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☆ Hala Rharrit, US diplomat who quit over Biden administration’s Gaza policy, speaks out
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Hala Rharrit never expected that she would choose to leave her career as a US diplomat. About a year and a half ago, after mostly behind-the-scenes roles, Rharrit became an Arab language spokesperson for the State Department. But the US government’s policy on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza “unfortunately really, really changed that,” she said. Rharrit told CNN that she and her colleagues were “horrified” by the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, which triggered the war in Gaza. We just have not been able to say it.’”The State Department would not comment specifically on Rharrit’s case, citing personnel matters.

Persons: Hala Rharrit, Yemen —, Rharrit, “, ”, Josh Paul, Annelle, ” Rharrit, “ I’m, ‘ you’re, ’ ”, you’re, they’re, ‘, we’ve, Vedant Patel, ” “ You’ve Organizations: CNN, State Department, Biden, Israel, US, The State Department Locations: Yemen, Hong Kong, Qatar, South Africa, Arab, Israel, Gaza, United States, “

Nearing the end of a whirlwind Middle East trip this week, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken finished meetings with the Israeli president and relatives of American hostages held by Hamas, left his beachside hotel in Tel Aviv and shook hands with protesters gathered outside. He looked them in the eye and said there was a new hostages-for-cease-fire deal on the table that Hamas should take. “Bringing your loved ones home is at the heart of everything we’re trying to do, and we will not rest until everyone — man, woman, soldier, civilian, young, old — is back home,” he said. That public show of empathy with frustrated protesters is something that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has avoided since the war began in October. And, lately, he has focused his recent public comments on an imminent ground offensive — an invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza “with or without” a cease-fire deal, as the Israeli leader put it on Tuesday.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas Locations: Tel Aviv, Rafah, Gaza

☆ Images show US military building floating pier off Gaza. Pentagon says it will cost $320 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Helen Regan | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Construction of the temporary pier began at sea last week and the images show crew from several military vessels building the platform. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Monday the pier will cost the US about $320 million. The temporary pier is intended to help deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Instead, the Israel Defense Forces will partner with the US military to anchor the causeway to the shore in Gaza “on day one,” the military official said. A working-level Israeli delegation of intelligence agencies and military officials is expected to travel to Cairo on Tuesday, the Israeli source and another Israeli official said.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Israel Organizations: CNN, United States Central Command, Planet Labs, Pentagon, Gaza . U.S . Central Command, U.S . Central Command, Israel Defense Forces, British Navy, Royal Navy, Food Programme, USAID, United Nations, PBC CNN, Integrated Locations: Gaza, Gaza . U.S, ”, Cardigan, Cyprus, British, Gaza’s Rafah, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Cairo

Instead, the Israel Defense Forces will partner with the US military to anchor the causeway to the shore in Gaza “on day one,” the military official said. Dire humanitarian situationThe pier’s construction comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza has become dire, a senior administration official said Thursday. The official confirmed that USAID will be working with the UN to distribute the aid once it reaches Gaza. Two command and control cells have been set up to facilitate the delivery of the aid via the pier, the military official said. The US role in the effort has been complex, with the military carrying out a high-stakes construction mission in a warzone and diplomats helping to organize a dangerous and highly politicized aid distribution operation.

Persons: ”, Patrick Ryder, Joe Biden, Biden, “ Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, USNS, Israel Defense Forces, US Army, IDF, US Navy, USAID, UN, United Locations: United States, Gaza, ”, Cyprus, Cypriot, Israel, Hatzor, Ashdod, American, Cardigan

The Gaza Civil Defense acknowledged that around 100 bodies were buried in graves at the Nasser hospital before the IDF operation there. Al Mighayyer said at the news conference that the Palestinian Gaza Civil Defense in Gaza “discovered torture marks on [some] bodies.” CNN cannot independently verify these claims. Shoshani wrote in the post: “Misinformation is circulating regarding a mass grave that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza called on the United Nations to form an international committee to investigate the mass graves at the Nasser complex. Amnesty International has also called for an investigation into the mass graves at the two Gaza hospitals.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Al Mighayyer, Nasser, Al Mighayyer, Civil Defense “, “, He’s, ”, Gaza “, Nadav Shoshani, Shoshani, Gazans —, Gazans, Israel, Stephane Dujarric, General Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Palestinian Civil Defense, Nasser, Israel Defense Forces, Gaza Civil Defense, Civil Defense, Getty, Palestinian Gaza Civil Defense, Israel’s Defense Forces, IDF, Nasser Hospital, Israel, United, UN, “, Amnesty Locations: Gaza, Khan, Rafah, AFP, Palestinian, Khan Yunis, Israel, United Nations, New York, Nasser

