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☆ ‘We have to do what we have to do’: Israel’s Netanyahu stands firm on Rafah offensive despite U.S. tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged tensions with historical ally the U.S. over the military offensive in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, but stood firm that the operation is required to protect Israeli security. But we have to do what we have to do," Netanyahu said Wednesday, in an interview with CNBC's Sara Eisen. Over 1,200 people have been killed in Israel since October, according to Israel's prime minister's office. Meanwhile, more than 35,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian health ministry's latest official count. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that Washington could not endorse a Rafah military incursion in the absence of a "credible" plan to safeguard civilians.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, CNBC's Sara Eisen, Israel, Antony Blinken, Josep Borrell Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, NBC's, U.S . State Department Locations: U.S, Rafah, Gaza, Israel, United States, Washington, Hamas, Kerem Shalom

☆ Chinese asylum seekers in New York City live in limbo, caught between China and the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Tara John | Yong Xiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

It was his only day off from working 12-hour shifts at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. Evelio Contreras/CNNAfter arriving in New York, Ye spent a week in a Manhattan shelter. For Chinese asylum seekers like Ye, there is a well-trodden route to residency in the US. … It’s impossible for them to be spies.”But the rhetoric around the rise of undocumented Chinese migrants highlights growing tensions between the US and Chinese governments. He received permanent US residence a year later and has gone on to help Chinese migrants in Flushing.

Persons: Ye Chengxiang, “, ”, Ye, Evelio Contreras, Amy Hsin, Jiang Zhen, Yong Xiong, Xi Jinping, Biden, Mark Green of, Wan Yanhai, …, Jiang, “ It’s, I’m, Melanie Stetson Freeman, ’ Wan, Flushing . Li Jiada, Li Jiada, Jesus, Li Organizations: NY CNN, Central America, CNN, Queens College, Customs and, Embassy, Central, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China, Republicans, Republican, House Homeland Security Committee, Communist Party, Christian Science, Customs Enforcement, of, Yorker Locations: Flushing, NY, New York City, China, Communist, Ye, States, Colombia, Darien, South, Central, New York, Manhattan, Flushing’s, Sunset, Mexico, Central America, Queens, Hunan province, Guangdong, Chinatown, , Flushing , New York, San Francisco, Mark Green of Tennessee, Beijing, Flushing ., Flushing , Queens

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah invasion looms, Gaza aid crisis worsens
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A damaged United Nations vehicle is seen in front of a hospital after a UN employee was killed in an attack on a vehicle in Gaza, according to Israeli media. The White House believes an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would be a mistake and is “urgently” working toward a ceasefire, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. The Biden administration is urging Israel to connect their military operations to a “clear” end game for the war, Sullivan told reporters. Hamas treated in Turkey: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "more than 1,000 Hamas members are currently under treatment" in Turkish hospitals. Aid ransacked: Israeli activists opposed to helping Palestinians in Gaza intercepted and ransacked an aid shipment.

Persons: Ali Jadallah, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Sullivan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Organizations: United Nations, UN, Getty, Israel, American, CNN, National, State Department, Hamas, enclave's Health Ministry, West Bank, Palestinian Authority . United Nations Locations: Gaza, Anadolu, Gaza's, Rafah, Israel, Palestinian, Turkey, Turkish, Jordan

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah invasion looms, new Gaza aid crossing opens
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Palestinians leave the Jabalya Refugee Camp with their belongings in Gaza, on May 12. Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty ImagesIsrael is battling Hamas across Gaza, including in the Jabalya refugee camp in the north. Israel, which previously said it controlled Jabalya, said it is trying to stop Hamas regrouping there. Video captured heavy gunfire, Israeli tanks and the sound of drones in the area on Sunday. The Israeli military said it was continuing "precise operations" in eastern Rafah and near the Rafah crossing, ahead of a planned full-scale invasion.

