US strikes Iran-backed groups as Israel-Hamas war rages
By Chris Lau, Sana Noor Haq, Zara Kahn and Aditi Sangal, CNN
Updated 7:09 AM ET, Mon February 5, 2024
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20 min ago
Palestine Red Crescent Society says hundreds of displaced people are leaving its headquarters
From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman and Tim Lister
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says that hundreds of people who had been taking shelter at its headquarters in Khan Younis and the nearby Al-Amal hospital have begun to leave.
The aid group said on Monday: “This comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross informed the PRCS of the occupation's approval to provide a safe passage, allowing the displaced individuals to exit Al-Amal Hospital and the PRCS's headquarters towards the Mawasi area in Khan Younis.”
“Hundreds of displaced individuals have begun leaving the PRCS's headquarters and Al-Amal Hospital after being besieged for over two weeks,” it added.
At the same time, the PRCS said the Israeli military had taken the General Manager of Al-Amal Hospital, Dr. Haider Al-Qaddura, and the hospital's Administrative Director, Maher Atallah, “to an unknown location.” CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on whether the two officials have been detained.
11 min ago
IDF warns civilians west of Gaza City and in Khan Younis to evacuate
From CNN's Tim Lister, Ibrahim Dahman and Tal Amir
Israeli soldiers drive a tank near the border with Gaza on February 4. Ariel Schalit/AP
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reiterated an evacuation order to Palestinian civilians west of Gaza City, in the north, and much of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the enclave to leave their neighborhoods for other areas.
The Israeli military urged people in eight neighborhoods west of Gaza City “to evacuate your areas immediately and move through Al-Rashid (Al-Bahr) Street towards the known shelters in Deir Al-Balah.”
It also called on people in five blocks west of Khan Younis to move “immediately to the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi via Al-Bahr Street.”
Meanwhile, the IDF ramped up its offensive in and around Khan Younis, as well as in north and central Gaza, where it said troops carried out "targeted raids on Hamas terrorist targets" and thwarted "a five-man terrorist cell." CNN cannot independently verify operational details reported by the IDF.
Remember: It is unclear how many people are aware of the orders, given the lack of internet and mobile service in much of Gaza. Thousands of people have not fled following previous such orders, for fear of being targeted while trying to flee or because they do not want to endure winter conditions without shelter.
CNN has previously reported on Palestinian civilians who followed evacuation orders being killed by Israeli strikes, underscoring the reality that nowhere is safe in Gaza.
53 min ago
"Everyone is afraid": Humanitarian worker cautions Israel's military push into Rafah
From CNN's Tim Lister, Ibrahim Dahman and Tal Amir
Smoke rises over buildings in Khan Younis following Israeli bombardment on February 5. Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
Palestinian civilians are "afraid" of Israel's military pressing into the southern city of Rafah, according to a relief worker, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expands its offensive into all parts of the territory.
“Everyone is afraid of the expanding of the ground operation in Rafah,” Raed Al-Nims, Media Director of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza, said on Monday.
It came after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said IDF ground troops would "soon reach" Rafah in the far south — where more than half of Gaza's entire population have been forcibly displaced since the start of the war.
In recent weeks, the IDF has ramped up its deadly assault on the southern city of Khan Younis, where local hospitals and a UN shelter came under fierce bombardment.
A “fighter jet struck a Hamas terrorist cell” which was “preparing to attack IDF troops in a nearby structure with explosives," the IDF said. In western Khan Younis, the IDF said that troops "killed dozens of terrorists who ambushed the troops throughout the city.”
“In a separate IDF activity directed by intelligence in Khan Younis, IDF troops conducted targeted raids on terrorist targets and located weapons including AK-47 rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and ammunition. The troops also killed 10 terrorists using close-range fire and aerial support."
CNN cannot independently verify operational details reported by the IDF.
