CNN's Jeremy Diamond was part of a small group of reporters given access to Israeli forces inside Gaza for the first time since the outbreak of the war.
Journalists embedded with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza operate under the observation of Israeli commanders in the field and are not permitted to move unaccompanied within the strip.
As a condition to enter Gaza under IDF escort, outlets have to submit all materials and footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication.
CNN has agreed to these terms in order to provide a limited window into Israel’s operations in Gaza.
The CNN team entered Gaza with the IDF in an armored tank along the same roads Hamas militants used to carry out their brutal attack on October 7, in which 1,400 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage.
"We're going to the exact same roads, to the same neighborhoods, to their assemblies area, to their trucks, in order to go there and be able to get them to pay the price and to eliminate the Hamas organization that held this attack on the state of Israel," said IDF Lt. Col. Gilad Pasternak.
One week into its ground offensive, the Israeli military says it has encircled Gaza City. At an Israeli military position on the outskirts of the city, fighting was fierce as the IDF tried to flank Hamas positions.
But Israeli forces face the danger of being ambushed from underground tunnels. Israel says many of the tunnels built by Hamas run below residential buildings.
In the last four weeks, Israel has relentlessly bombed targets across the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring thousands of civilians in the process.
The IDF says its troops are working to secure a humanitarian corridor to help civilians flee the heaviest fighting.
It's Sunday morning in Israel and Gaza. Here's what to know
From CNN Staff
Teams put out a fire that broke out among the rubble of destroyed building during search and rescue operations after an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, Gaza, on November 4. Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it will allow people in Gaza to evacuate south on specified streets Sunday, despite its troops coming under fire on Saturday while trying to secure a safe corridor for civilians.
The main route for evacuation will be Salah Al-Deen Street, with a window between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, according to Avichay Adraee, IDF spokesperson for the Arab media.
The announcement of the four-hour window comes after a US official told CNN that Hamas was blocking foreign nationals from leaving Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on an ambulance near a hospital Friday.
Here are some of the latest headlines:
Flurry of rockets from Gaza to Israel: A CNN team close to the Israel-Gaza border witnessed eight rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel. Shortly after, the IDF said it had intercepted six of the eight rockets. Israeli television channels aired live video of the rockets being brought down by the IDF's Iron Dome defense system. The Israeli police released a statement saying it was "conducting extensive scans to locate possible rocket impact sites in the central region and Tel Aviv."
Blinken meets with Arab leaders: The top US diplomat met withforeign ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar, as well as the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Egyptian and Jordanian leaders made remarks after the meetings strongly condemning Israel's offensive. Blinken, who acknowledged differences with Arab leaders on their approaches to the conflict, will also travel to Turkey.
Hamas stopping foreigners from leaving, official says: Hamas is blocking foreign nationals from departing Gaza until Israel guarantees that ambulances from the Palestinian enclave can reach the Rafah crossing to Egypt, a US official familiar with the situation told CNN Saturday.
IDF admits attacking an ambulance: Israel on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack on an ambulance outside Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in the enclave. The vehicle had been in a convoy headed for Rafah, which is the only remaining option for getting in and out of Gaza during Israel's siege of the territory. Israel claimed the ambulance was being used by Hamas fighters, which the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has rejected.
UN chief on Israel's ambulance attack: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement he was "horrified" by the strike, while calling for a ceasefire and release of hostages.
Strikes near hospital and school shelter: Israeli airstrikes have damaged a building located in front of the emergency entrance of Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, injuring 21 people, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said Saturday. A UN-run school serving as a shelter in a refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip was also struck Saturday, according to the main UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Humanitarian situation: The number of people who have fled from north of Wadi Gaza to the southern part of the enclave is estimated to be 800,000 "to perhaps a million," the US special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, David Satterfield, said Saturday. There has been no new fuel into Gaza since the war began, he said.
1 min ago
IDF says it will allow four-hour window for civilians in Gaza to evacuate
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Tamar Michaelis
Civilians leaving Gaza wait as dual national Palestinians and foreigners prepare to cross the Rafah border point with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 2. Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it will allow people in Gaza to move south on specified streets Sunday, despite its troops coming under fire on Saturday while trying to secure a safe corridor for civilians.
The main route for evacuation will be Salah Al-Deen Street, with a window between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, according to Avichay Adraee, IDF spokesperson for the Arab media.
