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Hours after the call, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing into Gaza, closed since the October 7 Hamas attacks, as well as the Port of Ashdod to allow more aid into the enclave, an Israeli official told CNN. The White House defended a recent transfer of more than 2,000 bombs to Israel despite US concerns over the country’s conduct in Gaza. The transfer authorization occurred before the Israeli strike that killed the aid workers, a State Department spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has been using artificial intelligence to help identify bombing targets in Gaza, an investigation has found. Here’s how to help humanitarian efforts in Gaza and Israel. 5:46 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 3:52 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 First lady privately expressed Gaza concerns to Biden, president tells meeting with Muslim leaders From CNN's Betsy Klein, MJ Lee and Arlette Saenz When US President Joe Biden met with a group of Muslim community leaders this week, he recounted a recent conversation he had with First Lady Jill Biden relating to the conflict in Gaza, two participants have told CNN. One of the attendees told the president that the decision to take part in the gathering had been a cause of concern for his wife, given the fierce backlash Joe Biden has drawn for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, according to two people present at the meeting. Those attendees tell CNN that Biden brought up his own wife and closest confidant. “It’s got to stop,” he recounted the first lady had said to him recently, according to the recollection of Nahreen Ahmed, who was in the room. Another participant, who declined to be named, told CNN they remembered the president saying that the first lady had used these words: “Stop it. Stop it now.” While that attendee said they believed the suggestion was that the first lady was calling for the war to end, Ahmed said it was unclear to her whether the first lady’s comment was directed at the Israel-Hamas war at large, or the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza. Asked about the president’s remarks, a White House official said there is “no daylight” between the couple on the issue, with both sharing outrage over civilian deaths. The official added that Jill Biden was not calling for Israel to end its efforts against Hamas. The New York Times first reported on the president’s comments referencing the first lady. Read more on this story here. 3:32 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 US House speaker rips Biden over warning to Israel From CNN's Manu Raju US House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized President Joe Biden following Biden’s warning to Israel to take steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or face consequences. “The president’s ultimatums should be going to Hamas, not Israel,” Johnson said in a post on X. “Hamas resisted a ceasefire, brought about needless bloodshed, and refuses to release Israeli and American hostages. Biden should not undercut our ally amidst an existential threat by conditioning our support,” he continued. 3:06 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 UN says Erez crossing reopening is positive news but that Gaza needs a "massive influx of aid" From CNN's Caitlin Hu The United Nations on Thursday welcomed news that Israel had agreed to reopen the Erez crossing into Gaza to allow more aid to enter the besieged enclave. 1:13 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 White House welcomes Israel's decision to open aid routes into Gaza From CNN's Nikki Carvajal The White House welcomed Israel’s decision to open new entry points for aid to enter Gaza on Thursday, saying the move came “at the president’s request following his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu.” The White House also reiterated that US policy in Gaza could change based on Israel’s “immediate” actions. Watson reiterated that US policy “will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers.” “We are prepared to work in full coordination with the Government of Israel, the Governments of Jordan and Egypt, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations, to ensure that these important steps are implemented and result in a significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks,” she wrote. 2:20 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 Netanyahu told Biden that deaths of World Central Kitchen workers were Israel's fault, US official says From CNN's MJ Lee In his phone call with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to his US counterpart that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were to blame for the deaths of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers this week – and assured Biden that his government planned to announce measures to prevent such a mistake from happening again, according to a senior administration official. Netanyahu told Biden on Thursday that Israel was set on improving the tracking of non-profit workers inside Gaza and the US president affirmed that such steps were necessary, according to the official. The White House has previously said that the two leaders did not go into details of the investigation into the incident that killed the workers, including a dual American-Canadian citizen, which has drawn wide condemnation and angered the White House. 12:35 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 Biden avoided specifics on potential changes to US policy in call with Netanyahu, senior official says From CNN's Kayla Tausche In a half-hour call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden did not lay out the specifics of how he would consider shifting US policy if Israel doesn’t make changes in its handling of the war in Gaza, according to a senior administration official. He instead spoke in the same broad strokes reflected in the White House readout of the call that concrete changes needed to be made, according to the official. Netanyahu pledged during the call that Israel will soon announce new openings of humanitarian crossings, as well as procedural changes to limit civilian harm, according to the official. Hours later, an Israeli official told CNN that the security cabinet has approved the reopening of the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip. While there were moments of disagreement between Biden and Netanyahu on the call — typical among the two leaders who have known each other for decades — there was no “sparring,” the official said, describing the conversation as “direct.” There is no follow-up call currently planned between the two leaders, the official says. 12:55 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 Israeli cabinet approves reopening of Erez crossing and use of Ashdod port for aid into Gaza, official says From CNN's Jeremy Diamond and Nikki Carvajal The Israeli security cabinet on Thursday approved the reopening of the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks, an Israeli official told CNN. The reopening is to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, the official said. The cabinet also approved using the Israeli Port of Ashdod to help transfer more aid to the enclave. Land crossings into Gaza, through which the bulk of vital aid has traditionally entered the territory, remain heavily restricted by Israel. Aid agencies have accused Israel of throttling the entry of relief into the war-ravaged territory, though Israel has said it has “no limit” on the amount of relief that can enter. Before the war started, Israel restricted all access to and from Gaza by sea and air, and kept land crossings under tight control. It had two functional crossings with the enclave: Erez, which was for the movement of people, and Kerem Shalom, for goods. Gaza also has one crossing with Egypt, at Rafah, which is run by Egyptian authorities. While Israel has no direct control over this crossing, it monitors all activity in southern Gaza. Reaction: The opening of the crossing would be “welcome news” and “certainly in keeping” with what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Joe Biden on Thursday, White House national security adviser John Kirby told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Kirby said he hadn’t seen the new reporting, “but if it’s true that certainly in keeping with what we heard from the prime minister today in terms of announcements they would be making in coming hours and days about opening up crossings, making it more accessible for humanitarian aid organizations to get food, water, medicine, and fuel into the people of Gaza.” This post has been updated with comments from John Kirby. 11:44 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Biden posts photo of call with Netanyahu From CNN's Nikki Carvajal US President Joe Biden posted on social media about his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday, including a picture of him on the call. Biden wrote on X that Israel, “must implement steps to address civilian harm and the safety of workers – and work toward a ceasefire to bring hostages home.” 9:57 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 US military conducts another aid drop into northern Gaza, Central Command says From CNN's Haley Britzky The US military conducted an aid drop of more than 50,000 meal equivalents into northern Gaza on Thursday, US Central Command said in a post on X Roughly 20 bundles landed in the sea near the shoreline, CENTCOM said, adding it did not assess any civilian harm or infrastructure damage as a result. “The joint operation included four C-130 US Air Force aircraft, and US Army soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of US humanitarian assistance supplies,” CENTCOM said. “The US C-130s dropped over 50, 680 US meal equivalents into Northern Gaza, an area of great need, allowing for civilian access to the critical aid.” More: The United States has joined several other countries in airdropping aid into Gaza, which is grappling with a humanitarian crisis. With aid deliveries on land falling far short of the numbers needed to ward off famine, it is hoped the airdrops will provide a lifeline to people in Gaza. But the UN and aid agencies have questioned how effective they will be at alleviating the situation, and their risks have been stark as when civilians were killed during an airdrop. 9:37 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 US demands more effort by Israel to protect civilians in Gaza. Here's the latest on the war From CNN staff US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Thursday that the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza and deaths of aid workers due to Israeli strikes are “unacceptable.” Biden warned Israel to take steps to address the crisis or face consequences. It marked the first call between the two leaders since an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also warned Israel that if more is not done to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza, then the US could implement its own policy changes. Here are the latest headlines: Israeli military investigation: The Israel Defense Forces has concluded its initial investigation into the strikes on the WCK convoy, an Israeli official said, and the IDF has begun briefing relevant parties ahead of its release on Friday. US weapon sales to Israel: Biden is set to green-light an $18 billion sale of fighter jets from the United States and Israel and the administration recently authorized the transfer to Israel of over 1,000 500-pound bombs and over 1,000 small-diameter bombs, according to three people familiar with the matter. A White House official defended the arms sale and transfers as the product of yearslong processes. More Israeli strikes in Gaza: An Israeli airstrike hit a residential block in the Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others, according to hospital officials. In a separate airstrike, a heavily pregnant woman and her two young daughters were killed in the Al-Janina neighborhood in Rafah, according to the woman’s father. And in Beit Hanoun, at least four Palestinians were killed after Israeli artillery fire targeted an area near a school sheltering displaced civilians, according to Kamal Adwan Hospital paramedics. Future of aid work in Gaza: Humanitarian aid organizations continue attempts to get aid to Gaza but acknowledge that they are often forced to suspend day-to-day missions because of the security situation. The question of staff safety has been paramount as many aid workers have been killed since the war began. But the Israeli airstrikes that killed aid workers this week have heightened the focus on the dangers faced by nonprofits. 