1 hr 20 min ago
Gaza media office warns IDF ground offensive in Rafah would be "disaster" for displaced Palestinians
From CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman
A crowded street in Rafah, Gaza, on February 1. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
The director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office told CNN on Monday the expansion of the Israeli military's ground campaign into Rafah, in southern Gaza, would "cause a real disaster" inside the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli troops are not yet on the ground in the southern city bordering Egypt, Ismail Al-Thawabta said.
“Their entry into Rafah will cause a real disaster on top of the disasters to which the Gaza Strip is exposed."
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would head from Khan Younis into Rafah to "eliminate terror elements that threaten us."
More than half of those are trying to shelter in Rafah.
Al Thawabta, of the Government Media Office, said there were 1.3 million displaced people in Rafah.
Palestinians have been forced to flee to Rafah from northern areas since the early days of the war, after the IDF instructed people to move south as it advanced from the north.
CNN obtained video over the weekend showing the tent camp in the shadow of Gaza’s walled border with Egypt, underlining that there is nowhere further south in the strip for people to flee.
4 hr 24 min ago
Israeli soldiers struggle to square political views with realities of war
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová and Adi Koplewitz
IDF Reservist Amos Shani Atzmon in Jerusalem on January 31, 2023, just days after returning from a deployment in Gaza. Ivana Kottasová/CNN
Amos Shani Atzmon says he doesn’t blame Palestinians in Gaza for hating Israel right now.
“They have really good reasons. When you see cities on fire and are getting bombed … I had one close friend killed in Gaza and I am thinking about the people whose entire families died in bombing,” he said.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservist, Atzmon, 26, was called up just hours after Hamas launched its brutal terror attack on Israel, murdering around 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 others.
Atzmon said he is the “left-wing guy” in his unit. Like tens of thousands of others, he had spent most of last spring and summer protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his plans to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. Netanyahu’s government is the most right-wing in Israel’s history, rejecting the idea of a Palestinian state and supporting Jewish settlements inside the West Bank.
Atzmon, meanwhile, wants Israel to work towards a two-state solution. “The Palestinian people will never stop fighting us until they have their own autonomy. And I think the end goal needs to be that,” he said.
His political views are sometimes difficult to square with the realities of being a soldier, fighting on behalf of a government he doesn’t support. He says he’s been grappling with this since he started forming his political opinions around the age of 15, anticipating his military service — something almost everyone in Israel must complete.
US strikes Iranian proxies as war rages in Gaza. Catch up on the latest here
From CNN staff
The United States will take "further action" after conducting major airstrikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias who have carried out attacks on US troops in the Middle East, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday.
Sullivan’s comments comes after the US adopted a “multi-tiered” response to the drone attack that killed three US service members and wounded more than 40 others last week.
The US destroyed or damaged 84 out of 85 targets in its sweeping series of airstrikes on Friday in Syria and Iraq, according to two US defense officials, with no indications of Iranian casualties.
Gaza toll: Israel is pressing on with its bombardment and ground operations in the Palestinian enclave, where local medical sources said dozens of people were killed in airstrikes in central and southern districts. At least 27,365 Palestinians have been killed and 66,630 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in the strip said Sunday.
Israel protests: For the third straight weekend, thousands of people took part in demonstrations in Israel to demand a change in government and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Some say the government's actions show "its citizens are not at the top of its mind,” asanger rises over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis.
US aid: US Senators unveiled a long-awaited border deal and foreign aid package with assistance for Israel, paving the way for a key vote in the chamber this week. According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the sweeping package includes roughly $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, and humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Biden claim: Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that US President Joe Biden is not giving Israel his "full backing" in its war against Hamas. Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and a member of Israel’s war cabinet, called his comments "irresponsible" and urged Netanyahu to “call (him) to order.”
Wider conflict: The Israel Defense Forces said it has attacked more than 3,400 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and more than 50 in Syria since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7. Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the aim is to stop Hezbollah's “supply chain of ammunition and missiles” being smuggled from Iran to Syria and then to Lebanon.
