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L I V E U P DAT E S

Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on

Hamas
By Chris Lau, Catherine Nicholls, Antoinette Radford and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 2247 GMT (0647 HKT) April 7, 2024

What we're covering

▪ Israel says it has withdrawn its forces from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, but a
"significant" force remains elsewhere in the strip. The country's defense minister
said troops will regroup and prepare for new missions, including in Rafah.

▪ Sunday marks six months since the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed about
1,200 people. Israel's ensuing campaign in Gaza has left more than 33,000 dead
and triggered a dire humanitarian crisis.
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 ▪ US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act
immediately on allowing more aid into Gaza during a pointed phone call Thursday, a
source told CNN. But an Israeli oUcial said Sunday that the key step of reopening
the Erez land crossing has been delayed while oUcials sort out logistics.

▪ OUcials from Israel and Hamas said they would attend negotiations on a ceasefire
and hostage deal in Cairo on Sunday.

▪ Here's how to help humanitarian e3orts in Gaza and Israel.

All Catch Up

28 Posts SORT BY Latest

16 min ago

Israeli military says it's preparing to shift from defense to

offense on the border with Lebanon
From CNN's Ben Wedeman and Mia Alberti in Beirut
:
 The Israeli army uses white phosphorus to create a smoke screen in Lebanon, as seen from Israel’s border, on
March 4. Ayal Margolin/Reuters

The Israeli military said Sunday it is "preparing to move from defence to attack"
regarding operations on the northern border with Lebanon.

The Israel Defense Forces and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been
exchanging increased fire since the day after Hamas launched the October 7 attacks
in Israel, with casualties reported on both sides. It is one of multiple ongoing conflicts
between Israel and Iranian proxy groups.

"During the last days, another phase of the Northern Command’s preparations for the
war was completed, which revolved around raising the capabilities of emergency
operational depots for the purpose of large-scale recruitment of IDF forces when
necessary ... and their arrival to the front line within a short period with all the
:
 necessary equipment for combat," the IDF said in a statement.

The IDF said commanders of regular and reserve units are now ready to be deployed
"within just a few hours."

The statement was released in both English and Arabic, with the statement in Arabic
using slightly dicerent language. The English-language version does not carry the
phrase "preparing to move from defence to attack" and instead highlights the Israeli
military's "readiness for the transition from defense to ocense."

15 min ago

Doctors operate on children from the floor of northern

Gaza hospital, while others starve in "dire" conditions
From journalist Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah in Gaza and CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem

A group of American doctors who spent over a week working in hospitals in northern
Gaza describe "miserable," "catastrophic" and "dire" conditions to CNN, as more
people die of starvation in the enclave.

The doctors volunteered through a World Heath Organization-coordinated mission to

the north of Gaza — where little to no aid is reaching hospitals, and spent most of their
time at the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

"The situation here is dire … they’re running on solar power, there’s no fuel to run
the electricity in the hospital … patients are lying on the floors in their blood because
there’s no beds available,” Dr. Farhan Abdelaziz, an emergency medicine physician
said. "The humanitarian crisis here is beyond what words can really convey."

Video filmed by a CNN stringer in Kamal Adwan Hospital shows the doctors operating
on screaming patients on the floor, most of whom are children. Abdelaziz is seen trying
to calm down a nine-year-old girl crying out in pain, caressing her hand, telling her to
pray to God.
:
 Another doctor said the hospital received "mass casualties" every day — ranging from
10 to 20 people showing up all at once.

"This morning we woke up and found out that four patients died in the ICU. One of
them was about 10 years old, and the mom refused to leave the child’s bedside,
refused to believe that the child was dead, refused to let the stac cover her up ...
She just couldn’t believe her child was dead,” Dr. Samer Attar, an orthopedic
surgeon, told CNN. The child died of malnutrition and dehydration, he said.

At least 30 Palestinians have died of malnutrition in Gaza, including over 20 children,

according to the enclave's Ministry of Health.

"These people, they just need help. They just want this to stop. … Nobody discusses
politics here. They just talk about food and water and shelter, and they just want the
war the end," Attar said.

16 min ago

Negotiations over Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal

continue in Cairo, Egyptian state media reports
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq, Kareem Khadder and Mia Alberti

Negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, in an
indirect fashion and under Egyptian mediation, continued in Cairo on Sunday, Egypt's
state-run media Al-Qahera News reported Sunday, citing a senior source.