3:28 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024 A journalist's report alleged that Israel is using AI tools in its war in Gaza: "It’s completely dehumanizing" From CNN’s Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem Journalist Yuval Abraham produced an investigation by +972 Magazine into the Israeli military’s alleged use of artificial intelligence to help identify bombing targets in Gaza. The AI-based tool called “Lavender” collects information on “almost everybody” in the Gaza Strip, Abraham said, adding that one source told him it’s nearly 90%. The machine is then meant to identify how probable it is that the targeted individuals are connected to Hamas or Islamic Jihad military wings. “This AI-based warfare, I think it’s completely dehumanizing. I think it allows militaries to bomb and maintain this aesthetics of international law, when in fact it’s not abiding by international law,” he said Thursday. In the first few weeks of the war, his sources said they were not forced to apply “any thorough supervision over the results,” Abraham told CNN. “One source told me he would spend roughly 20 seconds before authorizing each target, and the only supervision he needed to do was check if the targets the machine marked was a male or a female.” Abraham noted that the machine would sometimes mark individuals with either a loose connection to Hamas or none at all. The forces received “sweeping predetermined authorization” to kill between 15 and 20 Palestinian civilians per junior Hamas targets, he added. The Israel Defense Forces has repeatedly said it does not use AI for “designating persons as targets.” When asked about the +972 Magazine’s report, the IDF did not dispute the existence of the tool but denied AI was being used to identify suspected terrorists. 10:21 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Israeli airstrike hits a refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 2, Palestinian health officials say From Mohammad Al-Sawalhi in Gaza and CNN’s Abeer Salman and Zeena SaifI in Jerusalem An Israeli airstrike hit a residential block in Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital. Video of the aftermath shot for CNN shows heavy destruction, with debris and rubble from destroyed buildings strewn along the road. At least one building has been entirely flattened, and four others have had their facades torn clean off. Smashed parts of the buildings, such as wooden doors and metal window frames have been ripped apart and can be seen strewn among the rubble. Residents including dozens of children are shown in the footage sifting through the debris of the destroyed buildings. One Palestinian man can be heard questioning why Israeli forces struck the area, saying everyone who lived there were civilians, not militants. Inside one of the destroyed homes, blankets, clothes and toys are laid out in front of three children, two boys and one little girl who are looking for their belongings. Israel’s response: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided CNN with a generic statement they have often used throughout the war in Gaza without directly addressing the reason for Thursday’s attack. “In response to Hamas’ barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities,” it said. “In stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.” 8:26 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Israeli military jams GPS services in Israel to neutralize security threats, spokesperson says From CNN’s Caitlin Danaher The Israeli military proactively activated GPS jamming inside Israel on Thursday “to neutralize threats,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the disruption to GPS services had already helped “neutralize some of the threats,” but urged people to remain “vigilant and responsible.” Israel entered a state of high alert on Thursday, braced for a potential retaliatory attack after its suspected killing of Iranian generals in Damascus earlier in the week. The IDF signaled it had stiffened its military preparedness by temporarily suspending leave for its combat units. Israel said it would respond forcefully to any Iranian attack over the coming days. 8:07 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 White House defends arms transfer to Israel From CNN's Nikki Carvajal The White House defended a recent transfer of more than 2,000 bombs to Israel despite US concerns over its conduct in the war in Gaza. Kirby said that it’s important to remember that Israel still faces a lot of threats. “I mean, we’re all focused on Hamas, and I understand that, but they still face active threats throughout the region, including from Iran, and the United States still has an ironclad commitment to help Israel with its self-defense.” He added that much of the recently reported sales were “not tied to this conflict.” As CNN previously reported, the transfer authorization for the MK82 bombs and small-diameter bombs occurred before an Israeli strike on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza on Monday that killed seven employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen, a State Department spokesperson said. But news of the approval comes as Israel is facing fresh international condemnation over the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Tuesday that the aid workers had been “unintentionally” targeted. Kirby’s defense came after a call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where the White House implied US policy toward Israel could change depending on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 7:42 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Israeli airstrike in Rafah killed heavily pregnant woman and 2 young children, family member says From journalist Tareq al-Helou in Rafah and CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem An Israeli airstrike targeting the Al-Janina neighborhood in Rafah killed a heavily pregnant woman and her two young daughters, according to the woman’s father, Akram Al-Khairi. The family was sleeping when a missile fell on their home, Al-Kahiri told CNN. Here’s what he said happened: His daughter, who was 8 months pregnant, was killed. His two granddaughters — aged 1 and 2 — were killed His son-in-law and his 4-year-old granddaughter survived with minor injuries There was a fourth person killed, who was a young man from the neighborhood, Al-Khairi added. Video filmed by a CNN stringer on the ground shows the bodies at Abu Yousuf al-Najjar hospital, with members of the community standing around them. The father can be seen crying over the bodies of his wife and two young daughters, with a bandage covering his eye. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment. 7:37 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Humanitarian organizations say they are forced to decide the future of aid to Gaza on a day-to-day basis From CNN's Aditi Sangal Humanitarian aid organizations continue attempts to get aid to Gaza but acknowledge that they are often forced to suspend day-to-day missions because of the security situation. Oxfam: “Every day we are forced to decide whether to suspend an operation or to proceed with an operation. And often, the decision is to suspend because we don’t have the proper security conditions in place. This is not an all-or-nothing proposition,” said Scott Paul, associate director for peace and security. The question of staff safety has been paramount as many aid workers have been killed since the war began. But the Israeli airstrikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen staffers this week have heightened the focus on the dangers faced by the nonprofits. Médicines Sans Frontièrs: President Isabelle Defourny said the organization is confronted by the fact that it’s reached its limit in the current circumstances. “The conditions today to deliver humanitarian assistance and to do something meaningful … they are not there,” she told CNN during a briefing on Thursday. While MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, will never stop working in Gaza, Defourny said the capacity to help is a “continuous question and discussion.” Save the Children: Karyn Beattie, who is currently in Gaza, said the situation is ever-evolving. 7:54 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Blinken: If US doesn't see changes to protect civilians in Gaza, "there'll be changes in our own policy" From CNN's Jennifer Hansler If the United States does not see changes in Israel’s policies to protect civilians in Gaza, “there’ll be changes in our own policy,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. “This week’s horrific attack on the World Central Kitchen was not the first such incident. It must be the last,” Blinken said at a news conference in Brussels. The secretary of state said he was “outraged” by the deaths of the seven WCK staffers. “I strongly condemn it.” He also described the repeated push on the Israeli government to do more to mitigate civilian harm. The post was updated with Blinken’s condemnation of the attack on WCK staffers. 8:10 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 In Netanyahu call, Biden said humanitarian situation in Gaza and deaths of aid workers are "unacceptable" From CNN's Nikki Carvajal US President Joe Biden called the deaths of humanitarian workers caused by Israeli strikes and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza “unacceptable” during his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the White House said in a readout shortly after the conversation wrapped. “He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps,” the White House added. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the two leaders did not discuss Israel’s investigation into the strike in detail. Kirby said that Netanyahu expressed that “he would take appropriate actions to make sure something like that couldn’t happen again” once that investigation concluded. Biden also “underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential,” the readout said, adding that the president urgent Netanyahu to “empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.” The leaders also discussed Iran’s threats against Israel and Biden assured US support for Israel in the face of those threats, according to the White House. This post has been updated with comments from John Kirby. 