3 hr 16 min ago
US strikes Houthi anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles, Central Command says
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
The United States military struck Houthi anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles in Yemen Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, one day after joint US-UK strikes against the Iran-backed militant group.
US forces struck an anti-ship cruise missile prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea at approximately 4 a.m. Yemen time Sunday, CENTCOM said.
Ninety minutes later, US forces struck a Houthi land attack cruise missile. The rebel group has used these types of missiles to attempt to strike Israel, as the Houthis claim their operations are carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
At 10:30 a.m. Yemen time, US forces targeted four more anti-ship cruise missiles, saying they presented a threat to merchant vessels and US warships in the region.
More context: These strikes, which have become increasingly common as the US goes after Houthi weapons, come one day after a US-UK joint operation struck 36 different Houthi targets across 13 different sites in Yemen.
8 hr 21 min ago
US senators unveil package including billions in aid for Israel ahead of key vote
From CNN's Clare Foran, Lauren Fox, Ted Barrett, Priscilla Alvarez and Kristin Wilson
US Senators unveiled a long-awaited border deal and foreign aid package with assistance for Ukraine and Israel on Sunday, paving the way for a key vote in the chamber this week in which the legislation is at risk of failing and, if it does pass, setting up a clash with the House.
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the sweeping $118.2 billion legislative package includes roughly $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, as well as humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
It’s the product of months of bipartisan negotiations with a trio of senators — Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, one of the chamber’s most conservative Republicans. But former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have attacked the border deal as too weak, and their opposition threatens to derail the legislation.
If Congress is unable to pass the legislative package, senators will have to decide whether to try to pass aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan separately from border and immigration measures.
Johnson announced Saturday that the House will vote this week on a standalone bill providing aid for Israel. The Louisiana Republican called on the Senate to take up that bill swiftly, ratcheting up pressure on senators to abandon their efforts to keep Israel aid linked with other issues.
Jordan and Netherlands airdrop aid to northern Gaza hospital
From CNN’s Caroline Faraj, Mick Krever and Eyad Kourdi
The Royal Jordanian Air Force worked with the Dutch Air Force Sunday to successfully airdrop aid and medical supplies twice in the vicinity of the Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza, according to officials in both countries.
The drop included humanitarian and medical supplies, delivered using GPS-guided parachutes, according to a statement from the Jordanian Armed Forces Sunday.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed the successful humanitarian mission, and chef José Andrés, founder of the NGO World Central Kitchen, said he was also part of the effort.
In January, French and Jordanian air forces dropped 7 tons of urgent humanitarian and medical aid to another field hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis.
The US is attempting to deter attacks by the Iran-backed groups while avoiding a wider conflict. Sullivan said the Houthis' activities and the attack on US forces are "distinct but related challenges" that both point back to Iran.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says that hundreds of people who had been taking shelter at its headquarters in Khan Younis and the nearby Al-Amal hospital have begun to leave.
The aid group said on Monday: “This comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross informed the PRCS of the occupation's approval to provide a safe passage, allowing the displaced individuals to exit Al-Amal Hospital and the PRCS's headquarters towards the Mawasi area in Khan Younis.”
“Hundreds of displaced individuals have begun leaving the PRCS's headquarters and Al-Amal Hospital after being besieged for over two weeks,” it added.
At the same time, the PRCS said the Israeli military had taken the General Manager of Al-Amal Hospital, Dr. Haider Al-Qaddura, and the hospital's Administrative Director, Maher Atallah, “to an unknown location.” CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on whether the two officials have been detained.
Israeli soldiers drive a tank near the border with Gaza on February 4. Ariel Schalit/AP
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reiterated an evacuation order to Palestinian civilians west of Gaza City, in the north, and much of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the enclave to leave their neighborhoods for other areas.
The Israeli military urged people in eight neighborhoods west of Gaza City “to evacuate your areas immediately and move through Al-Rashid (Al-Bahr) Street towards the known shelters in Deir Al-Balah.”
