Release of hostage is "a great sign that other things can happen," her daughter says
From CNN’s Manveena Suri
The release of Yocheved Lifshitz from Hamas custody has filled family members of hostages with some hope, her daughter told CNN.
The release following Qatari and Egyptian mediation is “a great sign that other things can happen," Sharone Lifshitz told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday, just after receiving the news.
Asked what went through her mind when she heard the news of her mother’s release, Lifschitz said “It’s impossible to describe.”
“I know she's well enough to speak and well enough to walk. I think she walked across the border. So, my mom's story is an amazing story,” Lifschitz said, speaking from Heathrow Airport, where she planned to catch a flight to Tel Aviv.
“This is a small ray of light in a big story that is still unfolding,” she added. “I can’t wait to hug my mom, and I can’t wait to see my other members of my community.”
Lifshitz’s father is still being held by Hamas. Lifshitz said: “My father is there. There's so many other people. We’re waiting for good news about everyone. My heart is with all my friends and loved ones.”
43 min ago
Hamas releases more hostages as Israeli troops prepare for potential ground incursion. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
Two more hostages have been released from Hamas custody in Gaza, officials said Monday.
Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, were two of dozens of people abducted by Hamas from the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel, the community said in a statement.
Their spouses — Cooper's 85-year-old husband, Amiram, and Lifshitz's 83-year-old husband, Oded — were kidnapped with them and are still being held by Hamas, according to Israeli officials.
It all comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens further. Though some aid has made its way across the border, relief groups are warning it's not enough.
Here's what to know:
Aid into Gaza: Twenty trucks carrying humanitarian aid passed the Rafah crossing into Gaza on Monday, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A total of 34 trucks were able to enter Gaza on the weekend, it said. But, relief groups have warned much more is required to curb a deepening humanitarian crisis inside the strip. Aid deliveries entering Gaza have not included fuel, which is critical for water desalination and hospitals, OCHA said.
Dire situation at hospitals: The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza has no electricity due to fuel shortages, Hamas said in a statement early Tuesday, accusing Israel of a "crime against humanity." According to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health, hospitals are nearing collapse, operating at more than 150% of capacity. Situations have become so dire that surgeries are being conducted without anesthesia, and in some cases, under the illumination of phone lights, it said.
Ongoing bombardment: Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 people and injured dozens of others in the southern city of Rafah overnight, the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, said early Tuesday. Israeli authorities previously announced they would ramp up airstrikes on Gaza.
Looming ground operation: Israeli soldiers are taking part in training exercises to improve their "readiness and capabilities for ground operations" in Gaza, the IDF said. Israel has already mobilized troops and military material on the border. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is preparing for a "multilateral operation" against Hamas from the "air, ground, and sea." The White House declined to say whether it was urging Israel to delay a possible ground incursion to allow for the release of more hostages and for aid to reach Gaza..
The scope of the conflict so far: As of Monday, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and more than 15,000 have been injured since October 7, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health in the occupied West Bank reported. Israeli authorities said Saturday they believe 210 people are being held hostage in Gaza. A Hamas spokesperson previously said the militant group captured between 200 and 250 people during the attacks.
2 hr 1 min ago
Gaza's Indonesian Hospital has no electricity due to fuel shortages, Hamas says
From CNN’s Kareem El Damanhoury
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza has no electricity due to fuel shortages, Hamas said in a statement early Tuesday, accusing Israel of a "crime against humanity."
Israel has not permitted fuel to enter Gaza since it ordered a "complete siege" on the territory on October 9, following the deadly attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
Hamas called on the United Nations as well as Arab and Muslim countries to take action to immediately provide fuel to hospitals.
“We warn against the consequences of negligence in providing fuel, which means sentencing all the sick and wounded in hospitals to death,” the Hamas statement read.
CNN has reached out to the head of the Indonesian Hospital for comment.
Some context: Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that fuel supplies are desperately needed in Gaza to power water desalination for clean drinking water and lifesaving machines in hospitals.
Ten of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are currently non-functional, it added. Of these, nine hospitals have been “destroyed or rendered out of service.”