7:14 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Civilians killed by Israeli artillery while scavenging for food in Beit Hanoun, paramedics say From journalist Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah and CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem At least four Palestinians, including one paramedic, were killed after Israeli artillery fire targeted an area near a school sheltering displaced civilians in the northeastern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun on Thursday, according to Kamal Adwan Hospital paramedics. An ambulance driver for the hospital, Abdallah Hemaid, told CNN that some civilians were scavenging in a field for plants or vegetation they could eat when Israeli artillery fire targeted the area. Hemaid said when the initial attack took place, nearby civilians rushed over to try to help the injured. But then another round of artillery fire killed three people and injured several children, all from the same family, he said. Two ambulances with four paramedics from the Kamal Adwan Hospital headed to the area when a third round of artillery fire erupted, killing one of the paramedics and critically injuring three others, he added. Graphic video obtained by CNN showed the critically injured paramedics arriving at the hospital, blood splattered on their faces and body. Dead bodies can also be seen wrapped in white cloth on the floor, with civilians and paramedics hovering around them crying. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. 6:39 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 IDF concluded its initial investigation into strikes that killed aid workers, Israeli official says From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond and Vasco Cotovio in Jerusalem The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has concluded its initial investigation into the deadly strikes on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy, an Israeli official told CNN. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were set to be briefed on the findings on Thursday, the official added. The IDF said that it’s planning to publish the details of the preliminary investigation imminently. 6:31 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Biden and Netanyahu call has ended, US official says From CNN's Kayla Tausche and MJ Lee A call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded, a US official said. It marked their first conversation since the deadly Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen in Gaza. More about the call: The call was arranged after the deaths of the aid workers, per a source familiar. CNN reported Wednesday that in the aftermath of those deaths, Biden was “angry” and “increasingly frustrated” – and fully prepared to make all of that known to Netanyahu in their conversation, according to a senior administration official. White House officials have emphasized in the wake of the aid workers’ deaths that the US’ stance in supporting Israel’s current military operation remains unchanged. There has simply been no “shift in policy,” the senior administration official said. “What there has been is a shift in the president’s frustrations.” Biden is also expected to discuss with Netanyahu a number of other issues in addition to the need to better protect humanitarian aid workers in Gaza. 5:58 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 How one dentist treats Palestinians out of a tent clinic in central Gaza From CNN’s Mohammad Al Sawalhi, Abeer Salman, Zeena Saifi and Sana Noor Haq Najdat Mohammed Saqer greets his patient with a warm smile. Palestinian flags decorate his makeshift clinic inside a tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, which is held down by cement blocks and neatly laden with medical equipment. The Gazan health worker told CNN he was forced to shut down his dental center in Nuseirat refugee camp, after Israel’s bombardment damaged the area in northern Gaza and forced locals to flee. Saqer returned to the site of his old clinic to gather whatever was left of his equipment. These days, he provides dental services to displaced Palestinians for patients in the backyard of his home in central Gaza. Israel’s siege has drastically diminished water and electricity supplies. Saqer must rely on limited solar energy. “We were born on a struggling land, and we will never surrender. We will rebuild it, in God’s will.” 5:18 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Parents of slain American-Canadian aid worker say neither government has provided further details on death From CNN's Sam Fossum The parents of dual American-Canadian citizen and World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid worker Jacob Flickinger told “CBS Mornings” that after receiving a call earlier this week from the embassy they have not heard from the United States or Canadian governments about the circumstances around his death. His mother, Sylvie Labrecque, is Canadian and his father, John Flickinger, is American. “We haven’t been told anything by the United States government or the Canadian government. All we know is what we’ve read and seen on the media,” said John Flickinger, Jacob’s father. He added later: “Someone from the embassy in Jerusalem called the day that Jacob was killed. I haven’t heard from anyone since.” “He was hesitant to go. He’s a new father,” Flickinger said. “But he felt the need.” The US State Department said Wednesday that they have reached out to Jacob Flickinger’s family to offer condolences and assistance. 4:17 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 IDF hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after cross-border rocket fire From CNN's Amy Cassidy, Charbel Mallo and Benjamin Brown The Israeli military struck targets in southern Lebanon on Thursday following “several” cross-border attacks from Hezbollah, the Israel Defense Forces said. In a statement, Hezbollah said they struck the headquarters of the IDF’s Liman Battalion with artillery shells at 1:45 p.m. local time (6.45 a.m. ET) on Thursday. 3:45 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Democratic US senator and close Biden ally says he is open to supporting conditions on aid for Israel From CNN's Morgan Rimmer Democratic US Sen. Chris Coons, a close ally of President Joe Biden, told CNN Thursday that for the first time he is open to applying conditions to aid for Israel, after an Israeli military strike killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in Gaza earlier this week. Coons, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noted, “I’ve never said that before. I’ve never been here before.” He noted that the US needs to make clear to the people of Israel “that we want to and will continue to have a strong and close relationship with Israel,” but Netanyahu’s tactics do not reflect “the best values of Israel or the United States.” Coons’ comments come as Biden is expected to speak to Netanyahu Thursday and express his frustration over the death of the aid workers. 3:35 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Pregnant women in Gaza discharged just hours after giving birth as health care system suffers, MSF doctor says From CNN's Aditi Sangal Some pregnant women in Gaza are discharged one or two hours after delivering their babies and essentially as soon as they can walk after a C-section, said Dr. Amber Alayyan with Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF). In a briefing Thursday, MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, highlighted the destruction of the women’s health care system in Gaza since Israel started bombarding the strip. There’s only one hospital available for women to give birth, compared to the many hospitals that were available to them before the war began, said Alayyan, the group’s deputy program manager for the Middle East whose team coordinates activities in Gaza. Malnutrition and lack of access to clean water are exacerbating the conditions for these vulnerable women and children, Alayyan added, explaining that many women are not nourished enough to produce breast milk, which puts their babies at risk of malnutrition, too. Formula is also in short supply. “In order to use formula you need to have clean water, and none of these things are possible in Gaza right now,” Alayyan said. 3:47 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Findings of Israeli investigation into deadly strike on food aid workers expected "in coming weeks" From CNN's Benjamin Brown in London The findings of an Israeli investigation into the deadly strike on seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers are expected “in the coming weeks,” according to the Israeli government. The Israeli military on Tuesday said it was investigating the attack on the WCK aid workers “at the highest levels.” The military has apologized, saying it was a “mistake.” WCK has called for “an independent, third-party investigation” of the strikes and asked the governments of the killed workers to join them in demanding the probe. The seven aid workers were from Australia, Canada, the US, Poland, the UK and Gaza. 3:35 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Israeli military says citizens do not need to buy generators or store food after Iran vows retaliation From CNN's Ami Kaufman in London An Israeli military spokesperson on Thursday addressed concerns among the country’s citizens after Iran accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria and vowed to retaliate. The Israeli military temporarily suspended leave for its combat units on Thursday, a day after announcing it would increase recruitment and call up air defense reserves. 3:18 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Palestinian killed during Israeli military incursion in Jenin, health officials say From CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem and Benjamin Brown in London A 28-year-old Palestinian man was killed and a 13-year-old girl was injured in an Israeli military incursion in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday, according to Palestinian officials. The Israeli military claimed the man killed by the Israeli border guard was a “wanted person” who tried to flee arrest. The Palestinian man, Asa’ad Issam Qaniri, was shot and killed by Israeli special forces who raided a neighborhood in the area early Thursday morning, according to Izz Eddeine Bikawi, the head of Ya’bad Municipality ambulance service, just west of Jenin. Bikawi said after the Israeli military withdrew just after 7 a.m. local time in Jenin on Thursday, the ambulance services reached Qaniri and found eight bullets in his chest and abdomen. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it held a “divisional operation to counter terrorism in Jenin,” killing a “wanted person,” arresting two other people and confiscating weapons in the area. The IDF said its forces arrested “20 wanted people” throughout the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, noting that approximately 3,700 others have been arrested since the beginning of the war in Gaza. Videos obtained by CNN show a heavy military presence in the city, with several military vehicles and armored bulldozers ripping up the streets Wednesday into Thursday morning. An exchange of gunfire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants can be heard and what appears to be an explosive device going off near a military bulldozer. The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society services in Jenin, Mahmoud Sa’adi, told CNN the Israeli military destroyed and plowed many streets with bulldozers, “rendering them inoperable.” 