It also called on people in five blocks west of Khan Younis to move “immediately to the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi via Al-Bahr Street.”
Meanwhile, the IDF ramped up its offensive in and around Khan Younis, as well as in north and central Gaza, where it said troops carried out "targeted raids on Hamas terrorist targets" and thwarted "a five-man terrorist cell." CNN cannot independently verify operational details reported by the IDF.
Remember: It is unclear how many people are aware of the orders, given the lack of internet and mobile service in much of Gaza. Thousands of people have not fled following previous such orders, for fear of being targeted while trying to flee or because they do not want to endure winter conditions without shelter.
CNN has previously reported on Palestinian civilians who followed evacuation orders being killed by Israeli strikes, underscoring the reality that nowhere is safe in Gaza.
Smoke rises over buildings in Khan Younis following Israeli bombardment on February 5. Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images
Palestinian civilians are "afraid" of Israel's military pressing into the southern city of Rafah, according to a relief worker, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expands its offensive into all parts of the territory.
“Everyone is afraid of the expanding of the ground operation in Rafah,” Raed Al-Nims, Media Director of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza, said on Monday.
It came after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said IDF ground troops would "soon reach" Rafah in the far south — where more than half of Gaza's entire population have been forcibly displaced since the start of the war.
In recent weeks, the IDF has ramped up its deadly assault on the southern city of Khan Younis, where local hospitals and a UN shelter came under fierce bombardment.
A “fighter jet struck a Hamas terrorist cell” which was “preparing to attack IDF troops in a nearby structure with explosives," the IDF said. In western Khan Younis, the IDF said that troops "killed dozens of terrorists who ambushed the troops throughout the city.”
“In a separate IDF activity directed by intelligence in Khan Younis, IDF troops conducted targeted raids on terrorist targets and located weapons including AK-47 rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and ammunition. The troops also killed 10 terrorists using close-range fire and aerial support."
CNN cannot independently verify operational details reported by the IDF.
A crowded street in Rafah, Gaza, on February 1. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
The director of the Hamas-run Government Media Office told CNN on Monday the expansion of the Israeli military's ground campaign into Rafah, in southern Gaza, would "cause a real disaster" inside the Palestinian enclave.
Israeli troops are not yet on the ground in the southern city bordering Egypt, Ismail Al-Thawabta said.
“Their entry into Rafah will cause a real disaster on top of the disasters to which the Gaza Strip is exposed."
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would head from Khan Younis into Rafah to "eliminate terror elements that threaten us."
More than half of those are trying to shelter in Rafah.
Al Thawabta, of the Government Media Office, said there were 1.3 million displaced people in Rafah.
Palestinians have been forced to flee to Rafah from northern areas since the early days of the war, after the IDF instructed people to move south as it advanced from the north.
CNN obtained video over the weekend showing the tent camp in the shadow of Gaza’s walled border with Egypt, underlining that there is nowhere further south in the strip for people to flee.
IDF Reservist Amos Shani Atzmon in Jerusalem on January 31, 2023, just days after returning from a deployment in Gaza. Ivana Kottasová/CNN
Amos Shani Atzmon says he doesn’t blame Palestinians in Gaza for hating Israel right now.
“They have really good reasons. When you see cities on fire and are getting bombed … I had one close friend killed in Gaza and I am thinking about the people whose entire families died in bombing,” he said.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservist, Atzmon, 26, was called up just hours after Hamas launched its brutal terror attack on Israel, murdering around 1,200 people and kidnapping 253 others.
Atzmon said he is the “left-wing guy” in his unit. Like tens of thousands of others, he had spent most of last spring and summer protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his plans to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. Netanyahu’s government is the most right-wing in Israel’s history, rejecting the idea of a Palestinian state and supporting Jewish settlements inside the West Bank.
Atzmon, meanwhile, wants Israel to work towards a two-state solution. “The Palestinian people will never stop fighting us until they have their own autonomy. And I think the end goal needs to be that,” he said.
