Egypt on Wednesday before traveling to Qatar on Thursday.
Burns is not expected to stop in Israel on this trip, the US official said. There also likely won’t be a “quad” format meeting with the Egyptian and Israeli intelligence chiefs and the Qatari prime minister, as there was in Paris two weeks ago.
Burns has been leading US President Joe Biden administration’s efforts to reach a ceasefire deal. He met with Qatar’s prime minister in Washington earlier this week.
Qatar and Egypt are the main interlocutors with Hamas, with and talks have taken place in Cairo this week.
CNN reported earlier on Thursday that the Biden administration had hoped for a ceasefire by the end of the Cairo talks to start by the beginning of Ramadan. American officials and a diplomat familiar with the talks told CNN that prospects of that happening are fading. The Biden administration has said that Israel has essentially agreed to the framework of a deal and that the onus is on Hamas to accept it.
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Gaza in desperate need of blood from international community, according to strip's health ministry
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman
Members of the blood bank directorate gather blood donates to be taken to Gaza in Amman, Jordan, on December 13, 2023.
Jordan Pix/Getty Images
Health officials say that Gaza is in grave need of blood and donation equipment from the international community.
There’s an acute demand for basic materials for blood donation, including empty blood bags and blood group tests, the statement said.
“We call on all relevant parties to respond urgently to our appeal and send large quantities of life-saving blood units to the wounded and sick in the Gaza Strip,” the statement added.
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Injured journalist says he witnessed Israeli tanks fire at civilians gathered at roundabout in Gaza City
From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Celine Alkhaldi
Journalist Khader Al Za’anoun told CNN on Thursday that he witnessed Israeli tanks firing at civilians gathered at the Kuwaiti roundabout in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
Al Za’anoun said he sustained injuries to his face, right arm and right ear.
Al-Za’anoun, who regularly works with CNN, said that a group of civilians was gathered waiting for aid trucks coming from southern Gaza on Salah Eddin Street in the early hours of Thursday morning.
At around 1 a.m. local time, Israeli tanks started shelling the area, he said, and many people who had been waiting for the aid trucks fled the area.
Shortly after the Israeli fire, four aid trucks arrived, he said. He was waiting for the trucks’ arrival with his children.
Al Za’anoun climbed on one of trucks to grab a sack of flour for his family when Israeli tanks began firing again, he said, and he was shot trying to run away. He was rushed to the hospital and unable to receive any of the aid.
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday morning for comment.
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UN condemns Israel’s plan for new West Bank settlement units
From CNN’s Richard Roth and Sahar Akbarzai
The United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process condemned Israel’s plan for new housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.
The UN urged Israeli authorities to cease all settlement activity and reiterated that settlements are illegal under international law.
Remember: Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has jumped sharply since the war began, with settlers burning cars, destroying infrastructure and assaulting and killing Palestinians. Last month, the US State Department announced the first round of sanctions targeting Israeli settlers accused of perpetrating violence in the West Bank. The sanctions block their financial assets and bar them from entering the US. They mark one of the more significant moves US President Joe Biden has taken to critique Israel since the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7.
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Released Israeli hostage describes "hell" of being held in Gaza
From CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Rob Picheta
An Israeli woman taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza has described the “hell” of being held captive after her husband and daughter were murdered, telling CNN her captors would not allow her surviving young children to cry and tried to convince them they “had been forgotten.”
Chen Almog Goldstein, who was kidnapped with her surviving children during Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, said they were held in tunnels and an apartment in Gaza until their release after 51 days.
Almog Goldstein witnessed her husband Nadav and her oldest daughter Yam murdered by Hamas gunmen who broke into their home near the border with Gaza on October 7.
“I took Yam’s large teddy bear, the size of a human, and put it on top of us to protect us from the shooting,” she said. “Within a few seconds, five of them came into the safe room, screaming, (and) as I turned around, Nadav was shot in the chest, point blank.”
Moments later, her daughter was shot in the face, and Almog Goldstein was bundled into a family car along with her three surviving children and driven across the border. She recalled the two Hamas militants in the car taking selfies as they drove back to Gaza.
Hamas’ attacks on October 7 killed around 1,200 Israelis, with more than 200 people taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel believes that 99 people are still being held in Gaza, along with the bodies of 31 dead hostages.
