UN says order to evacuate 1.1 million people is "outrageous" and defies "rules of war and basic humanity"
From CNN’s Larry Register
The “order to evacuate 1.1 million people from northern Gaza defies the rules of war and basic humanity," United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths has said.
“Gaza is under intense bombardment. Roads and homes have been reduced to rubble. There is nowhere safe to go," Griffiths said on X, formerly Twitter. “Forcing scared and traumatized civilians, including women and children, to move from one densely populated area to another, without even a pause in the fighting and without humanitarian support, is dangerous and outrageous."
He reiterated that "without safe passage and access to basic services, such mass displacement of civilians will have catastrophic humanitarian consequences and long-term implications.
Remember: Israel has ordered a “complete siege” of crowded Gaza — including halting supplies of electricity, food, water, and fuel — while also bombarding the densely populated territory in retaliation for Hamas' devastating October 7 terror attacks.
Prior to the evacuation warning, more than 400,000 Palestinians had been internally displaced, the UN said in a statement.
5 min ago
A week has passed since Hamas' attacks on Israel. Here's what you need to know
From CNN Staff
Palestinians flee from northern Gaza to the south after the Israeli army issued an unprecedented evacuation warning on Friday, October 13, 2023. Hatem Moussa/AP
A week has passed since Hamas' attacks on Israel, and it is still unclear whether Israel has plans to launch a ground assault into Gaza.
Israel has carried out heavy airstrikes on Gaza and signaled there is more to come. It is also tightening a chokehold on the territory even as a humanitarian crisis unfolds.
Israel has ordered more than a million people in Gaza to evacuate southward ahead of a potential Israeli ground operation, according to the United Nations. Many in the enclave left their homes on Friday, but people are running out of places to take cover as Gaza turns to a wasteland from Israeli bombardment.
Here's where things stand:
Offensive action from Israel: In addition to continued airstrikes, Israeli troops have carried out local raids over the past day in the Gaza Strip, searching for hostagesand collecting evidence to find people taken by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said. Meanwhile, Israel has amassed more than 300,000 reservists along the Gaza border for a potential full ground operation. Israel has also been accused by the Palestinian Ministry of Health of the "targeting and killing of medical and ambulance personnel during their humanitarian missions to evacuate the victims of aggression."
Humanitarian concerns: The UN said the calls for the evacuation of 1.1 million people in Gaza are “impossible” and has urged the Israeli military to withdraw, according to Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary general. Dujarric said such a mass evacuation would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."
What Hamas is saying: A senior Hamas official said Friday that the current situation in Gaza represents "an extraordinarily audacious and brutal endeavor to forcibly remove the Palestinian indigenous people from their land." The official called Israel's actions in Gaza "inhumane" and "barbaric," adding that Hamas "will not surrender our legitimate fight for freedom and self-determination."
International input: The White House says national security officials held calls with United Nations officials on Thursday and Friday about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but declined to offer details about progress on getting foreign nationals out of the area. Vassily Nebenzia, the permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, is circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls for a ceasefire in the "Israel-Gaza" war. Hamas said in a statement Saturday morning that it welcomes "Russia's tireless efforts" aimed at stopping Israel's aggression against the territory.
Attacks in Lebanon: Israel is conducting drone attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. It comes after the Israeli military shelled southern Lebanon in response to an explosion at a security fence near the Lebanese-Israeli border earlier Friday, the IDF said. There are rising fears of the Lebanon-based Shia militant faction Hezbollah entering the conflict.
Concerns about a wider regional conflict: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country is “extremely concerned” about the conflict in Israel spreading and that it is working to de-escalate the situation. Of Israel's immediate neighbors, it is only at peace with Jordan and Egypt, and is officially in a state of war with Lebanon and Syria. Israel has said it is ready in case there are attacks from those two countries.
Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter that explores the region’s biggest stories.
4 min ago
Hamas welcomes Russia's offer for mediation, praises Putin's position
From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury
Hamas, the militant Islamic group that governs Gaza, said in a statement Saturday morning (local time) that it welcomes "Russia's tireless efforts" aimed at stopping Israel's aggression against the territory.
"[We] appreciate Russian President Vladimir Putin's position regarding the ongoing Zionist aggression against our people and his rejection of the Gaza siege, the cutting of relief supplies, and the targeting of safe civilians there," the statement read.