☆ Opinion: Two words that made Ramy Youssef’s ‘SNL’ monologue historic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Opinion Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

He told the audience about one friend, Brian, who’s locked in a messy divorce and asked Youssef to pray he’ll get custody of his beloved dog. He then mentioned another friend, Ahmed, who asked Youssef to pray for his family in Gaza, telling him: “They’re suffering. Please pray for them.”The comedian continued the joke: “So that night I go to pray, and my prayers are — complicated. Please.” Youssef continued, “And please free the hostages, all the hostages, please,” which also elicited applause. Youssef, though, has been undeterred, using his comedy for months to bring attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, Ramy Youssef, Kenan Thompson, Rami Malik, Youssef, Youssef —, —, “, ”, Brian, who’s, he’ll, Ahmed, I’ve, ” Youssef, Bojangles, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Jon Stewart, Melissa Barrera, VII, ” Jonathan Glazer, Susan Sarandon, Taylor Swift, Megyn Kelly, Swift, ‘, Let’s, ’, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden —, Israel —, Biden, ” Israel “ Organizations: CNN, Dean Obeidallah CNN, Globe, Hollywood Reporter, “, East Refugee, year’s, Gallup, Israel, UN Locations: Arab, New Jersey, Palestine, Gaza, ”, Palestinian, Hollywood, Brooklyn

☆ GOP congressman appears to suggest dropping bombs on Gaza to end conflict quickly, referring to ‘Nagasaki and Hiroshima’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“We shouldn’t be spending a dime on humanitarian aid.”He continued: “It should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima. “As a child who grew up in the Cold War Era, the last thing I’d advocate for would be the use of nuclear weapons. My reasoning was the exact opposite of what is being reported: the quicker these wars end, the fewer innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire,” Walberg said in the statement. “The sooner Hamas and Russia surrender, the easier it will be to move forward. The use of this metaphor, along with the removal of context, distorted my message, but I fully stand by these beliefs and stand by our allies,” he added.

Persons: Tim Walberg, ” Walberg, ”, “, Putin, Walberg Organizations: CNN — Republican, Japan, GOP, UN, CNN, Republican Locations: Gaza, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Michigan, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, harm’s

☆ Why Ireland is the most pro-Palestinian nation in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Eoin Mcsweeney | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

“But like Palestine, (Ireland) had direct and sustained experience of imperialism,” she said. Mousa Salem/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Palestinians transport bags of flour on the back of trucks as humanitarian aid arrives in Gaza City on March 6. Omar Qattaa/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Palestinians wait to receive food at a refugee camp in Rafah on January 27. AFP/Getty Images Palestinian boy Ahmed Qannan, suffering from malnutrition, receives treatment at a health-care center in Rafah on March 4. Yasser Qudih/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images People in a crowd struggle to buy bread from a bakery in Rafah on February 18.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Micheál Martin, Israel, “, Zoë Lawlor, ”, Jane Ohlmeyer, Leo Varadkar, ” Varadkar, Abdalmajid, Volker Turk, Ohlmeyer, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Ronald Storrs, Seán Gannon, Simon Harris, ” Israel, Amihai Eliyahu, Netanyahu, Dana Erlich, Emily Hand, Varadkar’s, Eli Cohen, Varadkar, Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, ” Matt Carthy, Sinn, ” Lawlor, Loay, Fadi, Kamal Adwan, Omar Qattaa, Saher, Ahmed Qannan, Mohammed Salem, Said Khatib, Dawoud Abo, Jehad, crouches, Abed Zagout, Yazan, Rabie Abu Noqaira, Mohammed Abed, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Yasser Qudih, Fatima Shbair, Lawlor, Carthy Organizations: CNN —, Israel, International Court of Justice, Irish, Irish Palestine Solidarity, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, “, CNN, Irish Free State, Republic of Ireland, Hamas, United Nations, Jewish, Republican Irish, European Union, West Bank, Newstalk, Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Washington Post, Kamal, Anadolu Agency, Getty, AFP, UN, Reuters, US Air Force, UPI, Dawoud Abo Alkas, Amnesty, Irish Times, State Locations: CNN — Ireland, Ireland, Gaza, Israel, Gaza “, South Africa, Irish Palestine, Palestinian, Irish, Palestine, London, St, dispossession, Ulster, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Republic of, Dublin, Jerusalem, Jewish Ulster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland Ireland, Limerick, Rafah, Mousa Salem, Gaza City, AFP, Jordanian, Februrary

