It's morning in Gaza. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not consider the war against Hamas finished until the border between Egypt and Gaza is closed.
Israeli officials have not decided exactly how they would proceed with closing Gaza’s border with Egypt, according to Netanyahu — but doing so would signify a renewed Israeli control over the enclave not seen in years, and a blow to Palestinians’ limited sovereignty in Gaza.
The border crossing with Egypt, at the town of Rafah, is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel, though it has still been subject to limited access and lengthy Egyptian bureaucratic and security processes.
As the war enters its 100th day, the main United Nations agency operating in Gaza issued a stark warning that famine will spread across the enclave if more supplies are not allowed into the strip.
These are the biggest updates you need to know for Sunday:
More on the Egypt-Gaza border: "We’ll destroy Hamas, we’ll demilitarize Gaza, and military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening, so of course we need to close it,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as a buffer zone on the border between Egypt and Gaza. For nearly 17 years, Israel has not relinquished control of most of the coastal enclave’s perimeter, and Gaza has been almost totally cut off from the rest of the world, with severe restrictions on its population’s movement. Israel’s longstanding blockade has been fiercely criticized by international bodies, including the United Nations, while Israel argues that the blockade is vital to protect its citizens from Hamas. Egypt, in turn, asserted its control over its borders on Saturday and highlighted its role in the entry of humanitarian aid through the Rafah border crossing.
Famine looms in Gaza, UN agency warns: More commercial supplies must be allowed into Gaza to prevent a famine, United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement Saturday. "Humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to reverse a looming famine," he said.
Strikes on Houthi targets: The US military launched additional strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen overnight Friday into Saturday local time, "in direct response" to the Iran-backed group's attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis say the attacks are aimed at pressuring Israel into ceasing its heavy bombardment of Gaza. The back-and-forth is deepening fears that conflict will spread further throughout the Middle East.
Northern Gazans to stay put: Israel will not allow displaced residents of northern Gaza to return while the war is ongoing, Netanyahu also said Saturday, adding that the decision aligns with international law. Palestinian leaders have vowed not to allow the war to permanently remove Gazans from their homes, and the US has said Israel must allow Palestinians to return home "as soon as conditions allow."
Thousands rally in Tel Aviv: An estimated 120,000 people participating in a rally marking 100 days of Israel's war with Hamas, according to organizer the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. The rally will continue until Sunday evening, it added.
March for Gaza in DC: Meanwhile, protesters descended on the front of the White House Saturday, prompting a Secret Service presence. Organizers said thousands of demonstrators attended the event, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for an end to US support for Israel's offensive in the enclave.
44 min ago
Egypt says it fully controls its borders after Netanyahu calls for closure of Gaza-Egypt border crossing
From CNN’s Kareem El Damanhoury
An aid truck returns after unloading humanitarian aid at Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza on December 4, 2023. AFP/Getty Images/File
Egypt remains in full control of its borders, foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said Saturday, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the closure of Egypt's border with Gaza before the war ends.
“Egypt fully controls its borders and controls it completely, and these issues are subject to legal and security agreements between the countries involved, so any talk on this matter is generally subject to scrutiny and is responded to with declared positions,” Abu Zeid said during an interview with Egyptian television channel Sada El-Balad on Saturday.
Netanyahu said Israel can’t finish its war against Hamas until the closure of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as the border between Egypt and Gaza. He said that even after Hamas is defeated, "military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening — so of course we need to close it."
The foreign ministry spokesperson further reiterated Egypt's role in the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, blaming Israel for hindering it.
"We have made it clear from day one that any decisions that hinder the entry of aid are essentially Israeli measures and it comes through various methods, including strictness in inspecting trucks, wasting a lot of time in the inspection process, prohibiting and obstructing the entry of medical aid, and obstructing the entry of journalists and officials," he said.
52 min ago
Protesters from "March on Washington for Gaza" reach White House
From CNN staff
With the US Capitol in the background, demonstrators rally during the March on Washington for Gaza at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, on January 13. Jose Luis Magana/AP
A large group of protesters reached the White House in the United States capital on Saturday as part of an event dubbed "The March on Washington for Gaza."
Protest organizers — a coalition of groups including the Council on American-Islamic Relations — said thousands of demonstrators attended the event Saturday afternoon, which saw attendees listen to speakers and march from Freedom Plaza to the White House.
Organizers had arranged buses to allow people from outside the area to travel to Washington, DC, for the march, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for an end to US support for Israel's offensive in the enclave.
Officials placed additional fencing in front of the White House complex ahead of the event, according to the US Secret Service. Chants could be heard inside the White House complex after the protesters arrived there Saturday evening, and several Secret Service agents could be seen monitoring the situation.
