Palestinian Water Authority warns Gaza very low on supplies
From CNN's Tim Lister
The Palestinian Water Authority has warned that water supplies in Gaza are running very low because of the destruction of generating capacity.
It said Saturday that before the conflict began, 262,000 cubic meters of water were being drawn from wells daily. Now that figure is 14,000 cubic meters, and there is an urgent need for fuel to provide more water, it said.
The shortages are throughout Gaza, according to the water authority.
There is an urgent need for 14,000 liters of fuel per day, which would provide around 130,000 cubic meters of water, it added.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Saturday that most people in Gaza now had no access to water.
"As a last resort, people are consuming brackish water from agricultural wells, triggering serious concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases," it said.
23 min ago
300 killed, 800 injured in 24 hours – and most of them women and children, Ministry of Health in Gaza says
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi
Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinians from al-Agha family, who were killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on October 14, 2023. Arafat Barbakh/Reuters
Some 300 people were killed and 800 injured in Gaza in the 24-hour period to early Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
And most of the victims were women and children, the ministry said.
For eight consecutive days the densely populated Gaza Strip has been subjected to Israeli strikes, leaving 2,215 people dead and 8,714 injured, according to the latest figures reported by the ministry.
Israel launched the retaliatory offensive after Hamas' October 7 terror attacks that killed 1,300 people.
Fears for civilians in Gaza are now growing as Israel says it is gearing up for the next stages of its war with Hamas, including widespread strikes and "significant ground operations."
47 min ago
Hostages 'most likely held underground,' IDF says
Israel's top priority is to rescue hostages from Gaza, despite the difficulties involved in fighting in a densely populated urban area, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson has told CNN.
Pointing to Hamas' "elaborate network of tunnels," Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the hostages are "most likely held underground in various locations."
"It is extremely difficult for any modern military to fight in such a dense urban area," he said.
"We know that Hamas has an elaborate network of tunnels both for defensive and offensive purposes, which will for sure, compound the complexity of fighting and we are prepared for that," he said.
"Fighting will be slow. Advances will be slow, and we will be cautious, but we are very determined to get to the Hamas terrorists that currently are hiding underneath our civilians in the tunnel system that they have."
Conricus said operations and raids that were conducted a day and a half ago recovered "some useful intelligence," but no bodies of Israelis who were taken have been recovered.
The IDF will not target civilians, Conricus said.
"But again, we must remember... we are going to fight a ruthless enemy that has no problems using everything available... civilians as human shields and using civilian infrastructure for military purposes," he added.
A main aim for the IDF is to "totally dismantle (Hamas') military capabilities," according to Conricus.
39 min ago
Israel will start "significant military operations" only once civilians have left, IDF says
Israel will start "significant military operations" in Gaza only once they see that civilians have left, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson told CNN.
"The important thing here to focus on is that we will commence significant military operations only once we see that civilians have left the area," Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.
"It's really important that people in Gaza know we've been very, very generous with the time. We have given ample warning, more than 25 hours... I cannot stress more than enough to say now is the time for Gazans to leave.
"Take your belongings, go south. Preserve your life, and do not fall into the trap that Hamas is setting up for you."
More than half of Gaza’s 2 million residents live in the northern section that Israel has told to evacuate. Many families, some of whom were already internally displaced, are now crammed into an even smaller portion of the 140-square-mile territory.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been fleeing south through the battered streets of Gaza after the Israeli military told them to leave northern areas of the densely populated strip.
Parts of the south are becoming even more crowded and overstretched, Gazans say, as waves of Palestinians abandon their homes in the wake of Israel’s statement, ahead of an anticipated ground assault by the IDF.
According to Conricus, the area around the Gaza Strip is densely packed with "hundreds of thousands of Israeli reserve units" that are preparing for various missions.
"The challenge and the mission is to have all of those more than 360,000 reservists both in the south and in the north, get them mission ready, equipped, prepared, task-forced, and ready for any assignments they will have in the future," he said.
38 min ago
It's morning in Gaza and Israel. Here's where things stand
Israel’s military says it is preparing for the "next stages of the war" against Hamas, with troops gearing up for "strikes from the air, sea and land" and "significant ground operations."
Signs have been growing throughout the week Israel could launch an invasion of Gaza, the densely populated enclave run by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that carried out devastating terror attacks in Israel on October 7.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening, as evacuating residents face a dangerous trek when they try to flee the violence.
Here are some of the latest developments:
The Israeli military's announcement:
Israel, which has massed troops and military equipment at the border with Gaza, says its ramped up offensive will feature hundreds of thousands of drafted reservists and encompass "a wide range of operational offensive plans."