3:48 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Israel owes compensation to family of aid worker killed in Gaza, Polish president says From CNN's Louis Mian in London Israel owes compensation to the family of a Polish World Central Kitchen aid worker killed in an IDF strike in Gaza Monday, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has said. Damian Soból aged 35, from the town of Przemysl in southeastern Poland, was one of seven aid workers killed in the attack. In addition, Duda accused the Israeli ambassador to Poland, Yacov Livne, of making “outrageous” statements, saying that while “authorities in Israel speak about this tragedy in a very subdued and sensitive manner,” their ambassador “is unable to maintain such delicacy and this is unacceptable.” In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, Livne claimed “anti-Semites will always remain anti-Semites,” after writing that Poland’s “extreme right and left” were accusing Israel of intentional murder. Livne also expressed “deep regret, sorrow and condolences over the tragic loss of life” in a separate social media post. 2:44 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 The US recently authorized more bombs for Israel, according to sources From CNN's Natasha Bertrand The Biden administration recently authorized the transfer of more than 1,000 500-pound bombs to Israel and over 1,000 small-diameter bombs, according to three people familiar with the matter. The move boosts Israel’s arsenal despite US concerns over the country’s conduct in the war in Gaza. The authorization to transfer the 500-pound MK82 bombs and small-diameter bombs occurred before an Israeli strike on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza on Monday that killed seven World Central Kitchen employees, a State Department spokesperson said. But news of the approval comes as Israel is facing fresh international condemnation over the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Tuesday that the aid workers had been “unintentionally” targeted. More context: Last week, the US authorized the transfer of similar weaponry, including nearly 2,000 2,000-pound bombs known as the MK84, people familiar with the matter said. CNN has previously linked the MK84 bombs to mass casualty events in Gaza, including Israeli strikes on refugee camps there last year. None of these transfers had to be newly notified to or approved by Congress, since they were already greenlit by lawmakers in 2012 and 2015, according to arms sales notifications by the Pentagon available on the Federal Register. The contracts are just now being fulfilled because the munitions had to be produced, which can take several years. 2:14 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Biden's call with Netanyahu today was scheduled after death of aid workers, source says From CNN's MJ Lee US President Joe Biden’s call Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not previously scheduled — it was arranged after the deaths of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers Monday, per a source familiar. CNN reported Wednesday that in the aftermath of those deaths, Biden was “angry” and “increasingly frustrated” – and fully prepared to make all of that known to Netanyahu in their conversation, according to a senior administration official. “He will express those frustrations,” they said. White House officials have emphasized in the wake of the aid workers’ deaths that the US’ stance in supporting Israel’s current military operation remains unchanged. There has simply been no “shift in policy,” the senior administration official said. “What there has been is a shift in the president’s frustrations.” 1:10 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Gaza aid efforts suffer setback as Israel's deadly attack on aid workers prompts withdrawal of agencies From CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim The plight of starving Palestinians in Gaza is worsening as Israel’s actions have deterred critical aid agencies and imposed severe constraints on essential humanitarian efforts in the enclave. As famine looms and cases of death by starvation emerge, at least three aid providers are suspending operations in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes this week killed seven workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), an aid group that was central to a much-touted new sea corridor from Cyprus. The killings, which included six foreign victims, caused an international uproar against Israel. WCK and Anera, another aid group, have said they will pause operations in Gaza following the incident. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reportedly also suspending operations. Israel has taken responsibility for the killings, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Tuesday that Israeli forces had “unintentionally struck innocent people in the Gaza Strip.” Imagery of three destroyed vehicles analyzed by CNN however showed that the first vehicle was 2.4 kilometers (about 1.49 miles) apart from the third, indicating that they were hit by separate strikes. Read more about the impacts the strike could have on aid across the region here. 12:54 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Food aid charity founder says Israel attacked workers "systematically, car by car" From CNN's Rob Picheta Celebrity chef Jose Andres, who founded the food aid charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) has accused Israel of targeting his aid workers “systematically, car by car” during the strikes that left seven dead on Monday, as mounting international fury over the attack further strains Western support for Israel’s war in Gaza. WCK said its team was traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars and one unarmored vehicle, after dropping off more than 100 tons of food supplies at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, when the attack occurred. This was not a “bad luck situation where, ‘oops,’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” Andres told Reuters. WCK urged the governments of those killed to press for an inquiry, and said they have asked the Israeli government “to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant” to the strikes in order to “ensure the integrity” of an investigation. Read more about the WCK’s calls for an independent inquiry here. 12:43 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 UK's prime minister faces growing pressure from opposition to suspend arms sales to Israel From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London The UK’s three major opposition parties, the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party (SNP) are calling on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to justify its arms trading with Israel following an IDF military strike which killed seven aid workers Monday. SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, Humza Yousaf who is the head of the devolved Scottish government wrote to Sunak personally to “demand an immediate end to arms sales to Israel from the United Kingdom.” In the letter dated April 3, Yousaf criticized Sunak’s failure to address the arms issue following the aid worker killings particularly as Israel he said shows no sign of “paying heed to the International Court of Justice’s ruling or the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution.” A call also came from Liberal Democrat party leader, Ed Davey who said his party has consistently “called for far tougher control of arms exports.” Finally, Sunak’s main opposition, the Labour Party has said arms sales must be suspended if UK government lawyers find Israel’s actions in Gaza to be in breach of international law. Last week, British newspaper, The Observer said it had obtained an audio recording of Conservative MP and Foreign Affairs Committee chair, Alicia Kearns, saying UK government lawyers have advised the government that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in Gaza. 11:37 a.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 UK falling "significantly short" of obligations under international law over Israel arms exports, lawyers warn From CNN's Billy Stockwell More than 600 lawyers, legal academics and former members of the British judiciary have written to Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, warning him that the UK Government is falling “significantly short” of its obligations under international law over continued Israel arms exports. The letter, sent to the prime minister on Wednesday evening, says that “serious action” is needed to “avoid UK complicity in grave breaches of international law, including potential violations of the Genocide convention.” The 17-page letter, signed by some of the UK’s most senior lawyers, including three former supreme court justices, puts increasing pressure on Sunak to take action following the death of three British citizens who were killed by an Israeli air strike on Monday. Sunak told the Sun newspaper on Wednesday that the government keeps a “careful” review over arms licensing. The UK government has assessed defense exports to Israel as “relatively small” — at £42 million ($53 million) — a fraction of US exports. 10:48 a.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Gaza's municipality warns disease is spreading due to pile up of waste and sewage From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem Gaza municipality warned on Thursday that diseases are spreading due to waste pile-up and sewage overflow as a result of Israel’s bombardment. In a statement on X, Gaza municipality called on local and international institutions “to help improve the health and environmental conditions in Gaza and enable the municipality to provide services that the aggression has caused near complete paralysis in.” Health officials in Gaza have been warning of the increasing threat of infectious diseases, as access to food and medicine remains impeded. Gaza’s public health crisis: The United Nations, international aid agencies and non-governmental organizations have also been sounding the alarm about the catastrophic impact of poor sanitation and the healthcare system collapse in Gaza. Last month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that “catastrophic healthcare conditions are impeding the disease management of thousands of chronically ill patients in Gaza.” 10:08 a.m. GMT, April 4, 2024 Israel's military halts leave for all combat units a day after announcing recruitment increase From CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London The Israeli military has temporarily suspended leave for its combat units, a day after announcing it would increase recruitment and call up air defense reserves. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday that the decision to pause leave was made following a “situational assessment.” “The IDF is at war and the deployment of forces is under continuous assessment according to requirements,” the Israeli military said in a statement. Some context: On Wednesday, the IDF said it would increase recruitment and call up reservists for its air defense. It comes as Iran has vowed to retaliate after it accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday, in a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that once again appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict. Download the CNN app Scan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play. Download the CNN app Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store. Our use of cookies and other technologiesWe, our affiliates, and our 60 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. 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Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on Hamas




