Gaza hospital "beyond worst thing" ever seen, doctor says
From CNN's Martin Goillandeau, Isa Soares, Catherine Nicholls, Caroline Faraj and Kathleen Magramo
A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team in central Gaza says the situation at Al-Aqsa hospital has been “beyond any doubt the worst thing” he’s seen in his career, as Jordan’s monarch warned Israel’s bombardment was creating an “entire generation of orphans.”
“There’s been multiple traumatic amputations of children … horrific burns, the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” Dr. Nick Maynard told CNN’s Isa Soares on Monday after his team found themselves with no choice but to withdraw from the hospital, following increased Israeli military activity.
He said that often “there is no pain relief to give to these patients at all,” underscoring the dire humanitarian situation and lack of medical supplies in the Palestinian enclave following more than three months of Israeli bombardment.
“I think it’s fair to say I’ve never seen anything like this. And I never expect that in my life I would see such an appalling situation,” said Maynard, who was speaking from the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Monday after leaving Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly said it is not targeting civilians. The IDF has also said that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields for its attacks on Israel, and that attacking those targets are essential as it works to eliminate Hamas from the enclave.
Israel has also said some hospitals are being used as command centers but has provided limited evidence to support that claim.
Top US diplomat to discuss Israel's plan for next phase of war in Gaza. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s delegation in Tel Aviv expects to discuss the Israeli defense minister's plan for the next phase of the war in Gaza during key meetings on Tuesday, according to a senior US official.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant put forward the military's plan for the next phase of the war. Gallant’s proposal states that Palestinians should not be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza until all the remaining hostages are freed.
The US side is expected to push Israeli officials on an “imminent” transition of the war to a lower-intensity phase, the official said — which the US has not yet seen.
It will be Blinken's fifth visit to Israel since the October 7 attack by Hamas. Ahead of touching down in Tel Aviv, the top US diplomat visited Arab nations involved in talks on another possible humanitarian ceasefire and hostage releases, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar.
Back in the US, President Joe Biden said Monday that he's been quietly working to persuade the Israeli government to "reduce — significantly get out of Gaza."
Here's what else you need to know:
Next phase of war: Israeli forces will shift from the "intense maneuvering phase of the war" toward "different types of special operations," Gallant said. The US has been pressuring Israeli officials in the past several weeks to do more to protect civilians and implement more strategic strikes. Blinken said he would push the Israeli government "on the absolute imperative to do more to protect civilians" in Gaza during his meetings in the country on Tuesday.
On the ground: Israel is ramping up its ground offensive in central and southern Gaza, even as officials say forces will shift to a new phase of fighting. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out strikes and pushed ground forces into areas where it had previously urged civilians to evacuate. The IDF said it hit the southern city of Khan Younis with 30 strikes overnight into Monday. Meanwhile, Israel’s Iron Dome system made at least several interceptions after a barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza on Monday evening.
Grim toll: About one in every 100 people in Gaza has been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7, according to Palestinian statistics. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah announced Monday that at least 22,835 people have been killed in the besieged enclave since the beginning of the war. That staggering toll means 1% of Gaza's pre-war population of 2.27 million people has been wiped out. The conflict in Gaza has created "an entire generation of orphans," King Abdullah II of Jordan said Monday.
Doctor on Gaza horrors: A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team at the Al Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza said the situation there during the past two weeks has been "beyond any doubt the worst thing" he's ever seen in his medical career. Dr. Nick Maynard, from Medical Aid for Palestinians, described "multiple traumatic amputations of children [and] horrific burns." Often "there is no pain relief to give to these patients at all," he said.
IDF tour: CNN embedded with Israel's military on Monday, getting a glimpse of the destruction inside Gaza and a rare look inside the alleged Hamas underground and weapons manufacturing facility uncovered by Israeli forces. On the outskirts of Al-Bureij in central Gaza some buildings are flattened or partially collapsed, while others are riddled with bullets or scarred by smoke. Civilians are nowhere to be found.