In addition to widespread airstrikes, Israel's army is preparing troops for an "expanded arena of combat," the military's statement said. The preparations have placed "an emphasis on significant ground operations."
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN Israel would "commence significant military operations only once we see that civilians have left the area."
What would a ground invasion look like?
Israel’s tactics have always been to move quickly and control as much territory as possible, but avoid street-to-street, house-to-house fighting where a weaker opponent can take full advantage of the terrain, CNN's Ben Wedeman writes. Entering urban areas in Gaza, however, would bring a new element to the fight.
Hamas has shown a level of military capability far beyond what was previously thought, and is probably well-prepared for the next phase of the war, Wedeman's analysis notes.
Israeli forces will also have to be mindful dozens of Hamas hostages – both soldiers and civilians, including women and children – are being held in the crowded enclave. Although no one outside Hamas knows where they’re being held, it’s likely they’re in the most difficult areas for Israeli forces to access, possibly in refugee camps, Wedeman writes.
Israel has pounded the territory with airstrikes since Hamas launched its terror attacks last week, and has also ordered a "complete siege," cutting off access to electricity, fuel, food, medicine and water.
More airplanes carrying aid from Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross arrived at Egypt's El-Arish Airport Saturday, but Jordanian and Egyptian officials have said they are still trying to secure safe passage for the supplies.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with leaders in the surrounding region, in an effort to address civilian protection, humanitarian aid and the need to prevent further escalation in the region.
Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter that explores the region’s biggest stories.
37 min ago
US sends another aircraft carrier to Mediterranean as Israel prepares to expand Gaza operations
From CNN’s Oren Liebermann and Natasha Bertrand
The world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford steams alongside USNS Laramie (T-AO-203) during a fueling-at-sea in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, deployed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partners interests, in this photo taken on October 11, 2023. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 6th Fleet/Handout/Reuters
The Pentagon has ordered a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to two US officials, as Israel prepares to expand its Gaza operations.
The US warships are not intended to join the fighting in Gaza or take part in Israel’s operations, but the presence of two of the Navy’s most powerful ships is designed to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The first carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel earlier this week.
Now the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, which deployed Friday from Norfolk, Virginia, is headed to the eastern Mediterranean. The aircraft carrier was initially set to move toward the US European Command, but the officials said it will now head for the waters near Israel.
It is unclear at this point how long the Ford will stay in the region once the Eisenhower carrier strike group arrives, one official said.
The Eisenhower is the flagship of the carrier strike group, which will be joined by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, according to the Navy.
ABC News first reported the carrier strike group’s orders.
The Biden administration made clear that the carrier, and its accompanying force, are not there to engage in combat activities on behalf of Israel but rather to deter others from entering the conflict, including Hezbollah.
“There is no intention or plan to put American troops on the ground in Israel,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, on Thursday.
In addition, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid-reaction force capable of conducting special operations, is making preparations in case it is ordered closer to Israel to bolster the US force posture there, multiple US officials tell CNN.
The unit, which is on board the USS Bataan amphibious assault ship, is composed of more than 2,000 Marines and sailors and would be capable of supporting a large-scale evacuation. Among the mission essential tasks for a Marine Expeditionary Unit are evacuation operations and humanitarian assistance.
No such order has been given yet to the unit, the officials said.
Defense officials have said repeatedly in recent days the Pentagon will be able to flow in additional forces and assets to the region quickly as needed, as Israel continues to fight a war against the terrorist group Hamas.
1 hr 16 min ago
Israel cut off electricity, food, water and fuel supplies to Gaza. Here's how it looks
Israel responded to Hamas' terror attacks last Saturday by ordering a "complete siege," of Gaza, cutting off food, electricity, fuel and water supplies.
Israel already strictly controlled the flow of critical resources to the enclave, having imposed a stringent land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. Now it has tightened its grip completely.
This is how Israel's Iron Dome defense system works
From CNN's Joshua Berlinger, Lou Robinson, Rachel Wilson and Will Mullery
As thousands of rockets have rained down on Israel, the country has been relying once again on the Iron Dome system to protect its citizens.
The missile defense system is one of the most important tools in Israel’s arsenal and has saved countless civilian lives over various conflicts in the last decade, analysts say. It is highly effective.The Israel Defense Forces said the system boasted a 95.6% success rate during a rocket salvo fired by Islamic Jihad in May.