Persons: Dawoud Abo Organizations: Dawoud Abo Alkas, Getty, Israel, Gaza's Health Ministry Locations: Gaza, Anadolu, Israel, Rafah

☆ Middle East Crisis Israel Observes a Solemn Memorial Day
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Israel is observing Memorial Day, a somber annual commemoration that has taken on added significance this year in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack and the war it ignited. Roughly 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, according to the Israeli authorities. “Memorial Day is always special in Israel, but this year will be even more intense.”For Israelis whose loved ones are still in Gaza, the day is particularly painful. On Monday evening, the Memorial Day observances will end and Israel will shift to celebrating the country’s 76th Independence Day. Her two children, Yagil and Or, were taken hostage on Oct. 7 and held in Gaza for weeks.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s, Mount, Herzi Halevi, ”, Eyal Brandeis, Brandeis, “, Goren’s, Avner, Nir Oz, Goren, Renana Gome, Gome’s, Yair, ” Ms, Gome, ” Johnatan Reiss Organizations: Monday, Palestinian Locations: Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza, Sufa, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv

☆ No 'credible plan': U.S.' Blinken issues harshest criticism yet of Israel's Gaza operations
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven't seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza is over, and we still haven't seen that." The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities in the besieged enclave. We're seeing parts of Gaza that Israel has cleared of Hamas where Hamas is coming back, including in the north, including in Khan Younis," Blinken said. Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes in eastern Rafah, Gaza on May 07, 2024.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mike Herzog, Evelyn Hockstein, Blinken, Biden, Joe Biden, Ashraf Amra, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Younis, Abed Rahim Khatib, We've Organizations: Ben, Reuters U.S, CBS, Israel, Administration, Anadolu, Getty, Hamas, State Department, NBC Locations: U.S, Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Deir, Balah, Palestinian, America, Egypt

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told a daily briefing at the UN that the health ministry in Gaza recently published two separate death tolls – an overall death toll and a total number of identified fatalities. The fully identified death toll comprises of 7,797 children, 4,959 women, 1,924 elderly, and 10,006 men, the UN spokesperson said, citing the Gaza health ministry. The total number of dead also does not include the approximately 10,000 people who are still missing and trapped under the rubble, the officials added. Israel launched its military assault on Gaza on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, killed at least 1,200 people in Israel and abducted more than 250 others. CNN has seen a daily report from the Palestinian health ministry which matches the number OCHA published in the revised version.

Persons: Farhan Haq, Haq Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Ministry of Health, Hamas, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs, UN, Palestinian Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Israel’s return to areas of Gaza it said were clear of Hamas raises doubts about its military strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The Israeli military has renewed its fighting in northern Gaza where it previously claimed to have dismantled Hamas’ command structure. The Israeli military also began operating in the area of Zeitoun in central Gaza, as it continues its offensive in eastern Rafah and near the Rafah crossing with Egypt. “Israel’s strategy is not a good one,” said Danny Orbach, a military historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Others say the re-emergence of Hamas “pockets” is not unusual, and that the Israeli military will have to keep re-entering areas in Gaza until no more fighters emerge. “This process will happen again and again,” Amir Aviv, former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of Israel’s military, told CNN, until all “pockets of resistance” are removed.

Persons: Israel’s, Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Israel, Khan Younis, ” Blinken, Israel “, Dawoud Abo, ”, Danny Orbach, Netanyahu, Netanyahu “, ” Orbach, Phil, General Herzi Halevi, Tamir Hayman, Hayman, ” Amir Aviv, “ Organizations: CNN, CBS News, Israel, Dawoud Abo Alkas, Getty, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, Staff, Institute for National Security Studies Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Zeitoun, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, United States, Rafah –, Washington, ”, Gaza City, Anadolu, East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv

As the Israeli military stepped up pressure on what it calls Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza, fighting elsewhere in the Palestinian enclave on Sunday led to warnings that the militants might remain a force for a long time to come. Close-quarters ground combat between Hamas fighters and Israeli troops raged in parts of northern Gaza over the weekend, both sides said on Sunday, even as the world’s attention was largely focused on the southern city of Rafah, where Israel escalated military operations last week. It has become a familiar scenario in the Gaza Strip over the course of the seven-month war: After pitched battles, Israel declares an area clear of Hamas, only to return after the militants reconstitute their forces. On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said he was concerned that Israel’s failure to lay down a template for the governance of Gaza meant that its victories might not be “sustainable” and would be followed by “chaos, by anarchy and ultimately by Hamas again.”