Wider conflict: Senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil was killed by an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, Israel’s foreign minister said Monday. It comes after an attack killed Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut last week, for which Israel has not claimed responsibility. Separately, the IDF said it killed a Hamas militant in Syria, who it says was a central figure in firing rockets from Syria toward Israel.
1 hr 25 min ago
Biden says he's been working with Israel to "reduce — significantly get out of Gaza"
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal and Betsy Klein
Joe Biden walks the stairs off of Air Force One after arriving at Love Field in Dallas, on January 8. LM Otero/AP
US President Joe Biden said Monday that he's been working to persuade the Israeli government to reduce or "significantly get out of Gaza."
Speaking during a campaign event at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina — the scene of a horrific mass shooting in 2015 — Biden was interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"If you really care about the lives lost here you should honor the lives lost and call for a ceasefire in Palestine," a protester shouted at Biden, referring to the mass shooting that took the lives of nine churchgoers.
A group of protesters then began chanting "ceasefire now."
They were asked to leave, as supporters began chanting, “Four more years.” The moment underscores the divisions within the Democratic Party on the issue three months after Israel's military campaign in Gaza began following Hamas' October 7 attacks.
Biden acknowledged the protest: “I understand the passion and I’ve been quietly working — been quietly working with the Israeli government to reduce — significantly get out of Gaza.”
Top diplomat in Israel: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be the latest in a long parade of Biden national security officials to meet face-to-face with the Israeli government on Tuesday. It will be his fifth visit since the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The stakes of Blinken’s trip are high as America’s allies stood behind Israel at the start of the war but have grown critical as the civilian toll in Gaza rises. Those partners will be looking for evidence Israel is listening to the US, and, as tensions skyrocket in the region, allies are hoping Blinken can ensure Israel has a viable plan to end the war amid concerns over a wider conflict.
In just the past month, Israeli officials have also gotten visits from national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Amos Hochstein, a special envoy who works on energy issues and who has close ties to Israel and Lebanon.
44 min ago
Israel claims responsibility for killing of Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, foreign minister says
From CNN staff
Senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil appears in an undated photo released by Hezbollah Military Media. Hezbollah Military Media/AP
Israel claimed responsibility for the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday.
Wissam Tawil, a senior commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan forces was killed by an Israeli drone strike in his car in southern Lebanon, a Lebanese security source previously confirmed to CNN.
"As for the hit in south Lebanon, we did take responsibility. This is part of our war," Katz said in the interview.
"We are targeting Hezbollah's people, the infrastructure, the systems they managed to put in place in order to deter Israel."
Katz added that Israel is making Hezbollah "pay a price."
"We did not set a goal to thwart 150,000 missiles," he said. "We set a goal to restore security to the residents of the north, to restore security to the residents of the south and to the State of Israel."
Katz also reiterated that Israel has not claimed responsibility for last week’s blast in southern Beirut that killed the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, Saleh Al-Arouri.
Hamas operative killed in Syria: Meanwhile, Israel's military said it killed a Hamas militant in Syria, who it says was a central figure in firing rockets from Syria toward Israel in recent weeks.
Hassan Hakashah was killed in the southern town of Beit Jinn on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
"We will not allow terrorism from Syrian territory and hold Syria responsible for all activity emanating from its territory. The IDF will continue to act against any threat posed to the State of Israel," the statement said.
Hamas has so far not publicly commented on Hakashah's death.
1 hr 21 min ago
Israel "can copy-paste" its Gaza assault in Lebanon if necessary, Israeli defense minister tells WSJ
From CNN's Hande Atay Alam
Yoav Gallant speaks in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, December 18, 2023. Maya Alleruzzo/AP
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that while Israel is not looking for war with Hezbollah, if necessary, his country could "copy-paste" its military actions in Gaza to Beirut, Lebanon.
Gallant said “the priority isn’t to get into a war” with Hezbollah but 80,000 Israelis displaced by cross-border exchanges "need to be able to go back to their homes safely," the WSJ reported.
Gallant also stated that if no agreement is negotiated to make that possible, Israel would not shrink from military action, adding “we are willing to sacrifice.”