"The proposed truce includes a detainee exchange deal and mechanisms for the
return of the displaced in the Gaza Strip," the news agency said in a post on X.

Hamas said in a statement as its delegation arrived Sunday that it is keen to reach an
agreement that would see a "complete cessation of aggression."

The group also reiterated its demands, including a withdrawal of Israeli troops from
:
 Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, reconstruction of the
damage in Gaza from Israel's military, and a "completion of a prisoner exchange deal"
involving a mutual release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages held
in Gaza.

Israel has repeatedly called Hamas' demands "delusional."

This weekend's talks come six months into the conflict, and as the Israeli military
withdrew troops from the southern city of Khan Younis on Sunday, saying they will
regroup and prepare for further missions in the strip.

2 hr 57 min ago

Israeli military says it's "far from stopping" operations in

Gaza as troops withdraw from Khan Younis
From Tamar Michaelis

The Israel Defense Forces is "far from stopping" military operations in the Gaza Strip,
its chief of stac, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said at a news conference Sunday.

"We will not leave any Hamas brigades active, in any part of the Gaza Strip. We have
plans and will act when we decide," he said, adding that the military's goals in Gaza
have not been fully achieved, including the return of all hostages, the return of
displaced residents to the north, and the dismantling of Hamas throughout the
enclave.

In response to a question about the military's withdrawal of ground forces from Khan
Younis in southern Gaza, Halevi claimed Hamas' military wing had been diminished to
operating as "small terrorist cells."

He reiterated that the IDF has not left the Gaza Strip and that there are "many troops
at this very hour" in the strip.

The country's defense minister made similar remarks earlier Sunday, saying the
:
 withdrawing troops will regroup and then prepare for new missions, including in Rafah.

5 hr 11 min ago

Israeli troops leaving Gaza will prepare for "follow-up

missions," including in Rafah, defense minister says
From Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem and Lauren Kent in London

Some Israeli troops are leaving Gaza to prepare for follow-up missions, including in the
southernmost Rafah region, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday.

"We are reaching a situation where Hamas does not control the Gaza Strip and that
it does not function as a military framework that poses a risk to the citizens of the
State of Israel," Gallant added, in remarks during a visit to assess the Israel Defense
Forces' Southern Command.

Earlier Sunday, the IDF said its 98th division had "concluded its mission" in the
southern city of Khan Younis and was leaving the Gaza Strip to "recuperate and
prepare for future operations."

The defense minister said Israeli forces had destroyed "enemy targets, warehouses,
weapons, underground (infrastructure), headquarters (and) communication rooms" in
Khan Younis.

Remember: An Israeli invasion of Rafah has been anticipated with grave concern from
the United Nations and international aid organizations, as more than 1 million civilians
are packed into the Gazan city with nowhere left to run.

4 hr 46 min ago

World Central Kitchen head criticizes Israeli inquiry into

"unforgivable" strikes that killed aid workers
:
 From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris

The vehicle where employees from the World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli airstrike is seen in Deir al-
Balah, Gaza, on April 2. Ahmed Zakot/Reuters

The Israeli strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers in Gaza are
“unforgivable,” the organization's founder, José Andrés, said as he criticized the Israel
Defense Forces inquiry into the killings.

Andrés called for an independent investigation and better evidence from the IDF in an
interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz that aired Sunday, adding that Israel cannot
properly investigate itself.

What Israel has said: In a report published Friday, the IDF said the strike was a "grave
mistake" and that troops thought they were attacking Hamas gunmen when drone
:
 strikes targeted three vehicles of the WCK late Monday night.

More from Andrés: The aid group founder doubts Israel's claim that it failed to identify
the vehicles because it was dark out. Andrés said WCK vehicles are white with a
colorful logo painted above, and that Israel’s high-tech drones should have no issue
identifying them.

The IDF had said that because the strikes happened at night, the surveillance drones
could not see the WCK logo on the vehicles, and that it is considering distributing
thermal stickers for aid vehicles to prevent this happening again.

“This doesn’t seem (like) a war against terror. This doesn’t seem anymore a war
about defending Israel. This, really at this point, seems (like) a war against humanity
itself,” Andrés said.

He also urged the US to put out concrete measures to ensure Israel avoids killing
civilians and aid workers — instead of just giving warnings. “There should already be
consequences,” he said, commenting on the latest White House warning for Israel to
do better at protecting civilians.