President Joe Biden is not at the White House Saturday evening.
59 min ago
UN agency says more commercial supplies must be allowed into Gaza to prevent famine
From CNN’s Shirin Zia Faqiri
Commercial goods are desperately needed in Gaza to prevent an incoming famine as Israel approaches the 100th day of its war in the enclave, according to the head of the main United Nations agency working in Gaza.
"The crisis in Gaza is a man-made disaster compounded by dehumanizing language and the use of food, water and fuel as instruments of war," United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement Saturday. "Humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to reverse a looming famine."
Lazzarini urged leaders to heed the calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and enable the delivery of more food, medicine, water and shelter to those affected by the enclave's “mass displacement.”
"The onset of winter makes life even more unbearable, especially for those living out in the open,” the UN official warned.
More than 1.4 million people are staying in “overcrowded and unsanitary” UN shelters, where they lack food and hygiene, according to Lazzarini.
The commissioner-general also spoke of the war's toll on Israelis since Hamas launched its devastating attack on the country on October 7, 2023. Dozens of hostages captured during the attack remain held in Gaza.
"It's been 100 days of ordeal and anxiety for hostages and their families," Lazzarini said.
59 min ago
Thousands participate in Tel Aviv rally marking 100 days of war, according to organizer
From CNN's Lauren Izso
People react during a rally to mark 100 days of captivity for hostages by Hamas in Gaza on January 13 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Amir Levy/Getty Images
An estimated 120,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv to participate in a rally marking 100 days of Israel’s war with Hamas, according to rally’s organizer, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum.
The so-called "100 Days of Hell rally" started at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) on Saturday and will go on until 8 p.m. Sunday, which will be the 100th day of the war.
CNN cannot independently confirm the size of the crowd.
59 min ago
Netanyahu says border between Egypt and Gaza must be closed prior to war's end
From CNN's Lauren Izso and Heather Law
The border between Egypt and Gaza must be closed before Israel's war with Hamas is finished, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.
During a news briefing marking Israel's 100th day of war with Hamas, Netanyahu stressed that Israel can’t finish the war until the closure of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as the border between Egypt and Gaza.
"We’ll destroy Hamas, we’ll demilitarize Gaza, and military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening — so of course we need to close it," Netanyahu said.
There are different ways Israel can take over the corridor, but officials have not decided exactly how they would proceed with doing so, Netanyahu said, further emphasizing that the only decision they have made is that the crossing "must be closed."
30 min ago
Netanyahu says civilians displaced from northern Gaza will not be allowed back while war is ongoing
From CNN's Lauren Izso and Heather Law
Isael will not allow displaced residents of northern Gaza to return while the war is ongoing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.
Netanyahu said the decision aligns with international law.
"You take civilians out of a war zone, and you don't bring them back while it's still dangerous," the Israeli prime minister said.
Key context: Almost 90% of Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly displaced due to Israel's war on Hamas, according to the main United Nations agency working in the strip. Palestinian leaders have vowed not to allow the war to permanently remove Gazans from their homes in the territory, as regional leaders have warned the conflict could have that result.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear to the Israeli government during a recent visit that it must allow Palestinians to return home "as soon as conditions allow," Blinken said at a news conference this week.
59 min ago
UN envoy urges "maximum restraint" by all parties in Yemen
From CNN’s Richard Roth and Mitchell McCluskey
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, called for all parties in Yemen to exercise restraint and de-escalation amid an “increasingly precarious regional context,” the diplomat said in a statement Saturday.
Grundberg reiterated UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for all parties to “avoid actions that would worsen the situation in Yemen, escalate the threat to maritime trade routes, or further fuel regional tensions at this critical time”
Grundberg also highlighted the “need to protect Yemeni civilians, and to safeguard the progress of peace efforts since the truce of April 2022.”
“The Special Envoy urges all involved to exercise maximum restraint and to prioritize diplomatic channels over military options and calls for de-escalation,” according to the statement.
1 hr ago
Houthis promise "strong and effective response" to latest round of US strikes
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
A spokesperson for the Houthi rebels says the Iran-backed militant group will offer a robust reply to a second, albeit much smaller, series of US airstrikes in Yemen overnight.
Spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer told Al Jazeera Arabic there were no injuries or "material damages" caused by the latest US action, but that there would be a “firm, strong and effective response."
The US targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis in the early hours of Saturday local time, according to a US official. A joint US-UK operation 24 hours earlier struck almost 30 separate locations, in an effort to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to fire on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Five Houthi fighters were killed in the first wave of strikes and six more were wounded, a statement from the group said Friday.
