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4 min ago

CIA chief to hold talks with regional leaders on potential hostage deal. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Bill Burns, director of the CIA, is expected to meet with officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar to discuss a deal to secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas, according to a US official familiar with the plans.

The meetings come amid intensive discussions on the parameters of a new deal that would pair hostages’ release with a cessation in the fighting in Gaza. The meetings are expected to be held in Europe, the official said.

US officials said they remain focused on securing a release of hostages after a leaked recording said to be of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing Qatar drew anger from the Gulf state.

Here's what else you need to know:

• Deadly shelling: At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured after Israeli shelling struck an area near Gaza City where people were awaiting aid delivery, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. At least 25,900 Palestinians have been killed and 64,000 others injured by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said Thursday.

• Growing crisis: Fourteen of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially functioning, with access to some impossible because of the conflict, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which cited the World Health Organization. Additionally, Rafah in southern Gaza now hosts��more than 50% of the strip's population, and people are facing worsening sanitary conditions and growing hunger, the UN said.
• "Worst situation": Surgeons from humanitarian group MedGlobal in Gaza don't have the resources to sedate patients while cleaning their wounds, said the group's American co-founder Dr. John Kahler. Kahler, who has provided humanitarian assistance from Haiti to Yemen, said Gaza is a "soul-crushing event" and "by far the worst situation" he has ever seen.
• Leak denial: Families of hostages held in Gaza denied leaking a recording of a meeting where Netanyahu appears to criticize Qatar, saying his officials record the meetings while families must leave their phones at the door. Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a CNN question about who leaked the audio, which infuriated Doha. The White House on Thursday reiterated its gratitude for Qatar's role in mediation.
• Genocide case: Israel declassified more than 30 documents, including summaries of cabinet meetings, as part of its defense against South Africa's accusation of genocide at the International Court of Justice, an Israeli official told CNN. The ICJ is due to announce an order in the case on Friday, which could call for a ceasefire in the conflict. World Court rulings are legally binding, but the court has no mechanism to enforce its decisions. A final ruling on whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza is likely to take months or years to deliver. 

1 min ago

Analysis: Slowly, suggestions are emerging on ways to end the conflict in Gaza

Analysis from CNN's Elliott Gotkine

As the Gaza war nears its fifth month, with more than 25,000 Palestinians — civilians and combatants — dead and Israel nowhere close to achieving its objective of destroying Hamas, no one seems to have come up with a concrete proposal that’s palatable to both parties to pause the conflict, let alone end it. But there are suggestions, however half-baked, from both sides, that show a willingness to talk.

Indeed, Qatar — the main go-between — says there are “serious discussions” with Israel and Hamas, and is receiving “constant replies” from both sides. They’re not “negotiations” yet, says the White House. But with indirect talks ongoing, we seem to be inching toward what Ofer Shelah, senior researcher with Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), describes as a “Zopa” — a zone of possible agreement.

On Monday, Axios reported Israel had proposed a two-month truce in exchange for the release of all the 100-plus hostages still held in Gaza. Later that day, CNN learned that Mossad chief David Barnea had suggested allowing Hamas leaders to go into exile as part of a broader ceasefire.

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal said Hamas was now open to releasing some of the hostages in exchange for a pause in the fighting. And Reuters reported that Israel and Hamas had agreed in principle to a one-month truce, during which abductees would be freed and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails released.

Read more on how Israel and Hamas may be inching toward a deal to end the war.

2 min ago

Cleaning wounds without anesthesia is part of the "suffering beyond belief" in Gaza, doctor tells CNN

From CNN's Jennifer Hauser

Surgeons from the humanitarian group MedGlobal who are in Gaza don't have the resources to sedate patients while cleaning their wounds, according to Dr. John Kahler, a cofounder of the group.

He says they receive between 150 to 200 patients in an outpatient center for wound cleaning per day, which can include children with facial burns.

"All of these cleanings are happening without anesthesia," Kahler told CNN's Eleni Giokos from Cairo. "This is suffering beyond belief."

Kahler, an American doctor who has provided humanitarian assistance around the world from Haiti to Yemen, said being in Gaza is a "soul-crushing event" and "by far the worst situation" he has ever seen.

Kahler's teams at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis tell him there is constant shelling within four or five blocks. Mass casualties with rushes of 20, 30, or 40 people at a time can be brought into the emergency room, he said.

"There is absolutely no room in the hospital whatsoever. There's patients on the floor, on the stairs, everywhere. It's a catastrophe. It isn't collapsing, it is virtually collapsed," Kahler said.

He also has team members in Rafah at a primary health center that sees 600 to 700 patients a day, including many children. He says there is major respiratory disease, and "every one of these children is hungry. All the children have diarrhea."

1 min ago

CIA director expected to meet with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari negotiators to push for hostage deal 

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

The director of the CIA is expected to meet with officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar to discuss a deal to secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas, according to a US official familiar with the plans.

Bill Burns will talk with Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea, Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the coming days, the source says. It comes amid intensive discussions on the parameters of a new deal that would pair hostages’ release with a cessation in the fighting in Gaza.