6 hr 3 min ago

Israeli troops withdraw from Khan Younis, 6 months into

the conflict. Catch up on the latest
From CNN staff
:
 A man stands among damaged and destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, Gaza, on April 7. Mohammed
Abed/AFP/Getty Images

The Israeli military said Sunday it is withdrawing its troops from the southern city of
Khan Younis.

They are now stationed on the border of Gaza and Israel. The withdrawal — which
comes on the six-month anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks — could have an
impact on the ceasefire talks scheduled in Cairo on Sunday, with both an Israeli and a
Hamas delegation due to attend.

It’s unclear what the movement means for the Israeli military’s planned operation in
Rafah, but the withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis doesn’t detract from the size of
Israel’s forces that remain inside Gaza. There are still significant forces operating in the
north of the enclave. A White House oUcial said the withdrawal is primarily so troops
:
 can “rest and refit,” and not necessarily a signal of any future operation.

Israeli public broadcaster and CNN aUliate Channel 11 reported that the remaining
forces would be located along the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which splits the Gaza
Strip in two.

Here are the latest developments:

▪ Death toll in Gaza: The death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7 has risen to at
least 33,175, the Ministry of Health in the enclave reported Sunday. The ministry
added that 75,886 people have been injured in that timeframe. CNN cannot
independently verify these numbers.

▪ Aid plans: Initial plans for humanitarian goods to enter Gaza on Sunday via the Erez
crossing for the first time since October 7 have been delayed, an Israeli oUcial tells
CNN. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has deployed a Navy ship to boost aid into
Gaza, as it joins international ecorts to set up a new maritime corridor from Cyprus,
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement Saturday.

▪ Israel targeting Hezbollah: The Israel Defense Forces said it struck a Hezbollah
military compound as well as a command center in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
The military said in a statement that it is "preparing to move from defence to attack"
regarding operations on its northern border, where it has engaged in intensified
skirmishes with Hezbollah, one of Iran's proxies, since the outbreak of war in Gaza.

▪ Fallout from Iranian embassy strike: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said
Sunday that the US is prepared to “respond swiftly if necessary” against any attacks
by Iran or its proxies. The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant”
attack that could come as soon as this week by Iran targeting Israeli or American
assets in the Middle East, in response to Israel’s strike in Damascus that killed top
Iranian commanders, a senior administration oUcial told CNN.

▪ UK support for Israel: The United Kingdom's backing for Israel is "not
unconditional," the British foreign secretary said in an op-ed published in the Sunday
Times. Cameron said Israel "must abide" by humanitarian laws in Gaza, adding that
Hamas is the "barrier to ending" the brutal conflict.
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 ▪ Treatment of detained Palestinians: A doctor at a field hospital for detained
Palestinians at an Israeli army base has described "deplorable conditions" and
"routine" amputations due to handcuc injuries, according to an exclusive report from
the newspaper Haaretz.

▪ Anti-government protests in Israel: Protesters once again took to the streets of Tel
Aviv, Caesarea and Haifa on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and early elections.

6 hr 49 min ago

Plans for aid to move through Erez crossing are delayed,

Israeli official tells CNN
From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond in Jerusalem

Initial plans for humanitarian goods to begin flowing into Gaza on Sunday via the Erez
crossing have been delayed, an Israeli oUcial tells CNN.

OUcials are still making logistical preparations to ensure the checkpoint can
accommodate truckloads of aid.

A CNN team reporting along the border between Israel and northern Gaza heard
gunfire and explosions from an area near the crossing Saturday.

A spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli military agency charged with coordinating
humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, said it will announce the crossing’s opening
"once a date is set."

Some context: On Thursday, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing for
the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks, a decision that came soon after US
President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to
allow in aid.
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 7 hr 22 min ago

US says Israel's withdrawal from Khan Younis is likely so

its troops can "rest and recover"
From CNN's Antoinette Radford

Men walk past a destroyed building in Khan Younis, Gaza, on April 7. Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images

Israel's partial withdrawal from the southern Gaza Strip is likely so its troops can "rest
and refit," rather than a move towards a new operation, the White House said Sunday.

But National Security spokesperson John Kirby stressed it was “hard to know exactly
what that tells us right now,” on ABC’s "This Week."

Kirby added, “the word is they’re [Israeli troops] getting tired” after four months of
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 fighting in Gaza.

Israel announced it would withdraw troops from Khan Younis came ahead of an
announcement that it would attend ceasefire talks in Cairo.

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