His comments come as Russia continues a ruthless war campaign against Ukraine and is being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. That case includes, among other things, allegations of targeting civilians.
In addition to Putin's comments, the Russian envoy to the UN circulated a resolution calling for a ceasefire Friday.
Remember: Israel has ordered a “complete siege” on the crowded Gaza Strip — including halting supplies of electricity, food, water, and fuel — while also bombarding the densely populated territory in retaliation for Hamas' devastating October 7 terror attacks. At least 1,900 Palestinians have been killed by near-constant shelling in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, including journalists, medics and other civilians. The dead include 614 children and 370 women, says the ministry.
3 min ago
White House says it discussed humanitarian situation in Gaza with UN, but offers few details
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal and Kayla Tausche
The White House says national security officials held calls with United Nations officials on Thursday and Friday about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but declined to offer details about progress on getting foreign nationals out of the area.
On Thursday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and UN Secretary-General António Guterres “discussed Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack against Israel and the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the White House said in a readout of the calls.
On Friday, principal deputy national security advisor Jon Finer and USAID Administrator Samantha Power spoke with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland about the crisis, and ongoing efforts with Egypt, Israel, and other regional players to help civilians move around Gaza safely and facilitate humanitarian assistance — including water, food and medical care, the statement said.
Separately, the National Security Council declined to comment to CNN about whether the calls secured the ability for foreign nationals to cross from Gaza into Egypt.
Remember: Israel has ordered a “complete siege” on the Hamas-run enclave — including halting supplies of electricity, food, water and fuel — while also bombarding the densely populated territory in retaliation for Hamas' devastating October 7 terror attacks.
Americans in Gaza: US officials have said they are working on "potential options for departure" for American citizens living in Gaza but have not provided further details. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said the US was in talks with Egypt and Israel about establishing a humanitarian corridor at the Egypt-controlled Rafah border crossing for Americans and other civilians in Gaza to leave amid Israel's day-after-day airstrikes.
Palestinian-Americans previously told CNN that they feel trapped in Gaza and have received little help from the US Embassy.
54 min ago
Biden: "We're working like hell" to get missing Americans back
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
President Joe Biden says the US is “working like hell” to get Americans missing from Israel back to the United States.
“I say we're going to do everything in our power to find them,” Biden said in a CBS News interview clip that aired Friday.
While Biden said he can't disclose details of the efforts, the president said his message to those holding Americans hostage is that the US is doing "everything in our power."
When asked why he felt so strongly about speaking personally to the families of the missing Americans, Biden said it's because "they have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about what's happening."
"We have to communicate to the rest of the world, this is critical," Biden added. "This is not even human behavior. It's pure barbarism.”
54 min ago
A Russian diplomat is circulating a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza
From CNN's Richard Roth
Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, comments following a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters Friday, October 13, 2023. Craig Ruttle/AP
Vassily Nebenzia, the permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, is circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls for a ceasefire in the "Israel-Gaza" war.
Nebenzia called for de-escalation in the conflict and said the resolution received a mixed reaction from the other 14 member countries.
When asked why the resolution doesn’t mention Hamas, the militant group that governs Gaza and staged the deadly October 7th attacks on Israel, the diplomat said it’s because his proposal is a humanitarian resolution.
The envoy said his country condemns any violence against residents of Israel and Gaza. Nebenzia said Israel has the right to defend its territory, but that the day-after-day shelling of Gaza by Israel recalls the siege of Leningrad during World War II. He also said Israel’s plan to move over a million people in northern Gaza to the south is similar to creating a ghetto.
Nebenzia blamed the US for over the years blocking action by the Quartet on the Middle East, which consists of United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia. The group was established in 2002 to help mediate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Some context on Russia's response: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday urged both sides in the fighting between Israel and Hamas to "minimize or reduce to zero" civilian casualties, and the foreign ministry in Moscow made similar calls for calm on Friday.
These comments come as Russia wages a ruthless war campaign against Ukraine and is being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. That case includes, among other things, allegations of targeting civilians.
Some Palestinian-Americans told by State Department that Rafah Crossing "may be open" Saturday afternoon
From CNN's Yahya Abou-Ghazala
The closed gates of the Rafah Crossing Point, Gaza's border crossing with Egypt, on October 10, 2023. Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
Some Palestinian-Americans stuck in Gaza have received their first set of instructions that family members may be able to evacuate Gaza into Egypt on Saturday afternoon, according to emails shared with CNN.