"If you care about yourself and your loved ones, head south according to our instructions. Rest assured that Hamas leaders are already taking care to protect themselves," Adraee said on X Saturday night.
It was unclear how widely the message will be received on the ground, given the widespread electricity and internet outages, or how safe the passage will be.
According to Adraee, Hamas on Saturday fired mortar and anti-tank shells toward Israeli forces "who were keen to open the road from the north of the Gaza Strip toward its south."
"Hamas members carried out this because they wanted to keep human shields for themselves and their leaders," he said. "For your safety, take advantage of the next time to move south beyond Wadi Gaza."
The IDF has repeatedly called for civilians in Gaza to move south of Wadi Gaza as it has intensified its air and ground assault on Gaza City and Northern Gaza, including strikes on densely populated areas and civilian infrastructure that the IDF says is being used by Hamas militants.
49 min ago
Gaza has a catastrophic lack of medical resources and fuel, health officials in Ramallah warn
From CNN's Kareem Khadder in Jerusalem, Clarissa Ward and Lauren Kent
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah warned Saturday of a "catastrophe within Gaza hospitals," adding that wounded people are "taking their last breaths" due to the lack of medical resources and fuel.
Palestinian Health Minister Dr. Mai al-Kaila also called on the international community to provide fuel to Gaza hospitals to prevent the shutdown of services.
As of midday on Saturday, more than 150 health care professionals in Gaza have been killed, according to the health ministry in Ramallah. The ministry also said "16 hospitals and 32 primary healthcare centers have been taken out of service."
"The continued Israeli shelling of the vicinity and entrances of Gaza hospitals in the north aims to force medical personnel to abandon their patients and leave the hospitals. This constitutes a complex massacre against the wounded and patients," al-Kaila added.
Organizations outside of Gaza are also raising an alarm about the dire situation in the enclave's hospitals.
MedGlobal, a US-based organization that supports local health programs for vulnerable populations across the globe, issued an urgent appeal for fuel to power a generator at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
MedGlobal President Dr. Zaher Sahloul said in a social media post Saturday that the organization's lead pediatrician in northern Gaza sent him a message about the "catastrophic situation," adding that a 2-year-old just died.
According to Sahloul, the pediatrician at Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Husam Abu Safyia, added:
"Currently, surgeries have stopped, and the departments are without electricity and water."
Earlier on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also highlighted the lack of medicine and other resources in Gaza, saying, "Fuel to power hospitals and water plants is running out."
Israel's stance: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his government opposes any temporary ceasefire in Gaza unless Hamas frees all the hostages it holds. He also said it would continue to block fuel from entering Gaza. The Israeli military has claimed there are fuel supplies in Gaza being held by Hamas.
49 min ago
Top US diplomat doubles down on US opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza, repeating call for "humanitarian pauses"
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken doubled down on the United States' opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza as he met with key Middle Eastern leaders Saturday, saying it was the US’ view that a ceasefire now would leave Hamas able to regroup and attack Israel again.
The US resistance to calls for a ceasefire has put it at odds with its Arab partners, including those with whom he met in Amman, Jordan.
Fears of an expanded conflict: Blinken said he and his counterparts “all agreed on the importance of using our respective influence and capabilities to deter any state or non-state actor from opening another front in this conflict.”
“Throughout this conflict, countries across the Middle East and beyond have played an essential role in preventing its spread,” Blinken said at a news conference in Amman.
The US has repeatedly warned other foes of Israel — including Hezbollah, which has voiced support for Hamas and exchanged fire with Israeli troops across the border with Lebanon but not directly intervened on Hamas' behalf — not to broaden the conflict into a wider war in the Middle East.
The US and its Arab partners share “the same fundamental interests and objectives” to end the Israel-Hamas war “in a way that ensures lasting peace and security in the region,” Blinken said following the summit, while acknowledging “we may have different views and positions” on how to achieve that end.
The top US diplomat said all parties reaffirmed their commitment to working together on the issue.
West Bank attacks: Blinken said he also spoke with the Arab leaders about the need to protect Palestinian civilians amid increasing attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
He updated his counterparts on his talks with Israeli officials yesterday, where he said he “underscored that incitement and extremist violence must be stopped and perpetrators must be held accountable.”