The attacks, which the Houthis described as a "brutal aggression," would not dissuade Yemen from its stance of solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, the Houthi armed forces said in a statement carried by Houthi-run TV channel Al-Masirah.
The border between Egypt and Gaza must be closed before Israel's war with Hamas is finished, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday — which would give Israel complete control over the enclave’s access to the world.
The UN has described scenes of "utter horror" in northern Gaza, with corpses left on roads and starving people stopping aid trucks "in search of anything they can get to survive."
A CNN investigation found at least 20 of 22 hospitals in northern Gaza were damaged or destroyed in the first two months of the war — with 14 being directly hit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not consider the war against Hamas finished until the border between Egypt and Gaza is closed.
Israeli officials have not decided exactly how they would proceed with closing Gaza’s border with Egypt, according to Netanyahu — but doing so would signify a renewed Israeli control over the enclave not seen in years, and a blow to Palestinians’ limited sovereignty in Gaza.
The border crossing with Egypt, at the town of Rafah, is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel, though it has still been subject to limited access and lengthy Egyptian bureaucratic and security processes.
As the war enters its 100th day, the main United Nations agency operating in Gaza issued a stark warning that famine will spread across the enclave if more supplies are not allowed into the strip.
These are the biggest updates you need to know for Sunday:
More on the Egypt-Gaza border: "We’ll destroy Hamas, we’ll demilitarize Gaza, and military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening, so of course we need to close it,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as a buffer zone on the border between Egypt and Gaza. For nearly 17 years, Israel has not relinquished control of most of the coastal enclave’s perimeter, and Gaza has been almost totally cut off from the rest of the world, with severe restrictions on its population’s movement. Israel’s longstanding blockade has been fiercely criticized by international bodies, including the United Nations, while Israel argues that the blockade is vital to protect its citizens from Hamas. Egypt, in turn, asserted its control over its borders on Saturday and highlighted its role in the entry of humanitarian aid through the Rafah border crossing.
Famine looms in Gaza, UN agency warns: More commercial supplies must be allowed into Gaza to prevent a famine, United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement Saturday. "Humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to reverse a looming famine," he said.
Strikes on Houthi targets: The US military launched additional strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen overnight Friday into Saturday local time, "in direct response" to the Iran-backed group's attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis say the attacks are aimed at pressuring Israel into ceasing its heavy bombardment of Gaza. The back-and-forth is deepening fears that conflict will spread further throughout the Middle East.
Northern Gazans to stay put: Israel will not allow displaced residents of northern Gaza to return while the war is ongoing, Netanyahu also said Saturday, adding that the decision aligns with international law. Palestinian leaders have vowed not to allow the war to permanently remove Gazans from their homes, and the US has said Israel must allow Palestinians to return home "as soon as conditions allow."
Thousands rally in Tel Aviv: An estimated 120,000 people participating in a rally marking 100 days of Israel's war with Hamas, according to organizer the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum. The rally will continue until Sunday evening, it added.
March for Gaza in DC: Meanwhile, protesters descended on the front of the White House Saturday, prompting a Secret Service presence. Organizers said thousands of demonstrators attended the event, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for an end to US support for Israel's offensive in the enclave.
An aid truck returns after unloading humanitarian aid at Egypt's Rafah border crossing with Gaza on December 4, 2023. AFP/Getty Images/File
Egypt remains in full control of its borders, foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said Saturday, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the closure of Egypt's border with Gaza before the war ends.
“Egypt fully controls its borders and controls it completely, and these issues are subject to legal and security agreements between the countries involved, so any talk on this matter is generally subject to scrutiny and is responded to with declared positions,” Abu Zeid said during an interview with Egyptian television channel Sada El-Balad on Saturday.
Netanyahu said Israel can’t finish its war against Hamas until the closure of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as the border between Egypt and Gaza. He said that even after Hamas is defeated, "military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening — so of course we need to close it."
The foreign ministry spokesperson further reiterated Egypt's role in the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, blaming Israel for hindering it.
"We have made it clear from day one that any decisions that hinder the entry of aid are essentially Israeli measures and it comes through various methods, including strictness in inspecting trucks, wasting a lot of time in the inspection process, prohibiting and obstructing the entry of medical aid, and obstructing the entry of journalists and officials," he said.
With the US Capitol in the background, demonstrators rally during the March on Washington for Gaza at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, on January 13. Jose Luis Magana/AP
A large group of protesters reached the White House in the United States capital on Saturday as part of an event dubbed "The March on Washington for Gaza."