CNN —Israeli forces last week launched another military operation on Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, bringing the sprawling medical facility north of the enclave back into the spotlight. Here’s what we know:Why are the Israeli forces raiding Al-Shifa again? Palestinian residents leave the area with a few items after Israeli forces besiege the Al-Shifa hospital with tanks and heavy gunfire in Gaza City, Gaza on March 18, 2024. Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty ImagesResidents of the area around Al-Shifa told CNN there was heavy firing in the vicinity. Meanwhile a doctor who cared for patients trapped inside Al-Shifa told CNN he fears two severely malnourished siblings will not survive due to lack of care and medication.

Persons: Shifa, ”, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, Israel, Dawoud Abo, –, Mohammad Al Shawwa, Al Shawwa, “, ” Al Shawwa, Al Shawwa’s, Dr Ali Alghaliz, Rafiq Dughmosh, Rafif Dughmosh, Alghaliz, Mahmoud, Rafiq, “ Rafiq, Dr Ali, ” Alghaliz, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ” Ghebreyesus, Jake Sullivan, Lloyd Austin, Jacquelyn Martin, ” Sullivan, Samantha Power Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Al, United Nations, IDF, Defense Ministry, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Shifa, Dawoud Abo Alkas, Getty, Islamic, Al Ahli Baptist Hospital, Aid, Health Organization, WHO, National, US, Pentagon, US Agency for International Development, USAID Locations: Al, Gaza City, Gaza, Israel, “, –, Anadolu, Al Ahli, Israel’s, Shifa, Rafah, ”

☆ Trump Urges Israel to ‘Finish Up Your War’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump, in an interview with a conservative Israeli news outlet that was published on Monday, exhorted Israel “to finish up your war,” mixing bellicose support for the government of Israel with harsh warnings that the Jewish state was losing international support by providing “a very bad picture for the world.”But while Mr. Trump had typically harsh words for President Biden — he called Mr. Biden “dumb” — he offered no prescriptions for what the United States should do, or for what he would do, if elected, to bring the war in Gaza to an end or to advance the cause of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The interview with Israel Hayom, a publication started by the conservative American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, was released on the same day that the Biden administration allowed the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. It also came as former members of Mr. Trump’s administration have become more outspoken on policies that diverge sharply from President Biden’s. Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and a former senior White House adviser who led the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, took heat last week for calling the war in Gaza “a little bit of an unfortunate situation,” then adding, “but from Israel’s perspective I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.”

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Israel “, Biden —, Biden, Israel Hayom, Sheldon Adelson, Trump’s, Biden’s, Jared Kushner, Mr, ” Organizations: American, United Nations Security Council, White, Trump Locations: Israeli, Israel, United States, Gaza

Palestinians told CNN the war has crushed hopes of observing a peaceful month of fasting, festivities and worship this year. “Many of our friends and loved ones were buried alive under the rubble,” Mohammed Hamouda, a displaced health worker in Rafah, told CNN. “There are many people who (already) fast like it’s Ramadan,” he told CNN in late February, as the celebrations approached. Palestinians told CNN they resort to eating water-based soup mixed with herbs, custard or finger-sized biscuits because they have no access to nutrient-rich foods. I don’t remember.”Muslims in Gaza told CNN they are determined to perform daily rituals to try and find moments of relief among colossal devastation.

Persons: it’s, ” Aseel, Israel, ” Mohammed Hamouda, ” Rasmi Abu, ”, Mohammed Talatene, Ahmad Hijazi, Al Barakat, reigniting, Hamouda, Belal Khaled, Jihad Abu Watfa, Ali Jadallah, Al Shati, Khader, AbdulQader, ” Ahmed Zaida, hafiz, Said Khatib, Akbar ’ Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Ministry of Health, AFP, Getty, “, Israel Defense Forces, UN, Wafa, Endowments, Religious Affairs, Residents Locations: Deir al, Gaza, Rafah, Gaza City, Territories, Farouq, Junaina, Israeli, Hamad, Israel, Hamouda, Beit Lahia, ”, Anadolu, Sheikh Radwan, “, AFP

“Continuation of hostilities can, in no way, protect them,” she said. She told the council that the 134 hostages still in captivity and the more than 2 million civilians in Gaza “share a common fate. For their common sake, there must be a humanitarian cease-fire now.” Israel's ongoing offensive against Hamas has killed over 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he came to the council “to protest as loud as I can against the crimes against humanity” committed by Hamas in order to deter and scare Israeli society. Patten told the council that when she visited the West Bank she didn’t receive any reports of rape, but instances of sexual violence during the detention of both Palestinian men and women were raised.