“They see what is happening in Gaza. They know we can copy-paste to Beirut,” Gallant told WSJ.
Gallant also said he believes Israel is "fighting an axis, not a single enemy,” and “Iran is building up military power around Israel in order to use it," according to the report.
Israel is determined to destroy Iran-backed Hamas, but also to act with enough force to deter other potential adversaries allied with Tehran, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Gallant said in the WSJ interview.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday during a speech that the group's attacks on Israel aim "to mount pressure on the enemy government and to stop the assault on Gaza" and reiterated that the death of Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior figure in Hamas, in Beirut will “not go unpunished.”
The Hezbollah leader also warned that people in northern Israel would be the first to suffer consequences in the event of a broader conflict.
1 hr 20 min ago
Top US diplomat arrives in Israel after meetings with key Arab nations in recent days
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Mohammed Tawfeeq, and Jen Deaton
Antony Blinken gestures as he arrives in Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 8. Evelyn Hockstein/AP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Tel Aviv ahead of key meetings with Israeli officials on Tuesday.
The top US diplomat landed in Israel on Monday afternoon after a flurry of stops throughout the region. He is expected to push Israeli officials on the need to do more to protect civilians as the staggering humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to mount.
This is his fourth trip to the region since the October 7 Hamas attack and his fifth visit to Israel. On his first trip following the attack, he visited Israel twice.
Saudi talks: On Monday, Blinken discussed efforts being made to achieve security and stability in Gaza with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), according to the government-run Saudi Press Agency.
The crown prince "stressed the importance of stopping military operations, intensifying humanitarian efforts, and working to create conditions for the return of stability," the agency reported.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Blinken has visited other Arab nations involved in talks on another possible humanitarian ceasefire and hostage releases, including Jordan and Qatar. After meetings in Israel, he will also stop in the West Bank and Egypt.
3 hr 8 min ago
What it's like on the ground inside central Gaza
From CNN's Jeremy Diamond in Al-Bureij, Gaza
Some buildings are flattened or partially collapsed. Others are riddled with bullets or scarred by smoke. Civilians are nowhere to be found.
This is the scene CNN found on the outskirts of Al-Bureij in central Gaza after three months of war.
CNN embedded with the Israel's military on Monday, getting a glimpse of the destruction inside Gaza and a rare look inside the alleged Hamas underground and weapons manufacturing infrastructure uncovered by Israeli forces.
Alongside now-bulldozed farmlands and inside a nondescript building, the Israeli military took reporters inside the opening of what it said was a tunnel system leading to a weapons manufacturing facility both above and below ground.
“We are standing in one of the main entrances to the manufacturing terror center,” said an officer identified only as Maj. Ariel of the 188th Brigade, which uncovered the tunnel entrance.
Under a nearby shed, the Israeli military showed another shaft leading into the same tunnel.
The Israeli military also showed reporters the above-ground manufacturing facility, where CNN saw mortar shells that Israeli commanders said were made there. Another tunnel shaft lay in the corner of the factory, leading to what the Israeli military said was an underground facility where explosive material — made in some cases from dual-use materials like fertilizer — was packed into the shells.
The Israeli military did not allow reporters underground, saying the chemicals made it too dangerous, but provided a video it said was filmed inside that underground facility in which large vats and industrial material could be seen.
“What we're seeing is using the embedded civilian industries to build a rocket industry,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told CNN inside the weapons facility, a point he repeatedly raised throughout the day.
Pressed whether he was stressing the connection between Hamas infrastructure and civilian buildings to justify the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza, Hagari said: “We are focusing on Hamas, not, not — we're focusing on a war on Hamas, we’re not fighting the people of Gaza.”
“Every death of every child is a tragedy. We didn’t want this war,” Hagari said.
Lower-intensity phase: Israel expanded its ground offensive into central Gaza in late December and over the past two weeks, it has carried out strikes and pushed its ground forces into areas where it had previously urged civilians to evacuate.