Israel has prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza, US official says
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
People walk past destroyed buildings in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on February 26.
AFP/Getty Images/File
A senior US administration official says the Israeli government has “prepared a new land crossing directly into northern Gaza,” a development that comes after weeks of increasing US pressure as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
“As the UN confirmed today, we expect the first deliveries to transit this crossing over the coming weeks, starting with a pilot and then ramping up,” the official continued.
Calls for more aid: The move for the Israeli government to allow aid to flow overland comes after the US has ratcheted up its public and private rhetoric about the “unacceptable and unsustainable” humanitarian situation in Gaza. That message was conveyed to both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel and his chief political rival, Benny Gantz, in Washington this week.
Israel allowed only 25% of possible UN aid missions into northern Gaza in February, UN office says
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
The Israeli government allowed just a quarter of the planned United Nations and humanitarian partner aid missions to enter areas of northern Gaza in February, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.
“Only six of 24 planned missions to areas north of Wadi Gaza were facilitated in February, primarily due to an operational pause, after an UN-coordinated food convoy was struck by Israeli naval fire on 5 February,” according to the OCHA statement.
The main United Nations relief agency in Gaza said on February 5 that one of its trucks waiting to take aid to northern Gaza was hit by Israeli fire.
Growing hunger: At least 20 people have died in Gaza due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began in Gaza, including a 15-year-old boy who was declared dead at the Al-Shifa medical complex on Wednesday from starvation, the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave said.
CNN cannot independently confirm the deaths or their causes due to the lack of international media access to Gaza, but there have been increasingly urgent warnings about hunger in the strip from international agencies as Israel maintains a tight siege.
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Biden will direct US military to establish port in Gaza for humanitarian aid, officials say
From Betsy Klein, Nikki Carvajal and Kevin Liptak
US President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting at the White House on March 5 in Washington, DC.
Nathan Howard/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden is set to announce new steps to establish a port in Gaza for humanitarian aid during his State of the Union address Thursday evening, senior administration officials said.
The port will include a temporary pier, a second senior official said, which “will provide the capacity for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day” to be coordinated with Israel, the United Nations, and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations. Initial aid shipments will come via Cyprus, the official said.
It was not immediately clear when the port would be up and running: “This new significant capability will take a number of weeks to plan and execute. The forces that will be required to complete this mission are either already in the region or will begin to move there soon,” a second official said.
As Israel’s severe restrictions on aid entering the Gaza Strip drain essential supplies, displaced Palestinians have told CNN they are struggling to feed themselves and their children.
While US officials believe delivering aid via land routes is “the most efficient, cost-effective way to get assistance in,” Biden’s announcement underscores the urgency of the moment.
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US and Jordanian militaries conduct third airdrop into Gaza
From CNN's Haley Britzky
The US and Jordanian militaries conducted a third joint airdrop of thousands of meals into Gaza on Thursday, United States Central Command said on X, formerly Twitter.
“The combined, joint operation included US Air Force and Jordanian C-130 aircraft and US Army soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of US humanitarian assistance supplies,” according to the CENTCOM post. “US C-130s dropped over 38,000 meals, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in Northern Gaza, to enable civilian access to critical aid.”
The first joint airdrop operation happened on Saturday, with the second occurring Tuesday.
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Hungry parents in Gaza forced to ration food among their starving children, according to aid worker
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy, Sana Noor Haq and Kareem Khadder
Parents in Gaza are being forced to ration food among their starving children, a Palestinian aid worker warned Thursday, as Israel’s siege condemns civilians to severe hunger and officials warn of a deadly surge in child malnutrition.
Some adults in Gaza are subsisting on just one mug of coffee a day, rationing whatever food they have among their children, said Mahmoud Shalabi, who is the senior program manager of the nongovernmental organization Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Shalabi recounted seeing a Gazan father at a market buying chips for his two children.
“I remember him saying, ‘This is for your breakfast and lunch, so make sure you calculate your portions properly, because I have nothing left. And this is your food for the day,’” the aid worker said.
“Everybody I know in Gaza Strip has lost weight. The average weight loss ranges between 10 to 15 kilograms (about 22 to 33 pounds). Some people have even exceeded 20 kilograms of weight loss,” he continued.