Persons: ”, ” Pramila Patten, ” Patten, Israel Katz, Katz, Ramadan Kareem, ” Katz, ” Riyad Mansour, Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t, Mansour, “, Patten’s, Israel “, Patten Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, . Security, Hamas, Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s, Security Council, Palestinian, Independent International Commission of, West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, United Kingdom, France

☆ No. 2 Senate Democrat says ‘killing has to stop’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Aileen Graef | Michelle Shen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

2 Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday that the killing of innocent people in Gaza “has to stop” and that the United States needs to focus on securing a ceasefire and, eventually, an end to the conflict. “This killing has to stop of the innocent people there. More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war with Hamas began in October, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Durbin’s comments came a day after news that Israelis have “basically accepted” a six-week ceasefire proposal in Gaza, according to a senior Biden administration official. People mourn as they receive the bodies of victims of an Israeli strike on March 3, 2024, in Rafah, Gaza.

Persons: CNN — Sen, Dick Durbin of, it’s, ” Durbin, CNN’s Dana, ”, Durbin, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy of, ” Murphy, it’s “, Joe Biden, Benjamin, Durbin’s, “, Israel, “ We’re, ” Biden, Ahmad Hasaballah, Biden, uncommitted ”, Bash, Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s Organizations: CNN, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Union, Hamas, United Nations, Democratic, Washington Post, US Central Command, Biden, White House, Arab, Supreme Locations: Gaza, United States, “ State, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, U.S, Israel, Cairo, Rafah, Michigan

☆ Israeli military presents plan for evacuating Gaza’s population from ‘fighting areas’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Rob Picheta | Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Tel Aviv, Israel CNN —The Israeli military has submitted a plan to the war cabinet for “evacuating the population” of Gaza from areas of fighting, amid warnings that an offensive on the southern city of Rafah will take place soon. That “upcoming operational plan” was submitted for approval on Monday, Netanyahu’s office said, though its Monday statement did not mention Rafah by name. CNN has not seen a copy of the plan. Israel has already targeted Rafah with near-daily airstrikes, while preparing for a ground offensive in the city. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty ImagesThe US has warned it would not support a campaign on the city without a “credible” plan to evacuate Palestinians.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Ahmad Hasaballah, ” Netanyahu, Israel “, it’ll, Jake Sullivan, I’m, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Dana Bash Organizations: Israel CNN, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, White, National, CNN Sunday Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, ”, Qatar, United States, Paris

☆ Israeli forces fired on food convoy in Gaza, UN documents and satellite analysis reveals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katie Polglase | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“A convoy that had food on it, heading to the northern parts of the Gaza Strip. In the wake of the strike on February 5, UNRWA decided to stop sending convoys to northern Gaza. The UN estimates that 300,000 people are still living in northern Gaza, with very little assistance. “Because of the level of desperation in Gaza, people would see an aid convoy, they would come to the aid convoy, take the stuff from the aid convoy,” Touma told CNN. “By the time we get the approval, the aid convoy is empty.”Other routes are impassable due to debris and craters, satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows.

Persons: ” Juliette Touma, CNN’s, Al Rashid, ” Touma, Thomas White, Tom White, “, ” Janina Dill, it’s, ”, Philippa Greer, COGAT, Abed Zagout, Israel “, Craig Jones, ” Jones, ” Gianluca Mezzofiore, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: UN, CNN CNN, United Nations, CNN, UNRWA, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, Ministry of Health, Al, X, Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics, Law, US State Department, “, Government, Planet Labs, Food, Getty, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Health Organization, International Court of Justice, Newcastle University Locations: Gaza, Israel, Wadi Gaza, Palestinian, “ Israel, Al, Gaza City, Rafah, Egypt, Anadolu, French, Palestine, United Kingdom

☆ Israeli minister says ground offensive in Rafah will begin by Ramadan if hostages aren’t returned
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | Lauren Izso | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Israel will expand military operations in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah if hostages held by Hamas are not returned by the start of Ramadan, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has warned. Israel believes that 130 hostages remain in Gaza – 101 alive and 29 dead – following Hamas’ October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel. The comments come amid stuttering talks aimed at securing the release of hostages and a longer-term ceasefire in Gaza. Egypt’s security buildup comes amid fears of the war spilling over into its territory should Israel begin its operation in Rafah. The Israeli military said it had credible evidence that Hamas had previously held hostages at the hospital, and that the bodies of deceased hostages may be at the medical complex.