Protest organizers — a coalition of groups including the Council on American-Islamic Relations — said thousands of demonstrators attended the event Saturday afternoon, which saw attendees listen to speakers and march from Freedom Plaza to the White House.
Organizers had arranged buses to allow people from outside the area to travel to Washington, DC, for the march, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for an end to US support for Israel's offensive in the enclave.
Officials placed additional fencing in front of the White House complex ahead of the event, according to the US Secret Service. Chants could be heard inside the White House complex after the protesters arrived there Saturday evening, and several Secret Service agents could be seen monitoring the situation.
President Joe Biden is not at the White House Saturday evening.
Commercial goods are desperately needed in Gaza to prevent an incoming famine as Israel approaches the 100th day of its war in the enclave, according to the head of the main United Nations agency working in Gaza.
"The crisis in Gaza is a man-made disaster compounded by dehumanizing language and the use of food, water and fuel as instruments of war," United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement Saturday. "Humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to reverse a looming famine."
Lazzarini urged leaders to heed the calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and enable the delivery of more food, medicine, water and shelter to those affected by the enclave's “mass displacement.”
"The onset of winter makes life even more unbearable, especially for those living out in the open,” the UN official warned.
More than 1.4 million people are staying in “overcrowded and unsanitary” UN shelters, where they lack food and hygiene, according to Lazzarini.
The commissioner-general also spoke of the war's toll on Israelis since Hamas launched its devastating attack on the country on October 7, 2023. Dozens of hostages captured during the attack remain held in Gaza.
"It's been 100 days of ordeal and anxiety for hostages and their families," Lazzarini said.
People react during a rally to mark 100 days of captivity for hostages by Hamas in Gaza on January 13 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Amir Levy/Getty Images
An estimated 120,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv to participate in a rally marking 100 days of Israel’s war with Hamas, according to rally’s organizer, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum.
The so-called "100 Days of Hell rally" started at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) on Saturday and will go on until 8 p.m. Sunday, which will be the 100th day of the war.
CNN cannot independently confirm the size of the crowd.
The border between Egypt and Gaza must be closed before Israel's war with Hamas is finished, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.
During a news briefing marking Israel's 100th day of war with Hamas, Netanyahu stressed that Israel can’t finish the war until the closure of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly 8.6-mile) strip of land that serves as the border between Egypt and Gaza.
"We’ll destroy Hamas, we’ll demilitarize Gaza, and military equipment and other deadly weapons will continue to enter this southern opening — so of course we need to close it," Netanyahu said.
There are different ways Israel can take over the corridor, but officials have not decided exactly how they would proceed with doing so, Netanyahu said, further emphasizing that the only decision they have made is that the crossing "must be closed."
Isael will not allow displaced residents of northern Gaza to return while the war is ongoing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday.
Netanyahu said the decision aligns with international law.
"You take civilians out of a war zone, and you don't bring them back while it's still dangerous," the Israeli prime minister said.
Key context: Almost 90% of Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly displaced due to Israel's war on Hamas, according to the main United Nations agency working in the strip. Palestinian leaders have vowed not to allow the war to permanently remove Gazans from their homes in the territory, as regional leaders have warned the conflict could have that result.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear to the Israeli government during a recent visit that it must allow Palestinians to return home "as soon as conditions allow," Blinken said at a news conference this week.
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, called for all parties in Yemen to exercise restraint and de-escalation amid an “increasingly precarious regional context,” the diplomat said in a statement Saturday.
Grundberg reiterated UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for all parties to “avoid actions that would worsen the situation in Yemen, escalate the threat to maritime trade routes, or further fuel regional tensions at this critical time”
Grundberg also highlighted the “need to protect Yemeni civilians, and to safeguard the progress of peace efforts since the truce of April 2022.”
“The Special Envoy urges all involved to exercise maximum restraint and to prioritize diplomatic channels over military options and calls for de-escalation,” according to the statement.
A spokesperson for the Houthi rebels says the Iran-backed militant group will offer a robust reply to a second, albeit much smaller, series of US airstrikes in Yemen overnight.
Spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer told Al Jazeera Arabic there were no injuries or "material damages" caused by the latest US action, but that there would be a “firm, strong and effective response."
The US targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis in the early hours of Saturday local time, according to a US official. A joint US-UK operation 24 hours earlier struck almost 30 separate locations, in an effort to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to fire on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Five Houthi fighters were killed in the first wave of strikes and six more were wounded, a statement from the group said Friday.
The attacks, which the Houthis described as a "brutal aggression," would not dissuade Yemen from its stance of solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, the Houthi armed forces said in a statement carried by Houthi-run TV channel Al-Masirah.