Markets in northern Gaza have nothing but nuts and spices left to sell, according to Shalabi. “We don’t have any rice left in the market,” he said. “No lentils, no beans — nothing.”
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Chef José Andrés calls for more aid to Gaza: "This is only a drop of water in an ocean of need"
Chef José Andrés, founder of the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, has been instrumental in getting aid to hungry people in Gaza.
Andrés told CNN’s Jim Acosta that the organization plans to build 100 kitchens across the strip, but “we need a constant flow of food, constant flow of water, and this unfortunately is not happening.”
World Central Kitchen was able to airdrop 48,000 meals into Gaza, Andrés said, but the operations are expensive and require a lot of coordination.
Andrés added that he hopes to hear US President Joe Biden say in his State of the Union address Thursday night that “the humanitarian crisis should stop.”
“Food and water is a universal right … no person should be going hungry. I hope that he will push for a ceasefire. I hope, yes, he can say we need to be protecting our partner Israel, but you can be also be protecting the men and woman and children of Palestine today,” he said.
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Turkish Red Crescent sends its largest aid ship to Gaza
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
The Turkish Red Crescent sent its largest aid ship to Gaza Thursday, carrying about 3,000 tons of aid, according to a statement on X from the organization.
“This ship is the largest ship we have ever sent. These aid supplies, such as container kitchens, food, clothes and medicine, will be a great morale boost for the people of Gaza,” Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meriç Yilmaz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
This is the largest of the seven aid ships Turkey has sent to Gaza. It will depart Thursday to the Egyptian port of Al-Arish. From there, the aid will be loaded in trucks for Gaza, she said.
In addition to the ships, Turkey has so far sent 12 aid planes during the war in Gaza, according to Turkey’s state media Anadolu Agency.
Remember: A growing number of children in Gaza are dying of starvation and dehydration, according to the World Health Organization and Palestinian officials, amid desperate conditions due to Israel’s throttling of aid and destruction of the besieged enclave.
Children in Gaza who survived bombardment "may not survive a famine," WHO chief warns
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy in London
Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies in Rafah, Gaza, on March 5.
Mohammed Salem/Reuters
The children in Gaza who survived bombardment “may not survive a famine,” World Health Organization (WHO) chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus has warned amid reports of surging cases of child malnutrition in the enclave.
The WHO director-general gave the warning in a social media post on Wednesday, accompanied by a video testimony from a doctor based at the pediatric unit in the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
“Malnutrition plays a major role in the number of children that come to us and the number of deaths,” Dr. Imad Dardonah said in the video.
Dardonah said doctors in his hospital cannot treat 50% to 60% of malnutrition cases they are receiving, adding that their only recourse is to provide the children with a saline or sugar solution.
At least 20 people have died due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Of those who have died 15 of them are children, the Ministry of Health said.
Jamie McGoldrick, a UN humanitarian coordinator who just returned from a two-day trip to Gaza, warned Thursday that hunger there has reached “catastrophic levels.”
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Lebanon reiterates its vision to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, government source says
From CNN’s Zeena Saifi in Abu Dhabi
Hezbollah members and supporters attend a funeral in Lebanon's southern city of Nabatieyh on February 16.
Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images
Lebanon has recirculated its “vision” aimed at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel to mediating countries this week, a Lebanese government official told CNN.
The official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the Lebanese vision, first presented at the UN Security Council in January, calls for a “full and balanced implementation” of UN resolution 1701 that ended the war in 2006.
It also calls for Hezbollah and Israel to adopt a “full and immediate cessation of hostilities,” including Israeli attacks by air, land and sea, the source said. Upon full cessation, Israel would withdraw its forces from Southern Lebanon, including disputed areas like the Shebaa Farms. In parallel, Hezbollah and any armed factions would withdraw from the area between Lebanon’s Litani River and the border with Israel, and only troops of the Lebanese Armed Forces [LAF] would be present there.
Given Lebanon’s struggling economy, its partners in the international community, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) would need to help support that plan financially, the official added.
The official confirmed that while Hezbollah is not at the negotiating table, the Lebanese government is “regularly in discussions” with the group.
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Gaza ceasefire negotiations at a standstill with no deal likely by Ramadan
From CNN's Alex Marquardt and Ji Min Lee
A person walks through rubble in Khan Younis on Wednesday.