2 hr 35 min ago
Premature babies relying on oxygen supplies will die if no fuel is delivered to Gaza, doctor says
From CNN’s Isa Soares and Amy Cassidy
A neonatal doctor working in a hospital in southern Gaza told CNN Monday that premature babies relying on oxygen supplies will die if fuel is not urgently delivered into the enclave.
Dr. Hatem Edhair, head of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nasser Medical Complex, said all non-emergency facilities have been turned off, as well as lights and air conditioning.
More fuel is needed to power the vital machinery keeping the infants alive, such as ventilators, oxygen supplies, monitors and sterilization, he said.
Israel has not permitted fuel to enter Gaza since it ordered a “complete siege” on the territory on October 9, following the deadly attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
Edhair said 11 babies are in his neonatal intensive care unit, up from eight on Monday morning — with admission rates rising as residents from northern Gaza flee south.
“Most of them are premature babies,” he said. “Half of them are on non-invasive ventilation that needs oxygen. That means half of them urgently need oxygen and monitors.”
Most of the babies weigh less than 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) and five were delivered at less than 28 weeks, he added.
One baby the doctor has been treating was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and his family had wanted to have him for about 11 years, according to Edhair.
"How can I convince the family of this baby that their child will die because there is no oxygen?" he said.
3 hr 44 min ago
Save the Children says at least 2,000 children killed in Gaza
From CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh and Kareem El Damanhoury
International nonprofit Save the Children is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, saying the number of children killed in the strip has reached at least 2,000.
“We call on all parties to take immediate steps to protect the lives of children, and on the international community to support those efforts,” the organization said in a statement Monday, adding that Israeli airstrikes are “killing and injuring children indiscriminately.”
CNN cannot independently verify those claims.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said earlier that the death toll from Israeli attacks on the besieged territory has reached at least 5,087, including 2,055 children and 1,119 women.
Save the Children added that more than 1 million children are “trapped” in Gaza with no safe place to go. The humanitarian organization warned of the devastating impacts of the absence of medication and electricity to power health infrastructure in the densely populated enclave.
“The health system [in Gaza] has reached the worst stage in its history,” the health ministry spokesperson, Ashraf Al-Qudra, said in a statement early Tuesday.
3 hr 50 min ago
Americans trapped in Gaza have not been able to leave due to several factors, White House says
From CNN's Donald Judd
There are “a lot of factors” contributing to why Americans trapped in Gaza have not been able to leave, even after the first tranche of humanitarian aid to the enclave was delivered via the Rafah crossing from Egypt over the weekend, the White House said.
John Kirby, White House National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said that while the United States is glad that aid is entering Gaza, "we still want to see safe passage out — and particularly for the several hundred American citizens that we know are in Gaza and want to leave."
Kirby said Ambassador David Satterfield, the US envoy for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, “is on the ground working this very, very hard.”
The White House official said "there's a number of factors," but pointed to security concerns specifically.
"Certainly Egyptian officials have spoken to this, I mean, there's, you know, they've got legitimate security concerns, and again, we just need to — we just need to work through that,” Kirby said.
He said ongoing negotiations over the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza “makes it impossible for us to publicly detail the efforts that are going on.”
Kirby declined to offer an exact number of Americans being held, telling reporters the numbers “have fluctuated” since Hamas’ October 7 attack. He said about 10 Americans are still unaccounted for but it's not clear where those people are, "so I would still categorize it as about a handful,” he said.
American hostages Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, were released by Hamas on Friday.
3 hr 55 min ago
Israel is preparing for a "multilateral operation" from the sea, ground and air, defense minister says
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Hadas Gold
Israel is preparing for a "multilateral operation" against Hamas from the "air, ground, and sea," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday.
Gallant has completed a tour of the Ashdod Navy base, where he said he "conducted a situation assessment of naval operations" and "toured the shores on Israel’s southern border together with Navy Commander VADM David Saar Salama," according to the Ministry of Defense on Monday.
In a video statement, Gallant said he commended the work of soldiers and commanders in "thwarting many attacks that would have taken place" against Israel.