Here's how it functions:
1 hr 17 min ago
Israel's airstrikes are hitting one of the most densely populated areas in the world
There is little room for Palestinians to escape from the airstrikes Israel has rained down on Gaza in the wake of Hamas militants' devastating terror attack last week.
Fears for civilians are growing as Israel says it is gearing up for the next stages of its war with Hamas, including widespread strikes and "significant ground operations."
Israel launched the retaliatory offensive after Hamas' October 7 terror attacks that killed 1,300 people.
Conditions in Gaza have deteriorated into a "complete catastrophe," aid workers say, as tens of thousands of Palestinians attempt to flee.
The IDF has said it will "commence significant military operations only once we see that civilians have left the area."
The Pentagon has ordered a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean and is sending Air Force fighter jets to the region. The warships are not intended to take part in Israel's operations, but to deter others from entering the conflict, such as Iran and Hezbollah
The Palestinian Water Authority has warned that water supplies in Gaza are running very low because of the destruction of generating capacity.
It said Saturday that before the conflict began, 262,000 cubic meters of water were being drawn from wells daily. Now that figure is 14,000 cubic meters, and there is an urgent need for fuel to provide more water, it said.
The shortages are throughout Gaza, according to the water authority.
There is an urgent need for 14,000 liters of fuel per day, which would provide around 130,000 cubic meters of water, it added.
The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Saturday that most people in Gaza now had no access to water.
"As a last resort, people are consuming brackish water from agricultural wells, triggering serious concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases," it said.
Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinians from al-Agha family, who were killed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on October 14, 2023. Arafat Barbakh/Reuters
Some 300 people were killed and 800 injured in Gaza in the 24-hour period to early Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
And most of the victims were women and children, the ministry said.
For eight consecutive days the densely populated Gaza Strip has been subjected to Israeli strikes, leaving 2,215 people dead and 8,714 injured, according to the latest figures reported by the ministry.
Israel launched the retaliatory offensive after Hamas' October 7 terror attacks that killed 1,300 people.
Fears for civilians in Gaza are now growing as Israel says it is gearing up for the next stages of its war with Hamas, including widespread strikes and "significant ground operations."
Israel's top priority is to rescue hostages from Gaza, despite the difficulties involved in fighting in a densely populated urban area, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson has told CNN.
Pointing to Hamas' "elaborate network of tunnels," Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the hostages are "most likely held underground in various locations."
"It is extremely difficult for any modern military to fight in such a dense urban area," he said.
"We know that Hamas has an elaborate network of tunnels both for defensive and offensive purposes, which will for sure, compound the complexity of fighting and we are prepared for that," he said.
"Fighting will be slow. Advances will be slow, and we will be cautious, but we are very determined to get to the Hamas terrorists that currently are hiding underneath our civilians in the tunnel system that they have."
Conricus said operations and raids that were conducted a day and a half ago recovered "some useful intelligence," but no bodies of Israelis who were taken have been recovered.
The IDF will not target civilians, Conricus said.
"But again, we must remember... we are going to fight a ruthless enemy that has no problems using everything available... civilians as human shields and using civilian infrastructure for military purposes," he added.
A main aim for the IDF is to "totally dismantle (Hamas') military capabilities," according to Conricus.
Israel will start "significant military operations" in Gaza only once they see that civilians have left, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson told CNN.
"The important thing here to focus on is that we will commence significant military operations only once we see that civilians have left the area," Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said.
"It's really important that people in Gaza know we've been very, very generous with the time. We have given ample warning, more than 25 hours... I cannot stress more than enough to say now is the time for Gazans to leave.
"Take your belongings, go south. Preserve your life, and do not fall into the trap that Hamas is setting up for you."
More than half of Gaza’s 2 million residents live in the northern section that Israel has told to evacuate. Many families, some of whom were already internally displaced, are now crammed into an even smaller portion of the 140-square-mile territory.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been fleeing south through the battered streets of Gaza after the Israeli military told them to leave northern areas of the densely populated strip.
Parts of the south are becoming even more crowded and overstretched, Gazans say, as waves of Palestinians abandon their homes in the wake of Israel’s statement, ahead of an anticipated ground assault by the IDF.
According to Conricus, the area around the Gaza Strip is densely packed with "hundreds of thousands of Israeli reserve units" that are preparing for various missions.
"The challenge and the mission is to have all of those more than 360,000 reservists both in the south and in the north, get them mission ready, equipped, prepared, task-forced, and ready for any assignments they will have in the future," he said.
Israel’s military says it is preparing for the "next stages of the war" against Hamas, with troops gearing up for "strikes from the air, sea and land" and "significant ground operations."