Updated
12:49 AM EDT, Fri April 5, 2024










Hear what White House official says Biden told Netanyahu

Hear what White House official says Biden told Netanyahu












What we covered






US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Thursday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the deaths of aid workers due to Israeli strikes were “unacceptable.” Biden warned Israel to take steps to address the crisis or face consequences.





Hours after the call, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing into Gaza, closed since the October 7 Hamas attacks, as well as the Port of Ashdod to allow more aid into the enclave, an Israeli official told CNN.





The White House defended a recent transfer of more than 2,000 bombs to Israel despite US concerns over the country’s conduct in Gaza. The transfer authorization occurred before the Israeli strike that killed the aid workers, a State Department spokesperson said.





Meanwhile, the Israeli military has been using artificial intelligence to help identify bombing targets in Gaza, an investigation has found.





Here’s how to help humanitarian efforts in Gaza and Israel.




















5:46 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024

















3:52 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
First lady privately expressed Gaza concerns to Biden, president tells meeting with Muslim leaders

From CNN's Betsy Klein, MJ Lee and Arlette Saenz









When US President Joe Biden met with a group of Muslim community leaders this week, he recounted a recent conversation he had with First Lady Jill Biden relating to the conflict in Gaza, two participants have told CNN.



One of the attendees told the president that the decision to take part in the gathering had been a cause of concern for his wife, given the fierce backlash Joe Biden has drawn for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, according to two people present at the meeting.



Those attendees tell CNN that Biden brought up his own wife and closest confidant.



“It’s got to stop,” he recounted the first lady had said to him recently, according to the recollection of Nahreen Ahmed, who was in the room.



Another participant, who declined to be named, told CNN they remembered the president saying that the first lady had used these words: “Stop it. Stop it now.”



While that attendee said they believed the suggestion was that the first lady was calling for the war to end, Ahmed said it was unclear to her whether the first lady’s comment was directed at the Israel-Hamas war at large, or the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza.



Asked about the president’s remarks, a White House official said there is “no daylight” between the couple on the issue, with both sharing outrage over civilian deaths. The official added that Jill Biden was not calling for Israel to end its efforts against Hamas.



The New York Times first reported on the president’s comments referencing the first lady.



Read more on this story here.














3:32 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
US House speaker rips Biden over warning to Israel

From CNN's Manu Raju









US House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized President Joe Biden following Biden’s warning to Israel to take steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or face consequences.



“The president’s ultimatums should be going to Hamas, not Israel,” Johnson said in a post on X.



“Hamas resisted a ceasefire, brought about needless bloodshed, and refuses to release Israeli and American hostages. Biden should not undercut our ally amidst an existential threat by conditioning our support,” he continued.














3:06 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
UN says Erez crossing reopening is positive news but that Gaza needs a "massive influx of aid"

From CNN's Caitlin Hu









The United Nations on Thursday welcomed news that Israel had agreed to reopen the Erez crossing into Gaza to allow more aid to enter the besieged enclave. 
















1:13 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
White House welcomes Israel's decision to open aid routes into Gaza

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal




The White House welcomed Israel’s decision to open new entry points for aid to enter Gaza on Thursday, saying the move came “at the president’s request following his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu.”



The White House also reiterated that US policy in Gaza could change based on Israel’s “immediate” actions.





Watson reiterated that US policy “will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers.”



“We are prepared to work in full coordination with the Government of Israel, the Governments of Jordan and Egypt, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations, to ensure that these important steps are implemented and result in a significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks,” she wrote.
















2:20 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
Netanyahu told Biden that deaths of World Central Kitchen workers were Israel's fault, US official says

From CNN's MJ Lee









In his phone call with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to his US counterpart that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were to blame for the deaths of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers this week – and assured Biden that his government planned to announce measures to prevent such a mistake from happening again, according to a senior administration official.  



Netanyahu told Biden on Thursday that Israel was set on improving the tracking of non-profit workers inside Gaza and the US president affirmed that such steps were necessary, according to the official. 



The White House has previously said that the two leaders did not go into details of the investigation into the incident that killed the workers, including a dual American-Canadian citizen, which has drawn wide condemnation and angered the White House.














12:35 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
Biden avoided specifics on potential changes to US policy in call with Netanyahu, senior official says 

From CNN's Kayla Tausche




In a half-hour call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden did not lay out the specifics of how he would consider shifting US policy if Israel doesn’t make changes in its handling of the war in Gaza, according to a senior administration official.



He instead spoke in the same broad strokes reflected in the White House readout of the call that concrete changes needed to be made, according to the official. 





Netanyahu pledged during the call that Israel will soon announce new openings of humanitarian crossings, as well as procedural changes to limit civilian harm, according to the official. 



Hours later, an Israeli official told CNN that the security cabinet has approved the reopening of the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip.



While there were moments of disagreement between Biden and Netanyahu on the call — typical among the two leaders who have known each other for decades — there was no “sparring,” the official said, describing the conversation as “direct.” There is no follow-up call currently planned between the two leaders, the official says.














12:55 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
Israeli cabinet approves reopening of Erez crossing and use of Ashdod port for aid into Gaza, official says

From CNN's Jeremy Diamond and Nikki Carvajal 




The Israeli security cabinet on Thursday approved the reopening of the Erez crossing between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attacks, an Israeli official told CNN.



The reopening is to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, the official said.



The cabinet also approved using the Israeli Port of Ashdod to help transfer more aid to the enclave. 



Land crossings into Gaza, through which the bulk of vital aid has traditionally entered the territory, remain heavily restricted by Israel. Aid agencies have accused Israel of throttling the entry of relief into the war-ravaged territory, though Israel has said it has “no limit” on the amount of relief that can enter.



Before the war started, Israel restricted all access to and from Gaza by sea and air, and kept land crossings under tight control. It had two functional crossings with the enclave: Erez, which was for the movement of people, and Kerem Shalom, for goods.



Gaza also has one crossing with Egypt, at Rafah, which is run by Egyptian authorities. While Israel has no direct control over this crossing, it monitors all activity in southern Gaza.





Reaction: The opening of the crossing would be “welcome news” and “certainly in keeping” with what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Joe Biden on Thursday, White House national security adviser John Kirby told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.



Kirby said he hadn’t seen the new reporting, “but if it’s true that certainly in keeping with what we heard from the prime minister today in terms of announcements they would be making in coming hours and days about opening up crossings, making it more accessible for humanitarian aid organizations to get food, water, medicine, and fuel into the people of Gaza.”



This post has been updated with comments from John Kirby.














11:44 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Biden posts photo of call with Netanyahu

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal









US President Joe Biden posted on social media about his call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday, including a picture of him on the call.  



Biden wrote on X that Israel, “must implement steps to address civilian harm and the safety of workers – and work toward a ceasefire to bring hostages home.”














9:57 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
US military conducts another aid drop into northern Gaza, Central Command says 

From CNN's Haley Britzky




The US military conducted an aid drop of more than 50,000 meal equivalents into northern Gaza on Thursday, US Central Command said in a post on X



Roughly 20 bundles landed in the sea near the shoreline, CENTCOM said, adding it did not assess any civilian harm or infrastructure damage as a result. 



“The joint operation included four C-130 US Air Force aircraft, and US Army soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of US humanitarian assistance supplies,” CENTCOM said. “The US C-130s dropped over 50, 680 US meal equivalents into Northern Gaza, an area of great need, allowing for civilian access to the critical aid.”



More: The United States has joined several other countries in airdropping aid into Gaza, which is grappling with a humanitarian crisis.



With aid deliveries on land falling far short of the numbers needed to ward off famine, it is hoped the airdrops will provide a lifeline to people in Gaza.



But the UN and aid agencies have questioned how effective they will be at alleviating the situation, and their risks have been stark as when civilians were killed during an airdrop.














9:37 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
US demands more effort by Israel to protect civilians in Gaza. Here's the latest on the war

From CNN staff




US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Thursday that the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza and deaths of aid workers due to Israeli strikes are “unacceptable.”



Biden warned Israel to take steps to address the crisis or face consequences. It marked the first call between the two leaders since an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also warned Israel that if more is not done to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza, then the US could implement its own policy changes.



Here are the latest headlines:







Israeli military investigation: The Israel Defense Forces has concluded its initial investigation into the strikes on the WCK convoy, an Israeli official said, and the IDF has begun briefing relevant parties ahead of its release on Friday.





US weapon sales to Israel: Biden is set to green-light an $18 billion sale of fighter jets from the United States and Israel and the administration recently authorized the transfer to Israel of over 1,000 500-pound bombs and over 1,000 small-diameter bombs, according to three people familiar with the matter. A White House official defended the arms sale and transfers as the product of yearslong processes.





More Israeli strikes in Gaza: An Israeli airstrike hit a residential block in the Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others, according to hospital officials. In a separate airstrike, a heavily pregnant woman and her two young daughters were killed in the Al-Janina neighborhood in Rafah, according to the woman’s father. And in Beit Hanoun, at least four Palestinians were killed after Israeli artillery fire targeted an area near a school sheltering displaced civilians, according to Kamal Adwan Hospital paramedics.












Future of aid work in Gaza: Humanitarian aid organizations continue attempts to get aid to Gaza but acknowledge that they are often forced to suspend day-to-day missions because of the security situation. The question of staff safety has been paramount as many aid workers have been killed since the war began. But the Israeli airstrikes that killed aid workers this week have heightened the focus on the dangers faced by nonprofits.

















3:28 a.m. GMT, April 5, 2024
A journalist's report alleged that Israel is using AI tools in its war in Gaza: "It’s completely dehumanizing"

From CNN’s Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem









Journalist Yuval Abraham produced an investigation by +972 Magazine into the Israeli military’s alleged use of artificial intelligence to help identify bombing targets in Gaza.