“My message to the soldiers — well done, you did an excellent job! Keep preparing for our operation, it will come soon. We are preparing thoroughly for the next step — a multilateral operation in the air, ground, and sea," he said. "Do your work, get ready. We will need you.”
Two Israeli hostages were released from Hamas custody Monday amid growing international pressure to secure the release of more than 200 captives held in Gaza.
Israel's military has ramped up its aerial offensive on Hamas as calls grow to let more aid into Gaza. Twenty more trucks carrying vital supplies passed the Rafah crossing from Egypt into the besieged enclave Monday, the UN said, while warning that the situation in hospitals remains "dire" and much more help is needed.
Israel's defense minister said Monday the country is preparing for a "multilateral operation" against Hamas from the "air, ground, and sea." Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in response to its deadly October 7 attacks. More than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to Palestinian health officials.
The release of Yocheved Lifshitz from Hamas custody has filled family members of hostages with some hope, her daughter told CNN.
The release following Qatari and Egyptian mediation is “a great sign that other things can happen," Sharone Lifshitz told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday, just after receiving the news.
Asked what went through her mind when she heard the news of her mother’s release, Lifschitz said “It’s impossible to describe.”
“I know she's well enough to speak and well enough to walk. I think she walked across the border. So, my mom's story is an amazing story,” Lifschitz said, speaking from Heathrow Airport, where she planned to catch a flight to Tel Aviv.
“This is a small ray of light in a big story that is still unfolding,” she added. “I can’t wait to hug my mom, and I can’t wait to see my other members of my community.”
Lifshitz’s father is still being held by Hamas. Lifshitz said: “My father is there. There's so many other people. We’re waiting for good news about everyone. My heart is with all my friends and loved ones.”
Two more hostages have been released from Hamas custody in Gaza, officials said Monday.
Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, were two of dozens of people abducted by Hamas from the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel, the community said in a statement.
Their spouses — Cooper's 85-year-old husband, Amiram, and Lifshitz's 83-year-old husband, Oded — were kidnapped with them and are still being held by Hamas, according to Israeli officials.
It all comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens further. Though some aid has made its way across the border, relief groups are warning it's not enough.
Here's what to know:
Aid into Gaza: Twenty trucks carrying humanitarian aid passed the Rafah crossing into Gaza on Monday, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A total of 34 trucks were able to enter Gaza on the weekend, it said. But, relief groups have warned much more is required to curb a deepening humanitarian crisis inside the strip. Aid deliveries entering Gaza have not included fuel, which is critical for water desalination and hospitals, OCHA said.
Dire situation at hospitals: The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza has no electricity due to fuel shortages, Hamas said in a statement early Tuesday, accusing Israel of a "crime against humanity." According to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health, hospitals are nearing collapse, operating at more than 150% of capacity. Situations have become so dire that surgeries are being conducted without anesthesia, and in some cases, under the illumination of phone lights, it said.
Ongoing bombardment: Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 people and injured dozens of others in the southern city of Rafah overnight, the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, said early Tuesday. Israeli authorities previously announced they would ramp up airstrikes on Gaza.
Looming ground operation: Israeli soldiers are taking part in training exercises to improve their "readiness and capabilities for ground operations" in Gaza, the IDF said. Israel has already mobilized troops and military material on the border. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is preparing for a "multilateral operation" against Hamas from the "air, ground, and sea." The White House declined to say whether it was urging Israel to delay a possible ground incursion to allow for the release of more hostages and for aid to reach Gaza..
The scope of the conflict so far: As of Monday, more than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and more than 15,000 have been injured since October 7, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health in the occupied West Bank reported. Israeli authorities said Saturday they believe 210 people are being held hostage in Gaza. A Hamas spokesperson previously said the militant group captured between 200 and 250 people during the attacks.
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza has no electricity due to fuel shortages, Hamas said in a statement early Tuesday, accusing Israel of a "crime against humanity."
Israel has not permitted fuel to enter Gaza since it ordered a "complete siege" on the territory on October 9, following the deadly attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
Hamas called on the United Nations as well as Arab and Muslim countries to take action to immediately provide fuel to hospitals.
“We warn against the consequences of negligence in providing fuel, which means sentencing all the sick and wounded in hospitals to death,” the Hamas statement read.