24 min ago
Protesters rally for Gaza ceasefire in capitals around the world
From CNN’s Abby Baggini and Catherine Nicholls
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, on November 4. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Thousands of protesters rallied in Washington, DC, and in major cities across Europe on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in the hostilities between Israel and Hamas as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens.
In Washington, DC: A crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters packed into Freedom Plaza in the United States capital Saturday afternoon, as speakers called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US aid to Israel.
Freedom Plaza, located near the National Mall and White House, has been nearly entirely filled with chanting demonstrators donning red, green, and black attire and waving Palestinian flags.
The event organizers said they expected thousands of protesters.
The speakers slammed US President Joe Biden's administration for its response to the crisis in Gaza, warning that they will not support the president in 2024 if he does not call for a ceasefire in the war.
"Let it be known to all of those, including Joe Biden and all of those congressmen who fail to see our humanity today, and who fail to hear our voices today, that we will not see their names on the ballot next year. And we will not hear them when they come calling upon us next year," said Omar Suleiman, a Muslim scholar who addressed the crowd. "We will not allow for them to tell us anymore that the only refuge we have from right-wing racists are two-faced liberals."
The march comes after several weekends of pro-Palestinian rallies in Washington.
The crowd is expected to march to the White House and then back to Freedom Plaza later Saturday.
In London: Thousands of people gathered in the UK capital on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza as airstrikes and fighting on the ground continue. London police arrested 29 people in the protest, citing offenses including inciting racial hatred, racially motivated crimes, violence and assaulting a police officer.
Demonstrators at the rally, which took place in Trafalgar Square, waved Palestinian flags and banners calling for a “ceasefire now.” Some people held signs that read “Free Palestine” and called for the bombing to stop.
“40,000 people packed into Trafalgar Square today to stand with Palestine,” the organizer of the event, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, posted on social media. London’s Metropolitan Police has not released any figures for the size of the demonstration.
The event was the third consecutive pro-Palestinian weekend rally in London. Thousands of people have attended each rally, with the Met Police estimating a turnout of 100,000 for the first solidarity march.
Demonstrations also took place in other cities across the UK on Saturday, including Manchester, Oxford, Newcastle, and Liverpool.
Thousands also took to the streets in cities across Europe, with demonstrations taking place in capital cities including Paris and Berlin.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it will allow a four-hour window on Sunday for civilians in Gaza to evacuate south.
A CNN team close to the Israel-Gaza border witnessed eight rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel on Saturday evening. Shortly after, the IDF said it had intercepted six of the eight rockets.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with key Middle Eastern leaders at a summit in Jordan on Saturday, where he rejected calls for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas and instead reiterated US support for "humanitarian pauses."
Israel on Friday claimed responsibility for an airstrike on an ambulance near the enclave's largest hospital, which witnesses said killed and wounded dozens. Israel said it was targeting Hamas fighters using the vehicle, which the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has rejected.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond was part of a small group of reporters given access to Israeli forces inside Gaza for the first time since the outbreak of the war.
Journalists embedded with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza operate under the observation of Israeli commanders in the field and are not permitted to move unaccompanied within the strip.
As a condition to enter Gaza under IDF escort, outlets have to submit all materials and footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication.
CNN has agreed to these terms in order to provide a limited window into Israel’s operations in Gaza.
The CNN team entered Gaza with the IDF in an armored tank along the same roads Hamas militants used to carry out their brutal attack on October 7, in which 1,400 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage.
"We're going to the exact same roads, to the same neighborhoods, to their assemblies area, to their trucks, in order to go there and be able to get them to pay the price and to eliminate the Hamas organization that held this attack on the state of Israel," said IDF Lt. Col. Gilad Pasternak.
One week into its ground offensive, the Israeli military says it has encircled Gaza City. At an Israeli military position on the outskirts of the city, fighting was fierce as the IDF tried to flank Hamas positions.
But Israeli forces face the danger of being ambushed from underground tunnels. Israel says many of the tunnels built by Hamas run below residential buildings.
In the last four weeks, Israel has relentlessly bombed targets across the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring thousands of civilians in the process.
The IDF says its troops are working to secure a humanitarian corridor to help civilians flee the heaviest fighting.
Teams put out a fire that broke out among the rubble of destroyed building during search and rescue operations after an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, Gaza, on November 4. Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said it will allow people in Gaza to evacuate south on specified streets Sunday, despite its troops coming under fire on Saturday while trying to secure a safe corridor for civilians.