The US State Department's Consular Affairs Crisis Management System told family members that on Saturday the Rafah Crossing "may be open."
"We understand the security situation is difficult, but if you wish to depart Gaza you may want to take advantage of this opportunity," the CACMS email said.
A State Department spokesperson told CNN they “are actively discussing this with our Israeli and Egyptian counterparts.”
“We support safe passage for civilians,” they said. “We are working with our Israeli and Egyptian partners to establish a safe humanitarian corridor both for Gazans trying to flee this war and to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those in need within the territory.”
Anas Alfarra, a Lawful Permanent Resident of the US living in the San Francisco area trying to get family members out of Gaza, says the email falls short of what the US Embassy needs to be doing.
"Two 'mays' and a 'wish' in a situation that warrants much more," Alfarra told CNN.
Mai Abushaaban, a 22 year-old from Houston who also received the email, has been desperately trying to evacuate her mother and sister from Gaza this week.
"I’ve had to put a lot of pressure on the embassy," Abushaaban said. "It feels almost as though we were forgotten, I personally feel like we’re second-class citizens."
This comes after the United States has continued to press the Egyptian and Israeli governments on “the importance of the Rafah Crossing being open for American citizens and foreign nationals of other countries who want to leave and have the right to leave to be able to do so,” a senior State Department official said Friday.
US officials have been engaged in discussions for days to try to secure a humanitarian corridor that would allow Americans and other civilians to safely leave Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli military incursion.
The United Nations on Thursday said it was informed by the Israeli military that “the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours,” but IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN Friday that any deadline “may slip.”
The State Department official told the press traveling with Blinken that the US focus has been “on American citizens, but other countries you could presume are engaged in trying to get their foreign nationals out as well.”
There are an estimated 500-600 Palestinian-Americans in Gaza.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
54 min ago
The last remaining exit for Gazans is through Egypt. Here’s why Cairo is reluctant to open it
Egypt is facing mounting pressure to act as neighboring Gaza gets pummeled by Israeli airstrikes after last weekend’s brutal assault on Israel by Hamas.
In the wake of the Hamas attacks, Israel closed its two border crossings with Gaza and imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, blocking supplies of fuel, electricity and water.
That has left the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt as the only viable outlet to get people out of the enclave and supplies into it. But it’s unclear if even that crossing is operational.
The Egyptian side of the crossing is open, but the Palestinian side is “non-functional” following multiple Israeli airstrikes earlier this week, a senior Jordanian official told CNN Thursday, adding that “the Jordanians and Egyptians are waiting for security clearance from the Israelis to allow (aid) trucks to cross without threat of another airstrike.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry on Thursday denied reports of the crossing being closed, saying it has sustained damage due to repeated Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian side. CNN could not independently verify whether the crossing is open.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the Biden administration is in talks with Israel and Egypt about creating a humanitarian corridor through which civilians can cross.
But Egypt is uneasy about the prospect of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees crossing into its territory. More than two million Palestinians live in the densely packed coastal enclave that is under intense Israeli bombardment.
Journalists hit as Israel fired at Lebanon were clearly marked as press, CNN analysis shows
From CNN's Tamara Qiblawi, Sarah El Sirgany, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Allegra Goodwin and AnneClaire Stapleton
The journalists were wearing body armor clearly labeled as “press” when Israeli forces struck Lebanon on Friday; the sudden blast killed one Reuters journalist and wounded at least six others, according to official statements and videos analyzed by CNN.
Journalists from international news organizations Al Jazeera, Agence France Presse, and Reuters were among the victims, according to statements from their outlets.
Roughly around the same time – about 5 p.m. local – the Israeli military said that it had fired artillery at Lebanese territory after a border fence exploded near the Israeli kibbutz of Hanita. The Israeli military has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
Hanita is just across the border from the Lebanese town of Alma Chaab, where the group of journalists was covering the exchange of fire, CNN’s video analysis shows.
A Reuters livestream showed smoke rising from the area, according to CNN’s geolocations, before a thud is heard.
In the next instant, the camera lens is suddenly covered with dust, and a woman can be heard screaming in the background.
“Oh god. Oh god. What’s happening? … I can’t feel my legs,” she cries.