His political views are sometimes difficult to square with the realities of being a soldier, fighting on behalf of a government he doesn’t support. He says he’s been grappling with this since he started forming his political opinions around the age of 15, anticipating his military service — something almost everyone in Israel must complete.
The United States will take "further action" after conducting major airstrikes over the weekend against Iran-backed militias who have carried out attacks on US troops in the Middle East, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday.
Sullivan’s comments comes after the US adopted a “multi-tiered” response to the drone attack that killed three US service members and wounded more than 40 others last week.
The US destroyed or damaged 84 out of 85 targets in its sweeping series of airstrikes on Friday in Syria and Iraq, according to two US defense officials, with no indications of Iranian casualties.
Gaza toll: Israel is pressing on with its bombardment and ground operations in the Palestinian enclave, where local medical sources said dozens of people were killed in airstrikes in central and southern districts. At least 27,365 Palestinians have been killed and 66,630 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in the strip said Sunday.
Israel protests: For the third straight weekend, thousands of people took part in demonstrations in Israel to demand a change in government and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Some say the government's actions show "its citizens are not at the top of its mind,” asanger rises over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage crisis.
US aid: US Senators unveiled a long-awaited border deal and foreign aid package with assistance for Israel, paving the way for a key vote in the chamber this week. According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the sweeping package includes roughly $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, and humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Biden claim: Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that US President Joe Biden is not giving Israel his "full backing" in its war against Hamas. Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and a member of Israel’s war cabinet, called his comments "irresponsible" and urged Netanyahu to “call (him) to order.”
Wider conflict: The Israel Defense Forces said it has attacked more than 3,400 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and more than 50 in Syria since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7. Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the aim is to stop Hezbollah's “supply chain of ammunition and missiles” being smuggled from Iran to Syria and then to Lebanon.
The United States military struck Houthi anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles in Yemen Sunday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, one day after joint US-UK strikes against the Iran-backed militant group.
US forces struck an anti-ship cruise missile prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea at approximately 4 a.m. Yemen time Sunday, CENTCOM said.
Ninety minutes later, US forces struck a Houthi land attack cruise missile. The rebel group has used these types of missiles to attempt to strike Israel, as the Houthis claim their operations are carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
At 10:30 a.m. Yemen time, US forces targeted four more anti-ship cruise missiles, saying they presented a threat to merchant vessels and US warships in the region.
More context: These strikes, which have become increasingly common as the US goes after Houthi weapons, come one day after a US-UK joint operation struck 36 different Houthi targets across 13 different sites in Yemen.
US Senators unveiled a long-awaited border deal and foreign aid package with assistance for Ukraine and Israel on Sunday, paving the way for a key vote in the chamber this week in which the legislation is at risk of failing and, if it does pass, setting up a clash with the House.
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the sweeping $118.2 billion legislative package includes roughly $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, as well as humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
It’s the product of months of bipartisan negotiations with a trio of senators — Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, one of the chamber’s most conservative Republicans. But former President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have attacked the border deal as too weak, and their opposition threatens to derail the legislation.
If Congress is unable to pass the legislative package, senators will have to decide whether to try to pass aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan separately from border and immigration measures.
Johnson announced Saturday that the House will vote this week on a standalone bill providing aid for Israel. The Louisiana Republican called on the Senate to take up that bill swiftly, ratcheting up pressure on senators to abandon their efforts to keep Israel aid linked with other issues.
The Royal Jordanian Air Force worked with the Dutch Air Force Sunday to successfully airdrop aid and medical supplies twice in the vicinity of the Jordanian field hospital in northern Gaza, according to officials in both countries.
The drop included humanitarian and medical supplies, delivered using GPS-guided parachutes, according to a statement from the Jordanian Armed Forces Sunday.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed the successful humanitarian mission, and chef José Andrés, founder of the NGO World Central Kitchen, said he was also part of the effort.
In January, French and Jordanian air forces dropped 7 tons of urgent humanitarian and medical aid to another field hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis.