Persons: CNN —, Benny Gantz, Ramadan, ” Gantz, “, Israel, ’, Israel’s, Israel –, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Martin Griffiths, Sameh Shoukry, ” Shoukry, Abed Rahim Khatib Organizations: CNN, Hamas, United Nations, Sunday, Sky News, Anadolu, Getty, Hospital Locations: CNN — Israel, Gazan, Rafah, Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, “, Nasser, Khan, United States, ”, Egypt

☆ Israeli strikes deepen panic in Rafah as UN aid chief warns a ground offensive could result in ‘slaughter’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It remains unclear how or when a ground offensive would unfold, and that uncertainty is adding to anxiety among Palestinians in Rafah about where to go and what to do. Israeli military action in Rafah “has already led to and will result in further large scale killing, harm and destruction,” the government said in its request to the World Court. “We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah… We cannot stand by and let this continue,” he said. Palestinians inspect damaged buildings after Israeli airstrikes on Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on February 12, 2024. They told us this area was safe… they told us Rafah was safe.

Persons: Leo Varadkar, Peter Lerner, ”, “ We’re, … We’re, We’ve, Mo’men, Martin Griffiths, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Lerner, Gaza ”, UN’s Griffiths, Ashraf Amra, Antonio Tajani, King Abdullah II, Israel “, Varadkar, Karim Khan, Daniel Hagari, Abed Rahim Khatib, Khan Younis, We’re, Jarwan, ” Nahla, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, United Nations, International Court, Reuters, ” United, Israel Defense Forces, Residents, Getty, Criminal, European Union, Foreign Ministry, Criminal Court, ICC, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Israeli Air Force, World Health Organization Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Gazan, ” Israel, Palestinian, ” United Nations, Hamas’s, South Africa, Rafah “, Deir, Balah, Deir al, Anadolu, European, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, China, Italian, ”, Palestine, Al

The official said Israeli military pressure on Hamas in Khan Younis over the last several week s has helped bring the militant group closer to accepting an agreement. Biden, who last week called Israel’s military response in Gaza “over the top,” also sought “urgent and specific” steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. The official said the Israelis “made clear they would not contemplate an operation" in Rafah without safeguarding the civilian population. On his way home from Israel, Biden announced he'd helped broker the first deal to pause fighting temporarily and to open the crossing in Rafah to humanitarian aid. In the months since, members of his administration have made repeated trips to the region to engage with leaders there.

Persons: Joe Biden, King Abdullah II, Biden, Khan Younis, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, “, skyrocket, Jordan, he'd, Zeke Miller Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, American, Israel, Israeli, Israel’s, Associated Locations: Washington, Gaza, Rafah, Jordan, Iran, Israel, U.S

☆ Biden and Jordanian king look to move Israel-Hamas war to a new phase
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan met Monday aiming to figure out how to move the Israel-Hamas war into a new phase in which Israeli hostages are released and fighting stops for a prolonged period of time. “The key elements of the deal are on the table,” Biden said while addressing reporters alongside the king at the White House. “We cannot stand by and let this continue,” the Jordanian king told reporters. The president’s supporters have frequently pointed to the Israel-Hamas war as evidence of Biden’s mental faculties being in good shape. The Jordanian and Egyptian governments have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, while Biden has resisted making a similar call.