Christina Assi, a journalist for Agence France Presse, was later seen in video of the aftermath lying on the ground with leg wounds.
Reuters videographer Issam Abdullah was found dead after the attack. He had been operating the live signal that recorded the fateful moment, Reuters said.
Israel’s military has warned 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza to evacuate their homes, amid signs Israel is set to ramp up its retaliatory offensive against Hamas following the group’s October 7 terror attacks that killed 1,300 people.
Israel's evacuation order prompted tens of thousands of people to leave their homes in Gaza Friday, according to the UN's humanitarian office.
President Joe Biden says the US is “working like hell” to get Americans missing from Israel back to the United States. The first charter that the US State Department organized to get its citizens out of Israel has arrived in Athens, Greece, an official said, and more flights are planned for the coming days.
The “order to evacuate 1.1 million people from northern Gaza defies the rules of war and basic humanity," United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths has said.
“Gaza is under intense bombardment. Roads and homes have been reduced to rubble. There is nowhere safe to go," Griffiths said on X, formerly Twitter. “Forcing scared and traumatized civilians, including women and children, to move from one densely populated area to another, without even a pause in the fighting and without humanitarian support, is dangerous and outrageous."
He reiterated that "without safe passage and access to basic services, such mass displacement of civilians will have catastrophic humanitarian consequences and long-term implications.
Remember: Israel has ordered a “complete siege” of crowded Gaza — including halting supplies of electricity, food, water, and fuel — while also bombarding the densely populated territory in retaliation for Hamas' devastating October 7 terror attacks.
Prior to the evacuation warning, more than 400,000 Palestinians had been internally displaced, the UN said in a statement.
Palestinians flee from northern Gaza to the south after the Israeli army issued an unprecedented evacuation warning on Friday, October 13, 2023. Hatem Moussa/AP
A week has passed since Hamas' attacks on Israel, and it is still unclear whether Israel has plans to launch a ground assault into Gaza.
Israel has carried out heavy airstrikes on Gaza and signaled there is more to come. It is also tightening a chokehold on the territory even as a humanitarian crisis unfolds.
Israel has ordered more than a million people in Gaza to evacuate southward ahead of a potential Israeli ground operation, according to the United Nations. Many in the enclave left their homes on Friday, but people are running out of places to take cover as Gaza turns to a wasteland from Israeli bombardment.
Here's where things stand:
Offensive action from Israel: In addition to continued airstrikes, Israeli troops have carried out local raids over the past day in the Gaza Strip, searching for hostagesand collecting evidence to find people taken by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said. Meanwhile, Israel has amassed more than 300,000 reservists along the Gaza border for a potential full ground operation. Israel has also been accused by the Palestinian Ministry of Health of the "targeting and killing of medical and ambulance personnel during their humanitarian missions to evacuate the victims of aggression."
Humanitarian concerns: The UN said the calls for the evacuation of 1.1 million people in Gaza are “impossible” and has urged the Israeli military to withdraw, according to Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary general. Dujarric said such a mass evacuation would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."
What Hamas is saying: A senior Hamas official said Friday that the current situation in Gaza represents "an extraordinarily audacious and brutal endeavor to forcibly remove the Palestinian indigenous people from their land." The official called Israel's actions in Gaza "inhumane" and "barbaric," adding that Hamas "will not surrender our legitimate fight for freedom and self-determination."
International input: The White House says national security officials held calls with United Nations officials on Thursday and Friday about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but declined to offer details about progress on getting foreign nationals out of the area. Vassily Nebenzia, the permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, is circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls for a ceasefire in the "Israel-Gaza" war. Hamas said in a statement Saturday morning that it welcomes "Russia's tireless efforts" aimed at stopping Israel's aggression against the territory.
Attacks in Lebanon: Israel is conducting drone attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. It comes after the Israeli military shelled southern Lebanon in response to an explosion at a security fence near the Lebanese-Israeli border earlier Friday, the IDF said. There are rising fears of the Lebanon-based Shia militant faction Hezbollah entering the conflict.
Concerns about a wider regional conflict: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country is “extremely concerned” about the conflict in Israel spreading and that it is working to de-escalate the situation. Of Israel's immediate neighbors, it is only at peace with Jordan and Egypt, and is officially in a state of war with Lebanon and Syria. Israel has said it is ready in case there are attacks from those two countries.
Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter that explores the region’s biggest stories.
Hamas, the militant Islamic group that governs Gaza, said in a statement Saturday morning (local time) that it welcomes "Russia's tireless efforts" aimed at stopping Israel's aggression against the territory.
"[We] appreciate Russian President Vladimir Putin's position regarding the ongoing Zionist aggression against our people and his rejection of the Gaza siege, the cutting of relief supplies, and the targeting of safe civilians there," the statement read.
His comments come as Russia continues a ruthless war campaign against Ukraine and is being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. That case includes, among other things, allegations of targeting civilians.
In addition to Putin's comments, the Russian envoy to the UN circulated a resolution calling for a ceasefire Friday.
Remember: Israel has ordered a “complete siege” on the crowded Gaza Strip — including halting supplies of electricity, food, water, and fuel — while also bombarding the densely populated territory in retaliation for Hamas' devastating October 7 terror attacks. At least 1,900 Palestinians have been killed by near-constant shelling in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, including journalists, medics and other civilians. The dead include 614 children and 370 women, says the ministry.
The White House says national security officials held calls with United Nations officials on Thursday and Friday about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but declined to offer details about progress on getting foreign nationals out of the area.
On Thursday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and UN Secretary-General António Guterres “discussed Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack against Israel and the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the White House said in a readout of the calls.
On Friday, principal deputy national security advisor Jon Finer and USAID Administrator Samantha Power spoke with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland about the crisis, and ongoing efforts with Egypt, Israel, and other regional players to help civilians move around Gaza safely and facilitate humanitarian assistance — including water, food and medical care, the statement said.
Separately, the National Security Council declined to comment to CNN about whether the calls secured the ability for foreign nationals to cross from Gaza into Egypt.
Remember: Israel has ordered a “complete siege” on the Hamas-run enclave — including halting supplies of electricity, food, water and fuel — while also bombarding the densely populated territory in retaliation for Hamas' devastating October 7 terror attacks.
Americans in Gaza: US officials have said they are working on "potential options for departure" for American citizens living in Gaza but have not provided further details. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said the US was in talks with Egypt and Israel about establishing a humanitarian corridor at the Egypt-controlled Rafah border crossing for Americans and other civilians in Gaza to leave amid Israel's day-after-day airstrikes.
Palestinian-Americans previously told CNN that they feel trapped in Gaza and have received little help from the US Embassy.
President Joe Biden says the US is “working like hell” to get Americans missing from Israel back to the United States.
“I say we're going to do everything in our power to find them,” Biden said in a CBS News interview clip that aired Friday.
While Biden said he can't disclose details of the efforts, the president said his message to those holding Americans hostage is that the US is doing "everything in our power."
When asked why he felt so strongly about speaking personally to the families of the missing Americans, Biden said it's because "they have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about what's happening."
"We have to communicate to the rest of the world, this is critical," Biden added. "This is not even human behavior. It's pure barbarism.”
Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, comments following a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters Friday, October 13, 2023. Craig Ruttle/AP
Vassily Nebenzia, the permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, is circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council which calls for a ceasefire in the "Israel-Gaza" war.
Nebenzia called for de-escalation in the conflict and said the resolution received a mixed reaction from the other 14 member countries.
When asked why the resolution doesn’t mention Hamas, the militant group that governs Gaza and staged the deadly October 7th attacks on Israel, the diplomat said it’s because his proposal is a humanitarian resolution.
The envoy said his country condemns any violence against residents of Israel and Gaza. Nebenzia said Israel has the right to defend its territory, but that the day-after-day shelling of Gaza by Israel recalls the siege of Leningrad during World War II. He also said Israel’s plan to move over a million people in northern Gaza to the south is similar to creating a ghetto.
Nebenzia blamed the US for over the years blocking action by the Quartet on the Middle East, which consists of United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia. The group was established in 2002 to help mediate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Some context on Russia's response: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday urged both sides in the fighting between Israel and Hamas to "minimize or reduce to zero" civilian casualties, and the foreign ministry in Moscow made similar calls for calm on Friday.
These comments come as Russia wages a ruthless war campaign against Ukraine and is being investigated by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. That case includes, among other things, allegations of targeting civilians.