AFP via Getty Images
A ceasefire deal in Gaza that would see Israeli hostages freed and the first break in the fighting in more than three months is unlikely to happen by the start of Ramadan which the Biden administration had been aiming for, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Negotiators had hoped to have a draft agreement this week after days of meetings in Cairo, “but it won’t happen,” said one diplomat familiar with the discussions who described the last few days of talks as “very hectic.”
Two American officials agreed that the prospects are not promising of Israel and Hamas agreeing to the temporary truce by the start of the Muslim holy month early next week.
A failure to achieve a deal in the next few days would come after weeks of President Joe Biden and administration officials saying an agreement needs to be in place by Ramadan to avoid escalation of the five-month war. He warned Tuesday that without a ceasefire by then the region could become “very, very dangerous.”
Israel has also warned that if the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza aren’t home by Ramadan they will launch a military offensive into Rafah in southern Gaza where around 1.5 million Palestinians are trying to seek safety from the fighting.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem contributed to this report.
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Hamas must know which hostages are alive, Israeli official says
From CNN’s Richard Allen Greene in Jerusalem
A person walks past a wall of pictures in Tel Aviv on March 7 which show hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Amir Levy/Getty Images
An Israeli official told CNN they think Hamas is playing “a game,” after the militant group claimed not to know which hostages are alive.
The official, who asked not to be named discussing high-stakes ceasefire and hostage negotiations, was responding to comments from a high-ranking Hamas official earlier in the week.
The fate of the hostages is a key sticking point in negotiations. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded Hamas provide a list of hostages and their status; Naim’s response appears to deadlock the talks.
What we know: Israel believes there are still 130 hostages from the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel being held in Gaza, of whom at least 31 are dead. There are also four Israeli hostages from before October 7, of whom Israel believes two are alive and two are dead.
Israeli officials are holding top-level meetings Thursday, including a security cabinet meeting at an earlier time than usual, but the Israeli official did not believe a breakthrough was imminent.
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Hamas leaves Cairo with no breakthrough in negotiations
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem in Abu Dhabi and Ibrahim Dahman in Cairo
A Hamas delegation left Cairo on Thursday after days of talks with no obvious breakthrough in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for hostage releases.
Egypt state-run Al Qahera news, citing a senior source, said that the delegation had left to consult on the proposals and that negotiations would resume next week.
Sticking points: Without Israel agreeing to a permanent ceasefire, Hamas will not agree to a deal over hostages, a highly placed source in the militant group told CNN on Sunday.
At least three sticking points remain before Hamas will agree upon a deal, the source said. These are:
A permanent ceasefire
The withdrawal of what the source called “occupation forces” – that is, Israeli troops – from the Gaza Strip
The return of displaced people from the south to the north of the strip
On Wednesday, Hamas reiterated its demand for a permanent ceasefire, the return of displaced people, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the provision of aid to Gazans.
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Israel dismisses UN assertion that aid convoy headed for northern Gaza was turned away
From CNN's Amy Cassidy and Lauren Izso
Israel has branded as “false claims” assertions by the UN’s World Food Programme that an aid convoy trying to reach people in northern Gaza was turned away by authorities.
“As for the false claims regarding the WFP, we regret that some international aid organizations misjudge the enormous efforts of the State of Israel.”
On Tuesday, the WFP said their 14-truck convoy was turned away by Israeli authorities after a three-hour wait at the Wadi Gaza checkpoint.
The UN agency said it was their first attempt to resume aid deliveries to the northern strip since February 20.
The Israeli government agency overseeing humanitarian aid to the enclave confirmed Thursday that some supplies intended for northern Gaza were not delivered, but did not provide further details.
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Sweden initiates talks with Israel over Gaza humanitarian aid
From CNN's Alex Stambaugh in Hong Kong
Palestinians flock to a truck carrying bottles of drinking water sent by the United Nations Children's Fund in Khan Younis, Gaza on November 21, 2023.
Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images/FILE
Sweden has initiated talks with Israel’s foreign ministry, as well as several European Union member states, to push for more humanitarian access to Gaza.
CNN has reached out to Israel’s foreign ministry for comment.