Persons: Hamas’s, Antony J, Blinken, ” Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Israel

☆ Middle East Crisis U.N. Says About 300,000 Gazans Have Fled Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

There has been intense bombardment and fighting around Rafah since Monday, when Israel seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, largely halting the flow of aid. Dozens of people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Rafah since then, local health officials say. Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over parts of Rafah and over a part of northern Gaza on Saturday that ordered people to flee. “Forcing civilians to evacuate Rafah to unsafe zones is intolerable,” Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s top diplomat, wrote late Saturday on the social media platform X. Several countries and international aid groups have condemned the prospect of a full-scale Rafah invasion, saying it would be catastrophic for civilians.

Persons: Gazans, Israel, ” Josep Borrell Fontelles, Biden Organizations: United Nations, Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Al, Israel, United

☆ US officials continue to warn against invasion of Rafah, even as Israel presses ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Blinken and Sullivan both said Biden made the determination because he didn’t want American weapons used in what he estimates would be a bloody, ill-advised operation. At the same time, they sought to rebut claims from Republicans and pro-Israel Democrats that Biden was leaving Israel to fend for itself. Despite American warnings dating back months about the wisdom of a ground invasion into Rafah, Israel appears poised to continue advancing on the city and has issued evacuation orders for some of the 1.4 million civilians estimated to be sheltering there. That is partly why Biden determined that American weapons should not be used in a Rafah offensive. We treat Israel, one of our closest allies and partners, just as we would treat any other country,” Blinken said on NBC.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Blinken, Sullivan, Biden, didn’t, Israel, ” Blinken, “ Israel’s, ” Sullivan, ” “, doesn’t, “ We’ve, we’ve, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, that’s Organizations: CNN, Top, White House, Israel Democrats, Hamas, CBS, Ministry, Health, Press, State Department, NBC, Israeli Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel

☆ Young Palestinians with amputated and injured legs find care in US — but face uncertain future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Celina OdehShe is one of three Palestinians who received PCRF’s help to come to the US for leg injury treatment. At least 1,000 children in Gaza have had one or both legs amputated, UNICEF reported in December. Doctors feared that she may have needed both legs amputated, but with adequate care and treatment, she has avoided that outcome. An anxious wait to return homeEvacuating to the United States is not the obvious answer for all injured children, Hailat said. “We’re trying to limit how many people we bring to the United States.

Persons: Ahed, “ Ahed, Bseso, ”, Tareq Hailat, Celina Odeh, Joe English, —, Israel —, Ahmed Damo, PCRF, PCRF Ayham, ’, Musalm, Hailat, Amber Alayyan, Alayyan, there’s, PCRF’s Hailat, “ We’re, malnourishment, worriedly, “ Organizations: CNN, Shriners Children’s, Palestine Children’s Relief, UNICEF, ”, Children’s Locations: Gaza, Greenville , South Carolina, United States, Israel, Chicago, Greenville

CNN —President Joe Biden is facing backlash from lawmakers in both parties over his ultimatum that a major Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah would result in a shut-off of some US weapons. “So if you’re worried about Palestinian casualties, the stated policy here actually doesn’t make a ton of sense,” Vance said. The president’s announcement amounted to a turning point in US-Israeli ties since the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October. Still, the president’s aides said the message shouldn’t have been a surprise to their intended recipients in Israel given repeated warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I think President Biden has taken forceful action – so much so there’s been a lot of blowback for his recent public statement.”CNN’s Kit Maher, Aileen Graef, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.