The main route for evacuation will be Salah Al-Deen Street, with a window between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, according to Avichay Adraee, IDF spokesperson for the Arab media.
The announcement of the four-hour window comes after a US official told CNN that Hamas was blocking foreign nationals from leaving Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on an ambulance near a hospital Friday.
Here are some of the latest headlines:
Flurry of rockets from Gaza to Israel: A CNN team close to the Israel-Gaza border witnessed eight rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel. Shortly after, the IDF said it had intercepted six of the eight rockets. Israeli television channels aired live video of the rockets being brought down by the IDF's Iron Dome defense system. The Israeli police released a statement saying it was "conducting extensive scans to locate possible rocket impact sites in the central region and Tel Aviv."
Blinken meets with Arab leaders: The top US diplomat met withforeign ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar, as well as the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Egyptian and Jordanian leaders made remarks after the meetings strongly condemning Israel's offensive. Blinken, who acknowledged differences with Arab leaders on their approaches to the conflict, will also travel to Turkey.
Hamas stopping foreigners from leaving, official says: Hamas is blocking foreign nationals from departing Gaza until Israel guarantees that ambulances from the Palestinian enclave can reach the Rafah crossing to Egypt, a US official familiar with the situation told CNN Saturday.
IDF admits attacking an ambulance: Israel on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack on an ambulance outside Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in the enclave. The vehicle had been in a convoy headed for Rafah, which is the only remaining option for getting in and out of Gaza during Israel's siege of the territory. Israel claimed the ambulance was being used by Hamas fighters, which the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has rejected.
UN chief on Israel's ambulance attack: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement he was "horrified" by the strike, while calling for a ceasefire and release of hostages.
Strikes near hospital and school shelter: Israeli airstrikes have damaged a building located in front of the emergency entrance of Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, injuring 21 people, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said Saturday. A UN-run school serving as a shelter in a refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip was also struck Saturday, according to the main UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
Humanitarian situation: The number of people who have fled from north of Wadi Gaza to the southern part of the enclave is estimated to be 800,000 "to perhaps a million," the US special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, David Satterfield, said Saturday. There has been no new fuel into Gaza since the war began, he said.
Civilians leaving Gaza wait as dual national Palestinians and foreigners prepare to cross the Rafah border point with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 2. Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it will allow people in Gaza to move south on specified streets Sunday, despite its troops coming under fire on Saturday while trying to secure a safe corridor for civilians.
The main route for evacuation will be Salah Al-Deen Street, with a window between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time, according to Avichay Adraee, IDF spokesperson for the Arab media.
"If you care about yourself and your loved ones, head south according to our instructions. Rest assured that Hamas leaders are already taking care to protect themselves," Adraee said on X Saturday night.
It was unclear how widely the message will be received on the ground, given the widespread electricity and internet outages, or how safe the passage will be.
According to Adraee, Hamas on Saturday fired mortar and anti-tank shells toward Israeli forces "who were keen to open the road from the north of the Gaza Strip toward its south."
"Hamas members carried out this because they wanted to keep human shields for themselves and their leaders," he said. "For your safety, take advantage of the next time to move south beyond Wadi Gaza."
The IDF has repeatedly called for civilians in Gaza to move south of Wadi Gaza as it has intensified its air and ground assault on Gaza City and Northern Gaza, including strikes on densely populated areas and civilian infrastructure that the IDF says is being used by Hamas militants.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah warned Saturday of a "catastrophe within Gaza hospitals," adding that wounded people are "taking their last breaths" due to the lack of medical resources and fuel.
Palestinian Health Minister Dr. Mai al-Kaila also called on the international community to provide fuel to Gaza hospitals to prevent the shutdown of services.
As of midday on Saturday, more than 150 health care professionals in Gaza have been killed, according to the health ministry in Ramallah. The ministry also said "16 hospitals and 32 primary healthcare centers have been taken out of service."
"The continued Israeli shelling of the vicinity and entrances of Gaza hospitals in the north aims to force medical personnel to abandon their patients and leave the hospitals. This constitutes a complex massacre against the wounded and patients," al-Kaila added.
Organizations outside of Gaza are also raising an alarm about the dire situation in the enclave's hospitals.