But there are indications that it is slowing its offensive in parts of Gaza, moving to a lower-intensity phase of the war following significant American pressure.
“There’s big change because it's a different level of intensity. Now, it's not in the same intensity, high intensity that we worked in the north (of Gaza)," Hagari said. "It's more continuous effort in the center of gravity so we can make sure that the population is being distinguished from the terrorists and focusing on Hamas frameworks,” he added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel Tuesday for high-stakes talks with top officials to push them to better protect civilians and allow in more aid as the war in Gaza shifts to a new phase.
US President Joe Biden said Monday he's been quietly working to persuade the Israeli government to "reduce — significantly get out of Gaza."
A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team in central Gaza says the situation at Al-Aqsa hospital has been “beyond any doubt the worst thing” he’s seen in his career, as Jordan’s monarch warned Israel’s bombardment was creating an “entire generation of orphans.”
“There’s been multiple traumatic amputations of children … horrific burns, the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” Dr. Nick Maynard told CNN’s Isa Soares on Monday after his team found themselves with no choice but to withdraw from the hospital, following increased Israeli military activity.
He said that often “there is no pain relief to give to these patients at all,” underscoring the dire humanitarian situation and lack of medical supplies in the Palestinian enclave following more than three months of Israeli bombardment.
“I think it’s fair to say I’ve never seen anything like this. And I never expect that in my life I would see such an appalling situation,” said Maynard, who was speaking from the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Monday after leaving Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly said it is not targeting civilians. The IDF has also said that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields for its attacks on Israel, and that attacking those targets are essential as it works to eliminate Hamas from the enclave.
Israel has also said some hospitals are being used as command centers but has provided limited evidence to support that claim.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s delegation in Tel Aviv expects to discuss the Israeli defense minister's plan for the next phase of the war in Gaza during key meetings on Tuesday, according to a senior US official.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant put forward the military's plan for the next phase of the war. Gallant’s proposal states that Palestinians should not be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza until all the remaining hostages are freed.
The US side is expected to push Israeli officials on an “imminent” transition of the war to a lower-intensity phase, the official said — which the US has not yet seen.
It will be Blinken's fifth visit to Israel since the October 7 attack by Hamas. Ahead of touching down in Tel Aviv, the top US diplomat visited Arab nations involved in talks on another possible humanitarian ceasefire and hostage releases, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar.
Back in the US, President Joe Biden said Monday that he's been quietly working to persuade the Israeli government to "reduce — significantly get out of Gaza."
Here's what else you need to know:
Next phase of war: Israeli forces will shift from the "intense maneuvering phase of the war" toward "different types of special operations," Gallant said. The US has been pressuring Israeli officials in the past several weeks to do more to protect civilians and implement more strategic strikes. Blinken said he would push the Israeli government "on the absolute imperative to do more to protect civilians" in Gaza during his meetings in the country on Tuesday.
On the ground: Israel is ramping up its ground offensive in central and southern Gaza, even as officials say forces will shift to a new phase of fighting. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out strikes and pushed ground forces into areas where it had previously urged civilians to evacuate. The IDF said it hit the southern city of Khan Younis with 30 strikes overnight into Monday. Meanwhile, Israel’s Iron Dome system made at least several interceptions after a barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza on Monday evening.
Grim toll: About one in every 100 people in Gaza has been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7, according to Palestinian statistics. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah announced Monday that at least 22,835 people have been killed in the besieged enclave since the beginning of the war. That staggering toll means 1% of Gaza's pre-war population of 2.27 million people has been wiped out. The conflict in Gaza has created "an entire generation of orphans," King Abdullah II of Jordan said Monday.
Doctor on Gaza horrors: A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team at the Al Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza said the situation there during the past two weeks has been "beyond any doubt the worst thing" he's ever seen in his medical career. Dr. Nick Maynard, from Medical Aid for Palestinians, described "multiple traumatic amputations of children [and] horrific burns." Often "there is no pain relief to give to these patients at all," he said.