The AI-based tool called “Lavender” collects information on “almost everybody” in the Gaza Strip, Abraham said, adding that one source told him it’s nearly 90%. The machine is then meant to identify how probable it is that the targeted individuals are connected to Hamas or Islamic Jihad military wings.



“This AI-based warfare, I think it’s completely dehumanizing. I think it allows militaries to bomb and maintain this aesthetics of international law, when in fact it’s not abiding by international law,” he said Thursday.



In the first few weeks of the war, his sources said they were not forced to apply “any thorough supervision over the results,” Abraham told CNN. “One source told me he would spend roughly 20 seconds before authorizing each target, and the only supervision he needed to do was check if the targets the machine marked was a male or a female.”



Abraham noted that the machine would sometimes mark individuals with either a loose connection to Hamas or none at all. The forces received “sweeping predetermined authorization” to kill between 15 and 20 Palestinian civilians per junior Hamas targets, he added. 





The Israel Defense Forces has repeatedly said it does not use AI for “designating persons as targets.” When asked about the +972 Magazine’s report, the IDF did not dispute the existence of the tool but denied AI was being used to identify suspected terrorists.














10:21 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Israeli airstrike hits a refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 2, Palestinian health officials say

From Mohammad Al-Sawalhi in Gaza and CNN’s Abeer Salman and Zeena SaifI in Jerusalem









An Israeli airstrike hit a residential block in Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital.



Video of the aftermath shot for CNN shows heavy destruction, with debris and rubble from destroyed buildings strewn along the road. At least one building has been entirely flattened, and four others have had their facades torn clean off. Smashed parts of the buildings, such as wooden doors and metal window frames have been ripped apart and can be seen strewn among the rubble.



Residents including dozens of children are shown in the footage sifting through the debris of the destroyed buildings. One Palestinian man can be heard questioning why Israeli forces struck the area, saying everyone who lived there were civilians, not militants. 



Inside one of the destroyed homes, blankets, clothes and toys are laid out in front of three children, two boys and one little girl who are looking for their belongings.





Israel’s response: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided CNN with a generic statement they have often used throughout the war in Gaza without directly addressing the reason for Thursday’s attack. “In response to Hamas’ barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities,” it said. “In stark contrast to Hamas’ intentional attacks on Israeli men, women and children, the IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.”














8:26 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Israeli military jams GPS services in Israel to neutralize security threats, spokesperson says

From CNN’s Caitlin Danaher









The Israeli military proactively activated GPS jamming inside Israel on Thursday “to neutralize threats,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said.



Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the disruption to GPS services had already helped “neutralize some of the threats,” but urged people to remain “vigilant and responsible.”





Israel entered a state of high alert on Thursday, braced for a potential retaliatory attack after its suspected killing of Iranian generals in Damascus earlier in the week.



The IDF signaled it had stiffened its military preparedness by temporarily suspending leave for its combat units. Israel said it would respond forcefully to any Iranian attack over the coming days.














8:07 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
White House defends arms transfer to Israel

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal




The White House defended a recent transfer of more than 2,000 bombs to Israel despite US concerns over its conduct in the war in Gaza.





Kirby said that it’s important to remember that Israel still faces a lot of threats. “I mean, we’re all focused on Hamas, and I understand that, but they still face active threats throughout the region, including from Iran, and the United States still has an ironclad commitment to help Israel with its self-defense.”



He added that much of the recently reported sales were “not tied to this conflict.”



As CNN previously reported, the transfer authorization for the MK82 bombs and small-diameter bombs occurred before an Israeli strike on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza on Monday that killed seven employees of the aid organization World Central Kitchen, a State Department spokesperson said. 



But news of the approval comes as Israel is facing fresh international condemnation over the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Tuesday that the aid workers had been “unintentionally” targeted.



Kirby’s defense came after a call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where the White House implied US policy toward Israel could change depending on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.















7:42 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Israeli airstrike in Rafah killed heavily pregnant woman and 2 young children, family member says

From journalist Tareq al-Helou in Rafah and CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem




 An Israeli airstrike targeting the Al-Janina neighborhood in Rafah killed a heavily pregnant woman and her two young daughters, according to the woman’s father, Akram Al-Khairi.



The family was sleeping when a missile fell on their home, Al-Kahiri told CNN. Here’s what he said happened:







His daughter, who was 8 months pregnant, was killed.





His two granddaughters — aged 1 and 2 — were killed





His son-in-law and his 4-year-old granddaughter survived with minor injuries








There was a fourth person killed, who was a young man from the neighborhood, Al-Khairi added.



Video filmed by a CNN stringer on the ground shows the bodies at Abu Yousuf al-Najjar hospital, with members of the community standing around them. The father can be seen crying over the bodies of his wife and two young daughters, with a bandage covering his eye.



CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment.














7:37 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Humanitarian organizations say they are forced to decide the future of aid to Gaza on a day-to-day basis

From CNN's Aditi Sangal




Humanitarian aid organizations continue attempts to get aid to Gaza but acknowledge that they are often forced to suspend day-to-day missions because of the security situation.



Oxfam: “Every day we are forced to decide whether to suspend an operation or to proceed with an operation. And often, the decision is to suspend because we don’t have the proper security conditions in place. This is not an all-or-nothing proposition,” said Scott Paul, associate director for peace and security.





The question of staff safety has been paramount as many aid workers have been killed since the war began. But the Israeli airstrikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen staffers this week have heightened the focus on the dangers faced by the nonprofits.



Médicines Sans Frontièrs: President Isabelle Defourny said the organization is confronted by the fact that it’s reached its limit in the current circumstances. “The conditions today to deliver humanitarian assistance and to do something meaningful … they are not there,” she told CNN during a briefing on Thursday.



While MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, will never stop working in Gaza, Defourny said the capacity to help is a “continuous question and discussion.”



Save the Children: Karyn Beattie, who is currently in Gaza, said the situation is ever-evolving.
















7:54 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Blinken: If US doesn't see changes to protect civilians in Gaza, "there'll be changes in our own policy"

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler









If the United States does not see changes in Israel’s policies to protect civilians in Gaza, “there’ll be changes in our own policy,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.





“This week’s horrific attack on the World Central Kitchen was not the first such incident. It must be the last,” Blinken said at a news conference in Brussels.



The secretary of state said he was “outraged” by the deaths of the seven WCK staffers. “I strongly condemn it.”



He also described the repeated push on the Israeli government to do more to mitigate civilian harm.





The post was updated with Blinken’s condemnation of the attack on WCK staffers.














8:10 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
In Netanyahu call, Biden said humanitarian situation in Gaza and deaths of aid workers are "unacceptable" 

From CNN's Nikki Carvajal




US President Joe Biden called the deaths of humanitarian workers caused by Israeli strikes and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza “unacceptable” during his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, the White House said in a readout shortly after the conversation wrapped. 





“He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps,” the White House added.



White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the two leaders did not discuss Israel’s investigation into the strike in detail. Kirby said that Netanyahu expressed that “he would take appropriate actions to make sure something like that couldn’t happen again” once that investigation concluded.



Biden also “underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential,” the readout said, adding that the president urgent Netanyahu to “empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home.”



The leaders also discussed Iran’s threats against Israel and Biden assured US support for Israel in the face of those threats, according to the White House.



This post has been updated with comments from John Kirby.














7:14 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Civilians killed by Israeli artillery while scavenging for food in Beit Hanoun, paramedics say

From journalist Abdel Qadder Al-Sabbah and CNN’s Kareem Khadder and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem




At least four Palestinians, including one paramedic, were killed after Israeli artillery fire targeted an area near a school sheltering displaced civilians in the northeastern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun on Thursday, according to Kamal Adwan Hospital paramedics.



An ambulance driver for the hospital, Abdallah Hemaid, told CNN that some civilians were scavenging in a field for plants or vegetation they could eat when Israeli artillery fire targeted the area. Hemaid said when the initial attack took place, nearby civilians rushed over to try to help the injured. But then another round of artillery fire killed three people and injured several children, all from the same family, he said.



Two ambulances with four paramedics from the Kamal Adwan Hospital headed to the area when a third round of artillery fire erupted, killing one of the paramedics and critically injuring three others, he added.



Graphic video obtained by CNN showed the critically injured paramedics arriving at the hospital, blood splattered on their faces and body. Dead bodies can also be seen wrapped in white cloth on the floor, with civilians and paramedics hovering around them crying.





CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.














6:39 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
IDF concluded its initial investigation into strikes that killed aid workers, Israeli official says

From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond and Vasco Cotovio in Jerusalem




The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has concluded its initial investigation into the deadly strikes on the World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy, an Israeli official told CNN.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were set to be briefed on the findings on Thursday, the official added.



The IDF said that it’s planning to publish the details of the preliminary investigation imminently.










6:31 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Biden and Netanyahu call has ended, US official says

From CNN's Kayla Tausche and MJ Lee









A call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded, a US official said. 



It marked their first conversation since the deadly Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen in Gaza.



More about the call: The call was arranged after the deaths of the aid workers, per a source familiar. CNN reported Wednesday that in the aftermath of those deaths, Biden was “angry” and “increasingly frustrated” – and fully prepared to make all of that known to Netanyahu in their conversation, according to a senior administration official.



White House officials have emphasized in the wake of the aid workers’ deaths that the US’ stance in supporting Israel’s current military operation remains unchanged.



There has simply been no “shift in policy,” the senior administration official said. “What there has been is a shift in the president’s frustrations.”



Biden is also expected to discuss with Netanyahu a number of other issues in addition to the need to better protect humanitarian aid workers in Gaza.










5:58 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
How one dentist treats Palestinians out of a tent clinic in central Gaza

From CNN’s Mohammad Al Sawalhi, Abeer Salman, Zeena Saifi and Sana Noor Haq









Najdat Mohammed Saqer greets his patient with a warm smile. Palestinian flags decorate his makeshift clinic inside a tent in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, which is held down by cement blocks and neatly laden with medical equipment.



The Gazan health worker told CNN he was forced to shut down his dental center in Nuseirat refugee camp, after Israel’s bombardment damaged the area in northern Gaza and forced locals to flee.










Saqer returned to the site of his old clinic to gather whatever was left of his equipment. These days, he provides dental services to displaced Palestinians for patients in the backyard of his home in central Gaza. Israel’s siege has drastically diminished water and electricity supplies. Saqer must rely on limited solar energy.





“We were born on a struggling land, and we will never surrender. We will rebuild it, in God’s will.”










5:18 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Parents of slain American-Canadian aid worker say neither government has provided further details on death

From CNN's Sam Fossum




The parents of dual American-Canadian citizen and World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid worker Jacob Flickinger told “CBS Mornings” that after receiving a call earlier this week from the embassy they have not heard from the United States or Canadian governments about the circumstances around his death.



His mother, Sylvie Labrecque, is Canadian and his father, John Flickinger, is American.



“We haven’t been told anything by the United States government or the Canadian government. All we know is what we’ve read and seen on the media,” said John Flickinger, Jacob’s father.





He added later: “Someone from the embassy in Jerusalem called the day that Jacob was killed. I haven’t heard from anyone since.” 



“He was hesitant to go. He’s a new father,” Flickinger said. “But he felt the need.”



The US State Department said Wednesday that they have reached out to Jacob Flickinger’s family to offer condolences and assistance.  










4:17 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
IDF hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after cross-border rocket fire

From CNN's Amy Cassidy, Charbel Mallo and Benjamin Brown




The Israeli military struck targets in southern Lebanon on Thursday following “several” cross-border attacks from Hezbollah, the Israel Defense Forces said.





In a statement, Hezbollah said they struck the headquarters of the IDF’s Liman Battalion with artillery shells at 1:45 p.m. local time (6.45 a.m. ET) on Thursday.












3:45 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Democratic US senator and close Biden ally says he is open to supporting conditions on aid for Israel

From CNN's Morgan Rimmer









Democratic US Sen. Chris Coons, a close ally of President Joe Biden, told CNN Thursday that for the first time he is open to applying conditions to aid for Israel, after an Israeli military strike killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in Gaza earlier this week.





Coons, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noted, “I’ve never said that before. I’ve never been here before.” He noted that the US needs to make clear to the people of Israel “that we want to and will continue to have a strong and close relationship with Israel,” but Netanyahu’s tactics do not reflect “the best values of Israel or the United States.”



Coons’ comments come as Biden is expected to speak to Netanyahu Thursday and express his frustration over the death of the aid workers.










3:35 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Pregnant women in Gaza discharged just hours after giving birth as health care system suffers, MSF doctor says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal




Some pregnant women in Gaza are discharged one or two hours after delivering their babies and essentially as soon as they can walk after a C-section, said Dr. Amber Alayyan with Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF).



In a briefing Thursday, MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, highlighted the destruction of the women’s health care system in Gaza since Israel started bombarding the strip.



There’s only one hospital available for women to give birth, compared to the many hospitals that were available to them before the war began, said Alayyan, the group’s deputy program manager for the Middle East whose team coordinates activities in Gaza.





Malnutrition and lack of access to clean water are exacerbating the conditions for these vulnerable women and children, Alayyan added, explaining that many women are not nourished enough to produce breast milk, which puts their babies at risk of malnutrition, too.



Formula is also in short supply. “In order to use formula you need to have clean water, and none of these things are possible in Gaza right now,” Alayyan said.










3:47 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Findings of Israeli investigation into deadly strike on food aid workers expected "in coming weeks"

 From CNN's Benjamin Brown in London









The findings of an Israeli investigation into the deadly strike on seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers are expected “in the coming weeks,” according to the Israeli government.





The Israeli military on Tuesday said it was investigating the attack on the WCK aid workers “at the highest levels.” The military has apologized, saying it was a “mistake.”



WCK has called for “an independent, third-party investigation” of the strikes and asked the governments of the killed workers to join them in demanding the probe.



The seven aid workers were from Australia, Canada, the US, Poland, the UK and Gaza.










3:35 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Israeli military says citizens do not need to buy generators or store food after Iran vows retaliation 

From CNN's Ami Kaufman in London




An Israeli military spokesperson on Thursday addressed concerns among the country’s citizens after Iran accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria and vowed to retaliate. 





The Israeli military temporarily suspended leave for its combat units on Thursday, a day after announcing it would increase recruitment and call up air defense reserves.










3:18 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Palestinian killed during Israeli military incursion in Jenin, health officials say

From CNN’s Kareem Khadder, Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem and Benjamin Brown in London




A 28-year-old Palestinian man was killed and a 13-year-old girl was injured in an Israeli military incursion in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday, according to Palestinian officials. 



The Israeli military claimed the man killed by the Israeli border guard was a “wanted person” who tried to flee arrest. The Palestinian man, Asa’ad Issam Qaniri, was shot and killed by Israeli special forces who raided a neighborhood in the area early Thursday morning, according to Izz Eddeine Bikawi, the head of Ya’bad Municipality ambulance service, just west of Jenin. Bikawi said after the Israeli military withdrew just after 7 a.m. local time in Jenin on Thursday, the ambulance services reached Qaniri and found eight bullets in his chest and abdomen.



The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it held a “divisional operation to counter terrorism in Jenin,” killing a “wanted person,” arresting two other people and confiscating weapons in the area. The IDF said its forces arrested “20 wanted people” throughout the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, noting that approximately 3,700 others have been arrested since the beginning of the war in Gaza. 



Videos obtained by CNN show a heavy military presence in the city, with several military vehicles and armored bulldozers ripping up the streets Wednesday into Thursday morning.  An exchange of gunfire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants can be heard and what appears to be an explosive device going off near a military bulldozer. 



The head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society services in Jenin, Mahmoud Sa’adi, told CNN the Israeli military destroyed and plowed many streets with bulldozers, “rendering them inoperable.”  










3:48 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Israel owes compensation to family of aid worker killed in Gaza, Polish president says

From CNN's Louis Mian in London









Israel owes compensation to the family of a Polish World Central Kitchen aid worker killed in an IDF strike in Gaza Monday, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has said.



Damian Soból aged 35, from the town of Przemysl in southeastern Poland, was one of seven aid workers killed in the attack.





In addition, Duda accused the Israeli ambassador to Poland, Yacov Livne, of making “outrageous” statements, saying that while “authorities in Israel speak about this tragedy in a very subdued and sensitive manner,” their ambassador “is unable to maintain such delicacy and this is unacceptable.”



In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, Livne claimed “anti-Semites will always remain anti-Semites,” after writing that Poland’s “extreme right and left” were accusing Israel of intentional murder. Livne also expressed “deep regret, sorrow and condolences over the tragic loss of life” in a separate social media post.