Persons: Joe Biden, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “, Republican Sen, JD Vance, CNN’s Dana, ”, Biden, ” Vance, Benjamin Netanyahu, Burnett, Israel, Lindsey Graham of, Graham, GOP Sen, Rick Scott of, Israel ”, Josh Gottheimer, Adam Smith, Erin Burnett, –, Netanyahu, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy, Bash, Murphy, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Chris Van Hollen, Margaret Brennan, Van Hollen, ” Van Hollen, ” Murphy, ” Democratic Sen, Chris Coons, Van Hollen’s, there’s, ” CNN’s Kit Maher, Aileen Graef, Kevin Liptak, Jennifer Hansler, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, GOP, Republican, Union, Hamas, Fox News, Democrats, House Democrats, Rep, Congress, Democratic, Connecticut, “, CBS, Ministry, Health, State Department, ” Democratic Locations: Rafah, Ohio, “ State, Israel, Rafah —, Gaza, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida, New Jersey, Washington, ”, Iraq, Afghanistan, United States, Maryland, Chris Coons of Delaware

☆ Israel pushes deeper into Rafah and battles a regrouping Hamas in northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Warnings continued against the growing offensive in Rafah, considered the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million civilians as well as Hamas' last stronghold. The two towns near Gaza's northern border with Israel were heavily bombed in the opening days of the war. Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of Rafah, and Hagari said dozens of militants had been killed there as "targeted operations continued." Israeli troops have captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, forcing it to shut down. Smoke billows after Israeli bombardment in central Gaza City on March 18, 2024, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Israel, Volker Turk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hatem Khaled, Netanyahu, Abdel, Kareem Radwan, Daniel Hagari, Ben Caspit, Khan Younis, Hagari Organizations: Hamas, Afp, Getty, U.S, CBS, International Court of Justice, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Health Ministry, Palestinian Civil Defense, Al Qahera News Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, RAFAH, Egypt, South, United States, Palestinian, Gaza City, Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya, Gaza's, Hamas, Israel's

☆ Biden admin says it’s ‘reasonable to assess’ Israel used American weapons in Gaza in ways ‘inconsistent’ with international law
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration said Friday that it is “reasonable to assess” that US weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways that are “inconsistent” with international humanitarian law but stopped short of officially saying Israel violated the law. Although the report does not find Israel in violation of either of the terms of the memorandum, it is sharply critical of the toll of Israel’s military campaign. The findings of the report mark another stark moment in US-Israeli relations in the same week President Joe Biden threatened to restrict weapons transfers if Israel goes ahead with a major offensive in Rafah. The administration was required to make a determination on those two matters under a February national security memorandum, which Biden issued under pressure from Democratic lawmakers. That official said the report would be shared with the Israeli government.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, Joe Biden, Israel, ” Organizations: CNN, State Department, USG, Hamas, Capitol, Democratic Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah

☆ Biden and Netanyahu's fraught relationship hits new low after U.S. pauses weapons shipment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

"There's real skepticism in the administration that Rafah will bring about a deal for the hostages, like the Israelis have been saying." Pentagon confirms weapons shipment pause to IsraelThe Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday that the administration paused the delivery to Israel of a shipment of 1,800 two-thousand-pound bombs and 1,700 five-hundred-pound bombs. Netanyahu remains undeterred, saying that Israel will "stand alone" and fight "with our fingernails" if U.S. weapons shipments stopped. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) visits army units on the border between Israel and Gaza Strip near Rafah, Gaza on May 07, 2024. Israeli Ministry of Defense | Anadolu | Getty ImagesItamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right wing national security minister, posted on X simply writing: "Hamas [heart emoji] Biden."