IDF tour: CNN embedded with Israel's military on Monday, getting a glimpse of the destruction inside Gaza and a rare look inside the alleged Hamas underground and weapons manufacturing facility uncovered by Israeli forces. On the outskirts of Al-Bureij in central Gaza some buildings are flattened or partially collapsed, while others are riddled with bullets or scarred by smoke. Civilians are nowhere to be found.
Wider conflict: Senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil was killed by an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, Israel’s foreign minister said Monday. It comes after an attack killed Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut last week, for which Israel has not claimed responsibility. Separately, the IDF said it killed a Hamas militant in Syria, who it says was a central figure in firing rockets from Syria toward Israel.
Joe Biden walks the stairs off of Air Force One after arriving at Love Field in Dallas, on January 8. LM Otero/AP
US President Joe Biden said Monday that he's been working to persuade the Israeli government to reduce or "significantly get out of Gaza."
Speaking during a campaign event at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina — the scene of a horrific mass shooting in 2015 — Biden was interrupted by protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"If you really care about the lives lost here you should honor the lives lost and call for a ceasefire in Palestine," a protester shouted at Biden, referring to the mass shooting that took the lives of nine churchgoers.
A group of protesters then began chanting "ceasefire now."
They were asked to leave, as supporters began chanting, “Four more years.” The moment underscores the divisions within the Democratic Party on the issue three months after Israel's military campaign in Gaza began following Hamas' October 7 attacks.
Biden acknowledged the protest: “I understand the passion and I’ve been quietly working — been quietly working with the Israeli government to reduce — significantly get out of Gaza.”
Top diplomat in Israel: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be the latest in a long parade of Biden national security officials to meet face-to-face with the Israeli government on Tuesday. It will be his fifth visit since the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The stakes of Blinken’s trip are high as America’s allies stood behind Israel at the start of the war but have grown critical as the civilian toll in Gaza rises. Those partners will be looking for evidence Israel is listening to the US, and, as tensions skyrocket in the region, allies are hoping Blinken can ensure Israel has a viable plan to end the war amid concerns over a wider conflict.
In just the past month, Israeli officials have also gotten visits from national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Amos Hochstein, a special envoy who works on energy issues and who has close ties to Israel and Lebanon.
Senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil appears in an undated photo released by Hezbollah Military Media. Hezbollah Military Media/AP
Israel claimed responsibility for the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday.
Wissam Tawil, a senior commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan forces was killed by an Israeli drone strike in his car in southern Lebanon, a Lebanese security source previously confirmed to CNN.
"As for the hit in south Lebanon, we did take responsibility. This is part of our war," Katz said in the interview.
"We are targeting Hezbollah's people, the infrastructure, the systems they managed to put in place in order to deter Israel."
Katz added that Israel is making Hezbollah "pay a price."
"We did not set a goal to thwart 150,000 missiles," he said. "We set a goal to restore security to the residents of the north, to restore security to the residents of the south and to the State of Israel."
Katz also reiterated that Israel has not claimed responsibility for last week’s blast in southern Beirut that killed the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, Saleh Al-Arouri.
Hamas operative killed in Syria: Meanwhile, Israel's military said it killed a Hamas militant in Syria, who it says was a central figure in firing rockets from Syria toward Israel in recent weeks.
Hassan Hakashah was killed in the southern town of Beit Jinn on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
"We will not allow terrorism from Syrian territory and hold Syria responsible for all activity emanating from its territory. The IDF will continue to act against any threat posed to the State of Israel," the statement said.
Hamas has so far not publicly commented on Hakashah's death.
Yoav Gallant speaks in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, December 18, 2023. Maya Alleruzzo/AP
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that while Israel is not looking for war with Hezbollah, if necessary, his country could "copy-paste" its military actions in Gaza to Beirut, Lebanon.
Gallant said “the priority isn’t to get into a war” with Hezbollah but 80,000 Israelis displaced by cross-border exchanges "need to be able to go back to their homes safely," the WSJ reported.
Gallant also stated that if no agreement is negotiated to make that possible, Israel would not shrink from military action, adding “we are willing to sacrifice.”