2:44 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
The US recently authorized more bombs for Israel, according to sources 

From CNN's Natasha Bertrand




The Biden administration recently authorized the transfer of more than 1,000 500-pound bombs to Israel and over 1,000 small-diameter bombs, according to three people familiar with the matter.



The move boosts Israel’s arsenal despite US concerns over the country’s conduct in the war in Gaza. 



The authorization to transfer the 500-pound MK82 bombs and small-diameter bombs occurred before an Israeli strike on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza on Monday that killed seven World Central Kitchen employees, a State Department spokesperson said. 



But news of the approval comes as Israel is facing fresh international condemnation over the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Tuesday that the aid workers had been “unintentionally” targeted.



More context: Last week, the US authorized the transfer of similar weaponry, including nearly 2,000 2,000-pound bombs known as the MK84, people familiar with the matter said. CNN has previously linked the MK84 bombs to mass casualty events in Gaza, including Israeli strikes on refugee camps there last year. 



None of these transfers had to be newly notified to or approved by Congress, since they were already greenlit by lawmakers in 2012 and 2015, according to arms sales notifications by the Pentagon available on the Federal Register. The contracts are just now being fulfilled because the munitions had to be produced, which can take several years. 










2:14 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Biden's call with Netanyahu today was scheduled after death of aid workers, source says

From CNN's MJ Lee









US President Joe Biden’s call Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not previously scheduled — it was arranged after the deaths of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers Monday, per a source familiar.



CNN reported Wednesday that in the aftermath of those deaths, Biden was “angry” and “increasingly frustrated” – and fully prepared to make all of that known to Netanyahu in their conversation, according to a senior administration official.



“He will express those frustrations,” they said.



White House officials have emphasized in the wake of the aid workers’ deaths that the US’ stance in supporting Israel’s current military operation remains unchanged.



There has simply been no “shift in policy,” the senior administration official said. “What there has been is a shift in the president’s frustrations.”










1:10 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Gaza aid efforts suffer setback as Israel's deadly attack on aid workers prompts withdrawal of agencies

From CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim




The plight of starving Palestinians in Gaza is worsening as Israel’s actions have deterred critical aid agencies and imposed severe constraints on essential humanitarian efforts in the enclave.



As famine looms and cases of death by starvation emerge, at least three aid providers are suspending operations in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes this week killed seven workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), an aid group that was central to a much-touted new sea corridor from Cyprus. The killings, which included six foreign victims, caused an international uproar against Israel.



WCK and Anera, another aid group, have said they will pause operations in Gaza following the incident. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reportedly also suspending operations.



Israel has taken responsibility for the killings, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Tuesday that Israeli forces had “unintentionally struck innocent people in the Gaza Strip.” Imagery of three destroyed vehicles analyzed by CNN however showed that the first vehicle was 2.4 kilometers (about 1.49 miles) apart from the third, indicating that they were hit by separate strikes.





Read more about the impacts the strike could have on aid across the region here.










12:54 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Food aid charity founder says Israel attacked workers "systematically, car by car"

From CNN's Rob Picheta









Celebrity chef Jose Andres, who founded the food aid charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) has accused Israel of targeting his aid workers “systematically, car by car” during the strikes that left seven dead on Monday, as mounting international fury over the attack further strains Western support for Israel’s war in Gaza.



WCK said its team was traveling in a “deconflicted zone” in two armored cars and one unarmored vehicle, after dropping off more than 100 tons of food supplies at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, when the attack occurred. 



This was not a “bad luck situation where, ‘oops,’ we dropped the bomb in the wrong place,” Andres told Reuters.





WCK urged the governments of those killed to press for an inquiry, and said they have asked the Israeli government “to immediately preserve all documents, communications, video and/or audio recordings, and any other materials potentially relevant” to the strikes in order to “ensure the integrity” of an investigation.





Read more about the WCK’s calls for an independent inquiry here.










12:43 p.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
UK's prime minister faces growing pressure from opposition to suspend arms sales to Israel

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London 









The UK’s three major opposition parties, the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party (SNP) are calling on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to justify its arms trading with Israel following an IDF military strike which killed seven aid workers Monday.



SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, Humza Yousaf who is the head of the devolved Scottish government wrote to Sunak personally to “demand an immediate end to arms sales to Israel from the United Kingdom.” 



In the letter dated April 3, Yousaf criticized Sunak’s failure to address the arms issue following the aid worker killings particularly as Israel he said shows no sign of “paying heed to the International Court of Justice’s ruling or the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution.” 



A call also came from Liberal Democrat party leader, Ed Davey who said his party has consistently “called for far tougher control of arms exports.” Finally, Sunak’s main opposition, the Labour Party has said arms sales must be suspended if UK government lawyers find Israel’s actions in Gaza to be in breach of international law. 



Last week, British newspaper, The Observer said it had obtained an audio recording of Conservative MP and Foreign Affairs Committee chair, Alicia Kearns, saying UK government lawyers have advised the government that Israel has breached international humanitarian law in Gaza. 










11:37 a.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
UK falling "significantly short" of obligations under international law over Israel arms exports, lawyers warn

From CNN's Billy Stockwell




More than 600 lawyers, legal academics and former members of the British judiciary have written to Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, warning him that the UK Government is falling “significantly short” of its obligations under international law over continued Israel arms exports.



The letter, sent to the prime minister on Wednesday evening, says that “serious action” is needed to “avoid UK complicity in grave breaches of international law, including potential violations of the Genocide convention.”





The 17-page letter, signed by some of the UK’s most senior lawyers, including three former supreme court justices, puts increasing pressure on Sunak to take action following the death of three British citizens who were killed by an Israeli air strike on Monday.



Sunak told the Sun newspaper on Wednesday that the government keeps a “careful” review over arms licensing.



The UK government has assessed defense exports to Israel as “relatively small” — at £42 million ($53 million) — a fraction of US exports.










10:48 a.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Gaza's municipality warns disease is spreading due to pile up of waste and sewage

From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Zeena Saifi in Jerusalem




Gaza municipality warned on Thursday that diseases are spreading due to waste pile-up and sewage overflow as a result of Israel’s bombardment.



In a statement on X, Gaza municipality called on local and international institutions “to help improve the health and environmental conditions in Gaza and enable the municipality to provide services that the aggression has caused near complete paralysis in.”



Health officials in Gaza have been warning of the increasing threat of infectious diseases, as access to food and medicine remains impeded.



Gaza’s public health crisis: The United Nations, international aid agencies and non-governmental organizations have also been sounding the alarm about the catastrophic impact of poor sanitation and the healthcare system collapse in Gaza. 



Last month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that “catastrophic healthcare conditions are impeding the disease management of thousands of chronically ill patients in Gaza.”












10:08 a.m. GMT, April 4, 2024
Israel's military halts leave for all combat units a day after announcing recruitment increase

From CNN’s Benjamin Brown in London




The Israeli military has temporarily suspended leave for its combat units, a day after announcing it would increase recruitment and call up air defense reserves.



The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday that the decision to pause leave was made following a “situational assessment.”



“The IDF is at war and the deployment of forces is under continuous assessment according to requirements,” the Israeli military said in a statement. 



Some context: On Wednesday, the IDF said it would increase recruitment and call up reservists for its air defense.



It comes as Iran has vowed to retaliate after it accused Israel of bombing its embassy complex in Syria on Monday, in a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza that once again appeared to raise the risk of a wider Middle Eastern conflict.


















































































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More information Manage Consent PreferencesStore and/or access information on a device 54 partners can use this purpose Store and/or access information on a device Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.Use limited data to select advertising 42 partners can use this purpose Use limited data to select advertising Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).Use profiles to select personalised advertising 43 partners can use this purpose Use profiles to select personalised advertising Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.Create profiles for personalised advertising 44 partners can use this purpose Create profiles for personalised advertising Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.Use profiles to select personalised content 8 partners can use this purpose Use profiles to select personalised content Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.Create profiles to personalise content 12 partners can use this purpose Create profiles to personalise content Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.Measure advertising performance 46 partners can use this purpose Measure advertising performance Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.Measure content performance 17 partners can use this purpose Measure content performance Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 24 partners can use this purpose Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).Develop and improve services 42 partners can use this purpose Develop and improve services Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 51 partners can use this special purpose Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.Deliver and present advertising and content 46 partners can use this special purpose Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.Save and communicate privacy choices 35 partners can use this special purpose The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.Match and combine data from other data sources 38 partners can use this feature Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.Link different devices 35 partners can use this feature In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 42 partners can use this feature Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.Strictly Necessary CookiesThese cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. 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