MedGlobal, a US-based organization that supports local health programs for vulnerable populations across the globe, issued an urgent appeal for fuel to power a generator at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
MedGlobal President Dr. Zaher Sahloul said in a social media post Saturday that the organization's lead pediatrician in northern Gaza sent him a message about the "catastrophic situation," adding that a 2-year-old just died.
According to Sahloul, the pediatrician at Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Husam Abu Safyia, added:
"Currently, surgeries have stopped, and the departments are without electricity and water."
Earlier on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also highlighted the lack of medicine and other resources in Gaza, saying, "Fuel to power hospitals and water plants is running out."
Israel's stance: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his government opposes any temporary ceasefire in Gaza unless Hamas frees all the hostages it holds. He also said it would continue to block fuel from entering Gaza. The Israeli military has claimed there are fuel supplies in Gaza being held by Hamas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken doubled down on the United States' opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza as he met with key Middle Eastern leaders Saturday, saying it was the US’ view that a ceasefire now would leave Hamas able to regroup and attack Israel again.
The US resistance to calls for a ceasefire has put it at odds with its Arab partners, including those with whom he met in Amman, Jordan.
Fears of an expanded conflict: Blinken said he and his counterparts “all agreed on the importance of using our respective influence and capabilities to deter any state or non-state actor from opening another front in this conflict.”
“Throughout this conflict, countries across the Middle East and beyond have played an essential role in preventing its spread,” Blinken said at a news conference in Amman.
The US has repeatedly warned other foes of Israel — including Hezbollah, which has voiced support for Hamas and exchanged fire with Israeli troops across the border with Lebanon but not directly intervened on Hamas' behalf — not to broaden the conflict into a wider war in the Middle East.
The US and its Arab partners share “the same fundamental interests and objectives” to end the Israel-Hamas war “in a way that ensures lasting peace and security in the region,” Blinken said following the summit, while acknowledging “we may have different views and positions” on how to achieve that end.
The top US diplomat said all parties reaffirmed their commitment to working together on the issue.
West Bank attacks: Blinken said he also spoke with the Arab leaders about the need to protect Palestinian civilians amid increasing attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
He updated his counterparts on his talks with Israeli officials yesterday, where he said he “underscored that incitement and extremist violence must be stopped and perpetrators must be held accountable.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, on November 4. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Thousands of protesters rallied in Washington, DC, and in major cities across Europe on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in the hostilities between Israel and Hamas as the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens.
In Washington, DC: A crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters packed into Freedom Plaza in the United States capital Saturday afternoon, as speakers called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US aid to Israel.
Freedom Plaza, located near the National Mall and White House, has been nearly entirely filled with chanting demonstrators donning red, green, and black attire and waving Palestinian flags.
The event organizers said they expected thousands of protesters.
The speakers slammed US President Joe Biden's administration for its response to the crisis in Gaza, warning that they will not support the president in 2024 if he does not call for a ceasefire in the war.
"Let it be known to all of those, including Joe Biden and all of those congressmen who fail to see our humanity today, and who fail to hear our voices today, that we will not see their names on the ballot next year. And we will not hear them when they come calling upon us next year," said Omar Suleiman, a Muslim scholar who addressed the crowd. "We will not allow for them to tell us anymore that the only refuge we have from right-wing racists are two-faced liberals."
The march comes after several weekends of pro-Palestinian rallies in Washington.
The crowd is expected to march to the White House and then back to Freedom Plaza later Saturday.
In London: Thousands of people gathered in the UK capital on Saturday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza as airstrikes and fighting on the ground continue. London police arrested 29 people in the protest, citing offenses including inciting racial hatred, racially motivated crimes, violence and assaulting a police officer.
Demonstrators at the rally, which took place in Trafalgar Square, waved Palestinian flags and banners calling for a “ceasefire now.” Some people held signs that read “Free Palestine” and called for the bombing to stop.
“40,000 people packed into Trafalgar Square today to stand with Palestine,” the organizer of the event, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, posted on social media. London’s Metropolitan Police has not released any figures for the size of the demonstration.
The event was the third consecutive pro-Palestinian weekend rally in London. Thousands of people have attended each rally, with the Met Police estimating a turnout of 100,000 for the first solidarity march.
Demonstrations also took place in other cities across the UK on Saturday, including Manchester, Oxford, Newcastle, and Liverpool.
Thousands also took to the streets in cities across Europe, with demonstrations taking place in capital cities including Paris and Berlin.