“They see what is happening in Gaza. They know we can copy-paste to Beirut,” Gallant told WSJ.
Gallant also said he believes Israel is "fighting an axis, not a single enemy,” and “Iran is building up military power around Israel in order to use it," according to the report.
Israel is determined to destroy Iran-backed Hamas, but also to act with enough force to deter other potential adversaries allied with Tehran, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Gallant said in the WSJ interview.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday during a speech that the group's attacks on Israel aim "to mount pressure on the enemy government and to stop the assault on Gaza" and reiterated that the death of Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior figure in Hamas, in Beirut will “not go unpunished.”
The Hezbollah leader also warned that people in northern Israel would be the first to suffer consequences in the event of a broader conflict.
Antony Blinken gestures as he arrives in Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 8. Evelyn Hockstein/AP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Tel Aviv ahead of key meetings with Israeli officials on Tuesday.
The top US diplomat landed in Israel on Monday afternoon after a flurry of stops throughout the region. He is expected to push Israeli officials on the need to do more to protect civilians as the staggering humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to mount.
This is his fourth trip to the region since the October 7 Hamas attack and his fifth visit to Israel. On his first trip following the attack, he visited Israel twice.
Saudi talks: On Monday, Blinken discussed efforts being made to achieve security and stability in Gaza with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), according to the government-run Saudi Press Agency.
The crown prince "stressed the importance of stopping military operations, intensifying humanitarian efforts, and working to create conditions for the return of stability," the agency reported.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Blinken has visited other Arab nations involved in talks on another possible humanitarian ceasefire and hostage releases, including Jordan and Qatar. After meetings in Israel, he will also stop in the West Bank and Egypt.
Some buildings are flattened or partially collapsed. Others are riddled with bullets or scarred by smoke. Civilians are nowhere to be found.
This is the scene CNN found on the outskirts of Al-Bureij in central Gaza after three months of war.
CNN embedded with the Israel's military on Monday, getting a glimpse of the destruction inside Gaza and a rare look inside the alleged Hamas underground and weapons manufacturing infrastructure uncovered by Israeli forces.
Alongside now-bulldozed farmlands and inside a nondescript building, the Israeli military took reporters inside the opening of what it said was a tunnel system leading to a weapons manufacturing facility both above and below ground.
“We are standing in one of the main entrances to the manufacturing terror center,” said an officer identified only as Maj. Ariel of the 188th Brigade, which uncovered the tunnel entrance.
Under a nearby shed, the Israeli military showed another shaft leading into the same tunnel.
The Israeli military also showed reporters the above-ground manufacturing facility, where CNN saw mortar shells that Israeli commanders said were made there. Another tunnel shaft lay in the corner of the factory, leading to what the Israeli military said was an underground facility where explosive material — made in some cases from dual-use materials like fertilizer — was packed into the shells.
The Israeli military did not allow reporters underground, saying the chemicals made it too dangerous, but provided a video it said was filmed inside that underground facility in which large vats and industrial material could be seen.
“What we're seeing is using the embedded civilian industries to build a rocket industry,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari told CNN inside the weapons facility, a point he repeatedly raised throughout the day.
Pressed whether he was stressing the connection between Hamas infrastructure and civilian buildings to justify the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza, Hagari said: “We are focusing on Hamas, not, not — we're focusing on a war on Hamas, we’re not fighting the people of Gaza.”
“Every death of every child is a tragedy. We didn’t want this war,” Hagari said.
Lower-intensity phase: Israel expanded its ground offensive into central Gaza in late December and over the past two weeks, it has carried out strikes and pushed its ground forces into areas where it had previously urged civilians to evacuate.
But there are indications that it is slowing its offensive in parts of Gaza, moving to a lower-intensity phase of the war following significant American pressure.
“There’s big change because it's a different level of intensity. Now, it's not in the same intensity, high intensity that we worked in the north (of Gaza)," Hagari said. "It's more continuous effort in the center of gravity so we can make sure that the population is being distinguished from the terrorists and focusing on Hamas frameworks,” he added.