Persons: Ahmad Gharabli, Richard Haass, Joe Biden, Haass, George W, Bush, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Yunis, Ashraf Amr, Biden, Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington's, Austin, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Itamar Ben Gvir, emoji, It's, Will, Avi Melamed, Melamed, Clayton Allen, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders, Vermont, Sanders, Ali Jadallah Organizations: Hamas, AFP, Getty, U.S, Foreign Relations, Haaretz, Qatari, United Nations, WHO, Anadolu, CNN, Pentagon, Biden, Defense, Israel, Israeli, Ministry of Defense, Congress, Eurasia Group, Independent, CNBC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Palestinian, Israeli, Khan, I'm, al, Hamas, Iran, U.S, United States

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah crossing, bombings, Gaza ceasefire deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Displaced Palestinians are arriving in Khan Yunis with their belongings after leaving Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip due to an evacuation order by the Israeli army, in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on May 7. Majdi Fathi/NURPHO/APThe United States paused a shipment of bombs to Israel amid concerns over their potential use in a Rafah incursion, according to a US official. The shipment, which was held back last week, includes 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds. CNN reported over the weekend that one shipment of ammunition to Israel had been paused, but the reason was unclear. Israeli leaders have warned for weeks that an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah will occur at some point in the future, even as the US and others have publicly stated that such a ground operation should not occur.

Persons: Majdi, Biden Organizations: United, CNN Locations: Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza, Israel

CNN —Israel’s attack in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has expanded from airstrikes to ground operations, new satellite images obtained by CNN from Planet Labs show. Satellite images suggest these strikes are continuing, with one picture showing smoke still rising from one location. Palestinians arrive at Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, after Israeli air strikes on May 8. Planet Labs, PBC Satellite images from May 6 and May 7 show damage in Rafah, Gaza. Planet Labs, PBC Satellite images show Rafah, Gaza, before and during an airstrike.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Tal, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gazans, “, Jens Laerke Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Al Kuwaiti, Al, PBC, ”, 401st Brigade Combat, Hamas, Food Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Al Kuwaiti, Tal Al Sultan, ”, Geneva . Northern Gaza

☆ Israeli and Hamas Negotiators Are in Cairo Under Pressure for Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The Israeli ground-and-air operation in the eastern part of Rafah on Tuesday further hampered the area’s struggling medical system. Fearing a raid by Israeli forces, like those that have been carried out at hospitals across Gaza, the medical staff at al-Najjar rushed to relocate more than 200 patients. But even during the scramble to evacuate the hospital, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah continued. The Israeli military’s actions also immediately limited access to more basic health services across Rafah. That delegation was also supposed to deliver the salaries of the aid group’s medical workers in Rafah — cash they desperately needed to secure housing and transportation during the chaotic evacuation.

Persons: Abu Yousef al, ” Dr, Marwan al, Najjar, Khan Younis, Hams, ”, Israel, —, Chessa Latifi, Hatem Khaled, Kamal Adwan, “ We’ve, ” Ms, Latifi, Dr, John Kahler, MedGlobal, Kahler Organizations: Najjar, Hams, European Hospital, International Medical Corps, HOPE, ., Project HOPE, Kamal Adwan Hospital, Health, Awda Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israeli, Israel, Khan, al, U.S, Gaza City, Cairo

☆ U.S. paused shipment of weapons to Israel to head off Rafah invasion, says official
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week in opposition to apparent moves by the Israelis to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior administration official said on Tuesday. Biden has been trying to head off a full-scale assault by the Israelis against Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian have sought refuge from combat elsewhere in Gaza. "As a result of that review, we have paused one shipment of weapons last week. It consists of 1,800 2,000-lb bombs and 1,700 500-lb bombs," the official said. We have not made a final determination on how to proceed with this shipment," the official said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Israel, Karine Jean, Pierre Organizations: Palestinian Hamas, Boeing, Attack Munitions, Pentagon, Tuesday, White Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Rafah, Washington, Egypt

☆ Israeli forces take control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An Israeli tank brigade seized control Tuesday of the Gaza Strip side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, authorities said, moving forward with an offensive in the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remain on a knife's edge. The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing early Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said, taking "operational control" of the crucial crossing. Footage released by the Israeli military showed a tank entering the crossing. The Israeli military claimed it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence it was "being used for terrorist purposes." Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, acknowledged Israeli forces had seized the crossing and had closed the facility for the time being.