Persons: Joe Biden, King Abdullah II, Jordan, ” Biden, I’ve, “, Biden, Abdullah, ”, ” Abdullah, Robert Hur’s, Biden’s amped, King Abdullah, Kamala Harris, Hur, ” Harris, Daniel Goldman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Blinken, CNN’s MJ Lee, Priscilla Alvarez, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, White, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, United Nations, Wing, Biden, Democratic, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israeli, US, CNN Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Rafah, Jordanian, “, New York, Jordan, Egypt, Amman, Gaza’s Al, Ahli, Iran

CNN —US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to talk on Sunday, according to a spokesman for the National Security Council. The call will focus on the hostages still held in Gaza, a source familiar with the expected conversation said. Biden and Netanyahu last spoke over the phone on January 19. Last week, Blinken also told Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials that the civilian toll in Gaza “remains too high” as violence continues in the region. And day after day, more people are killed,” Blinken said at a news conference last week after meeting with top Israeli officials.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, it’s, ” Netanyahu, ”, ” Biden, Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, ” Blinken, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: CNN, Israeli, National Security Council, US, Hamas, White Locations: Gaza

☆ Middle East Crisis Biden Sharpens Criticism of Israel, Calling Gaza Response ‘Over the Top’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

“I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage cease-fire,” President Biden said while meeting with the press on Thursday night at the White House. “I’ve been pushing really hard, really hard, to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” he added. Image A crowd waiting for food in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Mr. Biden said he was trying to get more aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. “I’ve been working tirelessly in this deal,” he added, because it could “lead to a sustained pause in the fighting and the actions taking place in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: ”, Biden, Mr, “, “ I’ve, it’s, Abdel Fattah el, Bibi, Biden’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Joe, Antony J, ” Mr, Blinken, Hatem Ali, Victoria Kim Organizations: White House, Hamas, White, Israel Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Mexico, Sisi, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza . Credit, Saudi Arabia, Seoul

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday sought to downplay sharp criticism levied against Israel by President Joe Biden and a senior national security official over how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has conducted Israel's four-month-old war aimed at rooting out Hamas militants from Gaza. The White House National Security Council confirmed that Finer’s comments, as reported by the Times, were accurate. Hamas, however, has demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and end the war as part of a hostage deal. Biden said he still is hopeful that a deal can be worked out that might create a path to ending the war. Biden enjoyed a roughly 3-to-1 advantage in Dearborn and 5-1 advantage in Hamtramck, and he won Wayne County by more than 330,000 votes.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Biden, ”, Jon, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Adrienne Watson, “, ” Biden, “ I’ve, Samantha Power, Steven Benjamin, Tom Perez, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Donald Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Israel, New York Times, White House National Security Council, Times, Associated Press, National Security, U.S . Agency for International Development, Public, Intergovernmental Affairs, Biden, Michigan, Democrats, Wayne County Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, U.S, Egypt, Qatar, Michigan, Detroit, Eastern, Wayne County, Dearborn, Hamtramck, Wayne

☆ Biden sharpens criticism of Israel, calling its Gaza response ‘over the top.’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden sharply escalated his criticism of Israel’s approach to the war against Hamas on Thursday, calling military operations in Gaza “over the top” and saying that the suffering of innocent people has “got to stop.”Mr. Biden, who has strongly supported Israel’s right to retaliate for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas that killed an estimated 1,200 people, exhibited growing impatience with the scale and duration of Israel’s response during a nighttime meeting with reporters at the White House. “I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top,” Mr. Biden said in response to questions at the end of the rowdy session, meant to address a special counsel report on his handling of classified documents. “I’ve been pushing really hard, really hard, to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” he added. “There are a lot of innocent people who are starving. There are a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying.

Persons: Biden, Mr, “, “ I’ve, it’s Organizations: Hamas, White Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Mexico

☆ Middle East Crisis Netanyahu Says Israeli Soldiers Will Push Into Crowded Area in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Gaya Gupta | Andrés R. Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But Mr. Netanyahu, a canny negotiator, avoided specifics in his news conference, leaving things somewhat murky. Without specifying any details of the Hamas proposal, Mr. Netanyahu said “surrender to the ludicrous demands of Hamas” would neither free the more than 100 hostages still in Gaza nor restore Israel’s security. Asked specifically whether Israel had formally rejected the framework, Mr. Netanyahu said: “Based on what they passed to us? Israeli officials say 136 remain in Gaza, including dozens who are believed to be dead. “I address you, Mr. Netanyahu, everything is in your hands.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Mr, Netanyahu, Antony J, “, ”, Hamas’s, Osama Hamdan, Hamdan, Mr, António Guterres, Guterres, Adina Moshe, “ I’m, Blinken, Hwaida Saad Organizations: U.S, Qatari, Gaza, United Nations, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Beirut, Lebanon, United States, Cairo, Rafah, ” Israel

☆ Biden Sharpens Criticism of Israel, Calling Gaza Response ‘Over the Top’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Persons: Biden, Mr, “, “ I’ve, it’s Organizations: Hamas, White Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Mexico

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