CNN has reached out to the head of the Indonesian Hospital for comment.
Some context: Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that fuel supplies are desperately needed in Gaza to power water desalination for clean drinking water and lifesaving machines in hospitals.
Ten of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are currently non-functional, it added. Of these, nine hospitals have been “destroyed or rendered out of service.”
A neonatal doctor working in a hospital in southern Gaza told CNN Monday that premature babies relying on oxygen supplies will die if fuel is not urgently delivered into the enclave.
Dr. Hatem Edhair, head of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Nasser Medical Complex, said all non-emergency facilities have been turned off, as well as lights and air conditioning.
More fuel is needed to power the vital machinery keeping the infants alive, such as ventilators, oxygen supplies, monitors and sterilization, he said.
Israel has not permitted fuel to enter Gaza since it ordered a “complete siege” on the territory on October 9, following the deadly attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
Edhair said 11 babies are in his neonatal intensive care unit, up from eight on Monday morning — with admission rates rising as residents from northern Gaza flee south.
“Most of them are premature babies,” he said. “Half of them are on non-invasive ventilation that needs oxygen. That means half of them urgently need oxygen and monitors.”
Most of the babies weigh less than 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) and five were delivered at less than 28 weeks, he added.
One baby the doctor has been treating was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and his family had wanted to have him for about 11 years, according to Edhair.
"How can I convince the family of this baby that their child will die because there is no oxygen?" he said.
International nonprofit Save the Children is calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, saying the number of children killed in the strip has reached at least 2,000.
“We call on all parties to take immediate steps to protect the lives of children, and on the international community to support those efforts,” the organization said in a statement Monday, adding that Israeli airstrikes are “killing and injuring children indiscriminately.”
CNN cannot independently verify those claims.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said earlier that the death toll from Israeli attacks on the besieged territory has reached at least 5,087, including 2,055 children and 1,119 women.
Save the Children added that more than 1 million children are “trapped” in Gaza with no safe place to go. The humanitarian organization warned of the devastating impacts of the absence of medication and electricity to power health infrastructure in the densely populated enclave.
“The health system [in Gaza] has reached the worst stage in its history,” the health ministry spokesperson, Ashraf Al-Qudra, said in a statement early Tuesday.
There are “a lot of factors” contributing to why Americans trapped in Gaza have not been able to leave, even after the first tranche of humanitarian aid to the enclave was delivered via the Rafah crossing from Egypt over the weekend, the White House said.
John Kirby, White House National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said that while the United States is glad that aid is entering Gaza, "we still want to see safe passage out — and particularly for the several hundred American citizens that we know are in Gaza and want to leave."
Kirby said Ambassador David Satterfield, the US envoy for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, “is on the ground working this very, very hard.”
The White House official said "there's a number of factors," but pointed to security concerns specifically.
"Certainly Egyptian officials have spoken to this, I mean, there's, you know, they've got legitimate security concerns, and again, we just need to — we just need to work through that,” Kirby said.
He said ongoing negotiations over the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza “makes it impossible for us to publicly detail the efforts that are going on.”
Kirby declined to offer an exact number of Americans being held, telling reporters the numbers “have fluctuated” since Hamas’ October 7 attack. He said about 10 Americans are still unaccounted for but it's not clear where those people are, "so I would still categorize it as about a handful,” he said.
American hostages Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, were released by Hamas on Friday.
Israel is preparing for a "multilateral operation" against Hamas from the "air, ground, and sea," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Monday.
Gallant has completed a tour of the Ashdod Navy base, where he said he "conducted a situation assessment of naval operations" and "toured the shores on Israel’s southern border together with Navy Commander VADM David Saar Salama," according to the Ministry of Defense on Monday.
In a video statement, Gallant said he commended the work of soldiers and commanders in "thwarting many attacks that would have taken place" against Israel.
“My message to the soldiers — well done, you did an excellent job! Keep preparing for our operation, it will come soon. We are preparing thoroughly for the next step — a multilateral operation in the air, ground, and sea," he said. "Do your work, get ready. We will need you.”