Signs have been growing throughout the week Israel could launch an invasion of Gaza, the densely populated enclave run by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that carried out devastating terror attacks in Israel on October 7.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening, as evacuating residents face a dangerous trek when they try to flee the violence.
Here are some of the latest developments:
The Israeli military's announcement:
Israel, which has massed troops and military equipment at the border with Gaza, says its ramped up offensive will feature hundreds of thousands of drafted reservists and encompass "a wide range of operational offensive plans."
In addition to widespread airstrikes, Israel's army is preparing troops for an "expanded arena of combat," the military's statement said. The preparations have placed "an emphasis on significant ground operations."
IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN Israel would "commence significant military operations only once we see that civilians have left the area."
What would a ground invasion look like?
Israel’s tactics have always been to move quickly and control as much territory as possible, but avoid street-to-street, house-to-house fighting where a weaker opponent can take full advantage of the terrain, CNN's Ben Wedeman writes. Entering urban areas in Gaza, however, would bring a new element to the fight.
Hamas has shown a level of military capability far beyond what was previously thought, and is probably well-prepared for the next phase of the war, Wedeman's analysis notes.
Israeli forces will also have to be mindful dozens of Hamas hostages – both soldiers and civilians, including women and children – are being held in the crowded enclave. Although no one outside Hamas knows where they’re being held, it’s likely they’re in the most difficult areas for Israeli forces to access, possibly in refugee camps, Wedeman writes.
Israel has pounded the territory with airstrikes since Hamas launched its terror attacks last week, and has also ordered a "complete siege," cutting off access to electricity, fuel, food, medicine and water.
More airplanes carrying aid from Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross arrived at Egypt's El-Arish Airport Saturday, but Jordanian and Egyptian officials have said they are still trying to secure safe passage for the supplies.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with leaders in the surrounding region, in an effort to address civilian protection, humanitarian aid and the need to prevent further escalation in the region.
Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter that explores the region’s biggest stories.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford steams alongside USNS Laramie (T-AO-203) during a fueling-at-sea in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, deployed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partners interests, in this photo taken on October 11, 2023. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 6th Fleet/Handout/Reuters
The Pentagon has ordered a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to two US officials, as Israel prepares to expand its Gaza operations.
The US warships are not intended to join the fighting in Gaza or take part in Israel’s operations, but the presence of two of the Navy’s most powerful ships is designed to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The first carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel earlier this week.
Now the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, which deployed Friday from Norfolk, Virginia, is headed to the eastern Mediterranean. The aircraft carrier was initially set to move toward the US European Command, but the officials said it will now head for the waters near Israel.
It is unclear at this point how long the Ford will stay in the region once the Eisenhower carrier strike group arrives, one official said.
The Eisenhower is the flagship of the carrier strike group, which will be joined by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, according to the Navy.
ABC News first reported the carrier strike group’s orders.
The Biden administration made clear that the carrier, and its accompanying force, are not there to engage in combat activities on behalf of Israel but rather to deter others from entering the conflict, including Hezbollah.
“There is no intention or plan to put American troops on the ground in Israel,” said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, on Thursday.
In addition, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid-reaction force capable of conducting special operations, is making preparations in case it is ordered closer to Israel to bolster the US force posture there, multiple US officials tell CNN.
The unit, which is on board the USS Bataan amphibious assault ship, is composed of more than 2,000 Marines and sailors and would be capable of supporting a large-scale evacuation. Among the mission essential tasks for a Marine Expeditionary Unit are evacuation operations and humanitarian assistance.
No such order has been given yet to the unit, the officials said.
Defense officials have said repeatedly in recent days the Pentagon will be able to flow in additional forces and assets to the region quickly as needed, as Israel continues to fight a war against the terrorist group Hamas.
Israel responded to Hamas' terror attacks last Saturday by ordering a "complete siege," of Gaza, cutting off food, electricity, fuel and water supplies.
Israel already strictly controlled the flow of critical resources to the enclave, having imposed a stringent land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. Now it has tightened its grip completely.
As thousands of rockets have rained down on Israel, the country has been relying once again on the Iron Dome system to protect its citizens.
The missile defense system is one of the most important tools in Israel’s arsenal and has saved countless civilian lives over various conflicts in the last decade, analysts say. It is highly effective.The Israel Defense Forces said the system boasted a 95.6% success rate during a rocket salvo fired by Islamic Jihad in May.
Here's how it functions:
There is little room for Palestinians to escape from the airstrikes Israel has rained down on Gaza in the wake of Hamas militants' devastating terror attack last week.