The meetings are expected to occur in Europe, the official said. The CIA declined to comment. The White House, which also declined to confirm Burns’ meetings, said Thursday that ongoing hostage talks were “sober and serious.”

Another top American official, White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, has been in the region this week to continue discussions on the release of hostages. McGurk has visited Cairo and Doha for the talks.

Egypt and Qatar have acted as key players in brokering with Hamas, including securing a temporary pause and hostage release in November.

The Washington Post first reported Burns’ plans.

4 hr 26 min ago

US says it is still focused on hostage deal after alleged leaked Netanyahu comments

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

The US says it remains focused on securing a release of hostages, including in discussions with Israel and Qatar, after a leaked recording said to be of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing Qatar drew anger from the Gulf state.

“I don't think I'm gonna comment on leaked comments attributed to another foreign leader,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One.

CNN cannot verify that the voice on the leaked recording belongs to Netanyahu.  

Kirby did not reveal further US frustrations at the comments, though impatience has been growing inside the White House at Netanyahu's public rejections of a two-state solution and a lack of progress in securing the release of hostages.

Kirby said efforts on striking a hostage deal — which have included Qatar as a mediator — would proceed apace.

“The Israeli people want their loved ones back, we want to make sure we get our American hostages back to their families where they belong,” Kirby said. “There is a lot of energy being put at this across the region, with our Israeli counterparts as well as our other counterparts, including the Qataris. And we're just going to keep working at that.” 

Bill Burns, director of the CIA, is expected to meet with officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar to discuss a deal to secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas, according to a US official familiar with the plans.

The meetings come amid intensive discussions on the parameters of a new deal that would pair hostages’ release with a cessation in the fighting in Gaza. The meetings are expected to be held in Europe, the official said.

US officials said they remain focused on securing a release of hostages after a leaked recording said to be of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing Qatar drew anger from the Gulf state.

Here's what else you need to know:

As the Gaza war nears its fifth month, with more than 25,000 Palestinians — civilians and combatants — dead and Israel nowhere close to achieving its objective of destroying Hamas, no one seems to have come up with a concrete proposal that’s palatable to both parties to pause the conflict, let alone end it. But there are suggestions, however half-baked, from both sides, that show a willingness to talk.

Indeed, Qatar — the main go-between — says there are “serious discussions” with Israel and Hamas, and is receiving “constant replies” from both sides. They’re not “negotiations” yet, says the White House. But with indirect talks ongoing, we seem to be inching toward what Ofer Shelah, senior researcher with Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), describes as a “Zopa” — a zone of possible agreement.

On Monday, Axios reported Israel had proposed a two-month truce in exchange for the release of all the 100-plus hostages still held in Gaza. Later that day, CNN learned that Mossad chief David Barnea had suggested allowing Hamas leaders to go into exile as part of a broader ceasefire.

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal said Hamas was now open to releasing some of the hostages in exchange for a pause in the fighting. And Reuters reported that Israel and Hamas had agreed in principle to a one-month truce, during which abductees would be freed and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails released.

Read more on how Israel and Hamas may be inching toward a deal to end the war.

Surgeons from the humanitarian group MedGlobal who are in Gaza don't have the resources to sedate patients while cleaning their wounds, according to Dr. John Kahler, a cofounder of the group.

He says they receive between 150 to 200 patients in an outpatient center for wound cleaning per day, which can include children with facial burns.

Kahler, an American doctor who has provided humanitarian assistance around the world from Haiti to Yemen, said being in Gaza is a "soul-crushing event" and "by far the worst situation" he has ever seen.

Kahler's teams at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis tell him there is constant shelling within four or five blocks. Mass casualties with rushes of 20, 30, or 40 people at a time can be brought into the emergency room, he said.

He also has team members in Rafah at a primary health center that sees 600 to 700 patients a day, including many children. He says there is major respiratory disease, and "every one of these children is hungry. All the children have diarrhea."

The director of the CIA is expected to meet with officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar to discuss a deal to secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas, according to a US official familiar with the plans.

Bill Burns will talk with Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea, Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the coming days, the source says. It comes amid intensive discussions on the parameters of a new deal that would pair hostages’ release with a cessation in the fighting in Gaza.

The meetings are expected to occur in Europe, the official said. The CIA declined to comment. The White House, which also declined to confirm Burns’ meetings, said Thursday that ongoing hostage talks were “sober and serious.”

Another top American official, White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, has been in the region this week to continue discussions on the release of hostages. McGurk has visited Cairo and Doha for the talks.

Egypt and Qatar have acted as key players in brokering with Hamas, including securing a temporary pause and hostage release in November.

The Washington Post first reported Burns’ plans.

The US says it remains focused on securing a release of hostages, including in discussions with Israel and Qatar, after a leaked recording said to be of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing Qatar drew anger from the Gulf state.

CNN cannot verify that the voice on the leaked recording belongs to Netanyahu.  

Kirby did not reveal further US frustrations at the comments, though impatience has been growing inside the White House at Netanyahu's public rejections of a two-state solution and a lack of progress in securing the release of hostages.

Kirby said efforts on striking a hostage deal — which have included Qatar as a mediator — would proceed apace.