Persons: brinkmanship, Wael Abu Omar, Israel that's Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Israeli 401st Brigade, Palestinian Crossings Authority, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Israeli, Egypt, Kerem, Wael, United States

☆ Israel’s Closures of 2 Gaza Border Crossings Prompt Alarm Over Humanitarian Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With its seizure of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, Israel has now closed two key crossings for aid into Gaza, drawing sharp warnings from international agencies and officials who said the moves could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Since the start of the war, Israel had limited aid entering the Gaza Strip to the two tightly controlled border crossings: Kerem Shalom and Rafah, which both access the enclave’s south. But Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing after a Hamas attack on Sunday killed four soldiers in the area, then mounted an incursion on Tuesday that closed the Rafah crossing along the border with Egypt. Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian office, said in a news briefing that Israel had “choked off” the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza. Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the Rafah operation “in the strongest terms,” saying on Tuesday afternoon that Israeli control over the crossing jeopardized humanitarian aid deliveries as well as the ability of Gazans to leave the strip for medical treatment.

Persons: Jens Laerke, Israel, “ Organizations: Sunday, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Kerem Shalom

☆ US paused shipment of bombs to Israel amid concerns over potential use in Rafah incursion, US official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The United States paused a shipment of bombs to Israel amid concerns over their potential use in a Rafah incursion, according to a US official. The shipment, which was held back last week, includes 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds. CNN reported over the weekend that one shipment of ammunition to Israel had been paused, but the reason was unclear. On Monday, Israel carried out what the US described as a “limited” operation in Rafah, taking over the border crossing with Egypt that is a vital lifeline for humanitarian aid. “We have not made a final determination on how to proceed with this shipment,” the official said.

Persons: Biden, Israel, ”, Matt Miller, “, Pat Ryder, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s, Ali Jadallah, Marc Garlasco, Sabrina Singh, “ You’ve, You’ve, I’m Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, US, Getty, UN Locations: United, Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Anadolu, Israel’s, Vietnam

☆ Israeli military tells Palestinian civilians in parts of Rafah to 'evacuate immediately'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Israel's military on Monday said it has begun evacuating Palestinians from parts of Gaza's southern city of Rafah, ahead of an expected military operation where roughly half of the enclave's entire population is sheltering. "The IDF will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence, as it has done so far. Anyone who is close to terrorist organizations puts his life and the life of his family at risk," the post said. The White House — as well as the United Nations, WHO and other multinational organizations — has urged Israel against an offensive in Rafah, warning of catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said that an operation there is essential to his country winning the war against Hamas.

Persons: Khan, Al Mawasi, —, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Palestinian Hamas, Israel Defense, United Nations, WHO Locations: Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza's, Al

☆ Hamas has proposed a ceasefire deal. Here’s why that won’t bring an immediate end to the war in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —When Hamas declared on Monday evening that it has “agreed” to a ceasefire deal, it caught many off guard. But US officials have pushed back on Hamas’ claim that it had “agreed” to a ceasefire deal, instead characterizing the response as a counterproposal with changes. The Hamas proposal calls for an end to the war, which is a red line for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior American official told CNN. “Both sides only want a ceasefire deal that ensures their political survival,” Lowenstein said. It is not a list of individuals who can be killed or infrastructure and equipment that can be destroyed,” Ibish told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Israel, Bill Burns, Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matan Golan, Frank Lowenstein, Barack Obama, ” Lowenstein, Netanyahu — “, Netanyahu, Barak Ravid, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Hamas’s, Biden, doesn’t, Lowenstein, “ Bibi, he’s, Khan Younis, “, that’s, Bibi, it’s, ” Hussein Ibish, Ibish, ” Ibish, “ Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, CIA, Qatari, Israeli, Palestinian, Israel, AFP, Getty, Gulf States Institute Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, “, American, Tel Aviv, Washington ,, Qatar

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