Mounting calls for aid: Israel has faced calls from global leaders and international organizations to allow more aid into Gaza, where at least 20 people, including children, have died due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began.
The United Nations said that almost 40% of aid missions it coordinated in Gaza last month were denied or impeded by Israel.
Israel slowing supplies: A recent CNN investigation uncovered a list of items being denied entry into Gaza by the overseeing Israeli agency, COGAT. Anesthetics, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, water filtration systems, sleeping bags, and cancer medicines are among the most frequently rejected.
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2 Filipinos among crew members killed in Houthi attack on commercial ship
From CNN’s Kathleen Magramo and Manveena Suri
The bulk carrier vessel True Confidence was stuck in a Houthi attack on Wednesday near Yemen.
U.S. Central Command
Two Filipino seafarers were among the three crew members killed in a Houthi attack on a commercial ship near Yemen, the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Thursday.
The fatalities were the first time that the Iran-backed militant group had killed anyone in their ongoing attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea.
DMW said two other Filipinos were severely wounded and that it is in touch with the concerned authorities to “ascertain the conditions of the rest of the ship’s crew, particularly the remaining Filipino crew members, as we have been informed that they have been taken to a safe port.”
On, US Central Command said Wednesday that three crew members were killed and at least four more wounded in a Houthi attack on the M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, near Yemen.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez made renewed calls to protect seafarers following the tragedy, saying “innocent seafarers should never become collateral victims.”
The Philippines is a major supplier of seafarers, providing one-fifth of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers, according to the International Labour Organization.
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It's morning in Gaza. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
The United States conducted strikes on two drones in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen late on Wednesday, according to a statement from US Central Command.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group, began attacking ships in October that have been transiting the Red Sea. Their attacks were in response to Israel’s war on Hamas. The US strike came just hours after a Houthi missile attack on a commercial ship near Yemen killed three crew members and injured at least four, according to CENTCOM.
The attack, which CENTCOM said was the fifth anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthis in the last two days, marked a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels.
Here’s the latest on the conflict in the region:
Suffering in Gaza: At least 20 people have died in Gaza due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began, including a 15-year-old boy who was declared dead at the Al-Shifa medical complex on Wednesday, the enclave’s health ministry said. Gazans told CNN their children are starving to death and mothers cannot breastfeed their babies. In the southern city of Rafah, a displaced health worker has warned thousands of babies could die of starvation if Israel continues its severe restrictions on food, fuel, water and medication from entering Gaza.
Israel blocking aid: The United Nations said almost 40% of aid missions it coordinated in Gaza were denied or impeded by Israel last month. In February, 86 of the 222 missions in areas that needed coordination were denied or impeded by Israel, said the agency’s humanitarian affairs arm. In response to the deepening humanitarian crisis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Cyprus this week to discuss creating a maritime aid corridor to Gaza.
West Bank settlements: Israel will advance over 3,400 new housing units in three West Bank settlements to final approval stages, including in Ma’ale Adumim, close to the site of a recent shooting attack that killed an Israeli. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry strongly condemned Israel’s advancing settlements, calling it a “continuation of the cycle of violence.”
ICJ case against Israel: South Africa has submitted an urgent request to the International Court of Justice to ask for additional emergency measures against Israel, according to a document released by the ICJ. South Africa argued the “situation of widespread starvation” brought on by the conflict should be considered.
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South Africa submits new request in its ICJ case against Israel
From CNN's Pierre Bairin and Jessie Gretener
South Africa submitted an urgent request to the International Court of Justice on Wednesday to ask for additional emergency measures against Israel, according to a document released by the ICJ.
The statement also requests the ICJ to “indicate provisional measures and/or to modify the provisional measures” that were issued in January.
More background: South Africa brought proceedings against Israel to the ICJ in early January on claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The ICJ then announced later in the month that it would impose some provisional measures against Israel over its military operation in Gaza.
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US military says it struck 2 drones in Yemen that threatened merchant vessels and US Navy ships
From CNN's Rashard Rose
The United States conducted strikes on two drones in Yemen on Wednesday, according to a statement from US Central Command.
Some background: Earlier on Wednesday, US Central Command said three crew members were killed and at least four more were injured in a Houthi attack on a commercial ship near Yemen. It marked a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began in October in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
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3 crew members killed and at least 4 wounded in Houthi attack on commercial ship, US military says
From CNN's Rashard Rose
This 2022 photo shows the bulk carrier vessel True Confidence in Ravenna, Italy.