The closed gates of the Rafah Crossing Point, Gaza's border crossing with Egypt, on October 10, 2023. Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
Some Palestinian-Americans stuck in Gaza have received their first set of instructions that family members may be able to evacuate Gaza into Egypt on Saturday afternoon, according to emails shared with CNN.
The US State Department's Consular Affairs Crisis Management System told family members that on Saturday the Rafah Crossing "may be open."
"We understand the security situation is difficult, but if you wish to depart Gaza you may want to take advantage of this opportunity," the CACMS email said.
A State Department spokesperson told CNN they “are actively discussing this with our Israeli and Egyptian counterparts.”
“We support safe passage for civilians,” they said. “We are working with our Israeli and Egyptian partners to establish a safe humanitarian corridor both for Gazans trying to flee this war and to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those in need within the territory.”
Anas Alfarra, a Lawful Permanent Resident of the US living in the San Francisco area trying to get family members out of Gaza, says the email falls short of what the US Embassy needs to be doing.
"Two 'mays' and a 'wish' in a situation that warrants much more," Alfarra told CNN.
Mai Abushaaban, a 22 year-old from Houston who also received the email, has been desperately trying to evacuate her mother and sister from Gaza this week.
"I’ve had to put a lot of pressure on the embassy," Abushaaban said. "It feels almost as though we were forgotten, I personally feel like we’re second-class citizens."
This comes after the United States has continued to press the Egyptian and Israeli governments on “the importance of the Rafah Crossing being open for American citizens and foreign nationals of other countries who want to leave and have the right to leave to be able to do so,” a senior State Department official said Friday.
US officials have been engaged in discussions for days to try to secure a humanitarian corridor that would allow Americans and other civilians to safely leave Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli military incursion.
The United Nations on Thursday said it was informed by the Israeli military that “the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours,” but IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN Friday that any deadline “may slip.”
The State Department official told the press traveling with Blinken that the US focus has been “on American citizens, but other countries you could presume are engaged in trying to get their foreign nationals out as well.”
There are an estimated 500-600 Palestinian-Americans in Gaza.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
Egypt is facing mounting pressure to act as neighboring Gaza gets pummeled by Israeli airstrikes after last weekend’s brutal assault on Israel by Hamas.
In the wake of the Hamas attacks, Israel closed its two border crossings with Gaza and imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, blocking supplies of fuel, electricity and water.
That has left the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt as the only viable outlet to get people out of the enclave and supplies into it. But it’s unclear if even that crossing is operational.
The Egyptian side of the crossing is open, but the Palestinian side is “non-functional” following multiple Israeli airstrikes earlier this week, a senior Jordanian official told CNN Thursday, adding that “the Jordanians and Egyptians are waiting for security clearance from the Israelis to allow (aid) trucks to cross without threat of another airstrike.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry on Thursday denied reports of the crossing being closed, saying it has sustained damage due to repeated Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian side. CNN could not independently verify whether the crossing is open.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the Biden administration is in talks with Israel and Egypt about creating a humanitarian corridor through which civilians can cross.
But Egypt is uneasy about the prospect of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees crossing into its territory. More than two million Palestinians live in the densely packed coastal enclave that is under intense Israeli bombardment.
The journalists were wearing body armor clearly labeled as “press” when Israeli forces struck Lebanon on Friday; the sudden blast killed one Reuters journalist and wounded at least six others, according to official statements and videos analyzed by CNN.
Journalists from international news organizations Al Jazeera, Agence France Presse, and Reuters were among the victims, according to statements from their outlets.
Roughly around the same time – about 5 p.m. local – the Israeli military said that it had fired artillery at Lebanese territory after a border fence exploded near the Israeli kibbutz of Hanita. The Israeli military has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.
Hanita is just across the border from the Lebanese town of Alma Chaab, where the group of journalists was covering the exchange of fire, CNN’s video analysis shows.
A Reuters livestream showed smoke rising from the area, according to CNN’s geolocations, before a thud is heard.
In the next instant, the camera lens is suddenly covered with dust, and a woman can be heard screaming in the background.
“Oh god. Oh god. What’s happening? … I can’t feel my legs,” she cries.
Christina Assi, a journalist for Agence France Presse, was later seen in video of the aftermath lying on the ground with leg wounds.
Reuters videographer Issam Abdullah was found dead after the attack. He had been operating the live signal that recorded the fateful moment, Reuters said.