Dario Bonazza/Reuters/File
US Central Command said that three crew members were killed, and at least four more were wounded in the Houthi attack on a commercial ship near Yemen.
CENTCOM said that this is the fifth anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthis in the last two days.
The strike marks a significant escalation of the Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which began in October in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
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At least 20 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition since start of war, Gaza health ministry says
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Abeer Salman, Ibrahim Dahman and Celine Alkhaldi
Children carry empty bowls during a march demanding an end to the war and an end to the famine that citizens are suffering from in Rafah, Gaza on March 6.
Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images
At least 20 people have died due to malnutrition and dehydration since the war began in Gaza, including a 15-year-old boy who was declared dead at the Al-Shifa medical complex on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry in the enclave said.
The youngest child to die of starvation and lack of medical attention was one day old, according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital. Several other children who died were less than a year old.
United Nations experts have accused Israel of “intentionally starving” Palestinians in the strip. Gazans told CNN their children are starving to death and mothers cannot breastfeed their babies.
Death toll: The warning comes as the number of people killed by the Israeli military in Gaza rose to at least 30,717, with over 72,000 wounded since October 7.
CNN cannot independently confirm the deaths of the children or their causes due to the lack of international media access to Gaza, but there have been increasingly urgent warnings about hunger in the strip from international agencies who get in.
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About 40% of UN-coordinated aid missions in Gaza denied or impeded by Israel last month, agency says
From CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Ibrahim Dahman and Celine Alkhaldi
Almost 40% of aid missions coordinated by the United Nations were denied or impeded by Israel last month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Wednesday.
In February, 86 of the 222 missions — 39% of them — in areas that needed coordination were denied or impeded by Israel, OCHA said.
There was a 48% increase in the overall number of coordinated humanitarian missions facilitated by Israeli authorities across Gaza in February compared to January, OCHA said — but their effectiveness “was undermined by a cessation in operations to the north, and an overall decline in the security of civilians, including humanitarian aid workers.”
Decrease in security: The decline in effectiveness was mainly due to the “diminished presence of local police, following a spate of attacks by Israeli forces that led to police casualties,” OCHA said, adding the breakdown of law and order causes major limits to move aid. The Israeli army’s stance viewing Palestinian police forces as combatants “further complicates the efforts to restore law and order,” OCHA said. The lack of order has caused an increase in violence targeting humanitarian workers, it added.
Border crossings: Frequent and prolonged closures and blockages at Kerem Shalom and Nitzana crossings have also hampered the cross-border movement of humanitarian cargo, OCHA said. This includes 16 different times where crossing was inaccessible through Kerem Shalom and 10 at Nitzana because of protests and security issues, it said. Some Israelis have been blocking trucks at the crossings, saying no aid should get into Gaza while hostages are being held there.
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At least 94 journalists killed during Israel-Hamas war, CPJ reports
From CNN's Kareem Khadder and Hande Atay Alam
People gather to commemorate the journalists who lost their lives during the Israeli attacks on Gaza in Johannesburg, South Africa on January 28.
Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu/Getty Images
At least 94 journalistshave been killed in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported on Wednesday.
As of March 6, CPJ’s preliminary investigations showed 89 Palestinian, two Israeli, and three Lebanese journalists were among the list who died during the Israel-Hamas war.
The latest journalist who lost his life in the conflict was Mohammad Salama, a journalist for Al-Aqsa satellite channel who was killed by an airstrike overnight in Deir Al-Balah, according to the Palestinian Media Office.
Salama was displaced from Gaza City and was killed with a number of his family members when an airstrike hit the house where he was sheltering in central Gaza, the Palestinian Media Office reported.
CPJ’s list did not include Salama as of Wednesday but said in a statement, “CPJ is also investigating numerous unconfirmed reports of other journalists being killed, missing, detained, hurt, or threatened, and of damage to media offices and journalists’ homes.”
“Those in Gaza, in particular, have paid, and continue to pay, an unprecedented toll and face exponential threats. Many have lost colleagues, families, and media facilities, and have fled seeking safety when there is no safe haven or exit.”
