Our live coverage of Israel's war with Hamas has moved here.
March 1, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war
By Heather Chen, Sana Noor Haq, Aditi Sangal and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 12:04 a.m. ET, March 2, 2024
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UN Women calls war in Gaza "a war on women"
From CNN's Richard Roth and Mohammed Tawfeeq
UN Women, a United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, called the war in Gaza "also a war on women."
In a statement Friday, the organization estimated 9,000 women have been killed in Gaza since the October 7 attack.
"As the war on Gaza approaches its five-month mark, Gazan women continue to suffer its devastating impact," the statement read. "While this war spares no one, UN Women data shows that it kills and injures women in unprecedented ways."
UN Women reported an average of 63 women are killed every day in Gaza, with an approximate 37 mothers who are killed daily, "leaving their families devastated and their children with diminished protection."
"More than 4 out of 5 women (84 per cent) report that their family eats half or less of the food they used to before the war began, with mothers and adult women being those tasked with sourcing food, yet eating last, less, and least than everyone else," the statement added.
UN Women also pointed out that 87% of women in Gaza find it harder to access food than men.
"Some women are now resorting to extreme coping mechanisms, such as scavenging for food under rubble or in dumpsters," UN Women said.
They called for immediate humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and an end to "the killing, bombing, and destruction of essential infrastructure in Gaza."
"Unless there is an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, many more will die in the coming days and weeks," UN Woman said.
Israeli spokesperson responds to CNN investigation into indiscriminate fire that killed half a Gaza family
From CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy responded to CNN's detailed investigation into Israel's use of indiscriminate fire that killed half of an entire Palestinian family during a deadly January attack. He acknowledged there were civilian casualties, but blamed Hamas.
Several members of the Abu Jibba family were killed by the shockwave of what was likely a 2,000-pound bomb dropped by the Israeli military. Such a large bomb is, by its nature, indiscriminate when civilians are present.
The Israel Defense Forces has alleged they were responding to fire by militants from an area near where the civilians were sheltering. Survivors of the attack told CNN there were no militants at their location.
"We think it is deeply tragic, deeply tragic, the war that Hamas has brought on the people of Gaza by deciding to declare this needless war on October 7," Levy told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Friday.
"Hamas deliberately embeds its fighters within civilian areas because it knows that either it gains immunity for its fighters, or civilians will be hurt. And Hamas wants the civilians to be hurt, because its only strategy for trying to survive this war is to generate sympathy and international pressure on Israel to stop," he told CNN.
The survivors of the attack have said they were not warned in advance. The IDF previously told CNN that they told civilians to begin evacuating days ahead of the bombing. When asked for evidence supporting that claim, the IDF did not provide any.
"If soldiers are coming under attack, clearly there is no time to give a warning for people to evacuate, having already said that the militants terrorists were operating in the area," Levy said.
CNN's Mick Krever contributed reporting to this post.
US and Italian leaders reaffirm commitment to Israel's right to self-defense in Oval Office meeting
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed their commitment to Israel's right to self-defense and discussed the “urgent need” for more aid in Gaza during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, according to a White House readout.
“The leaders discussed developments in the Middle East, including the importance of preventing regional escalation. They reaffirmed their commitment to Israel’s right to self-defense consistent with international law and underscored the urgent need to increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza,” the White House said.
Biden and Meloni also discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine and the G7, as Italy is currently serving as the head.
Biden says US airdrops into Gaza will begin "very soon" and his hope for a Monday ceasefire appears unlikely
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg and Kevin Liptak
US airdrops of humanitarian assistance into Gaza will begin "very soon," US President Joe Biden said Friday.
His comments come after he announced earlier Friday in the Oval Office that the US will begin air-dropping food aid to the people of Gaza. Biden also said earlier that the US would be “pulling out every stop” to get additional supplies into Gaza.
Additionally, Biden offered a mixed assessment of hostage talks between Israel and Hamas reaching a deal by Monday, saying that he was both hopeful a deal could be achieved by Ramadan but also that an agreement "may not get there."
Asked if he was confident a ceasefire could be agreed to by Monday — the day he'd earlier this week pointed to as a possibility — Biden suggested it appeared unlikely.
"It looks like we’re still — it’s not there yet. I think we’ll get there but it’s not there yet. And it may not get there now," Biden said.
Biden said he's "still hoping for" a ceasefire, when asked whether he thinks a ceasefire may never be negotiated.
"It’s not over til it’s over," Biden said.
His comments were a starkly realistic view into the state of the talks, which have been advancing for weeks between the US, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and Hamas. The remarks laid bare the difficulties in brokering an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would result in the release hostages and a six-week pause in fighting.
More countries call for investigation into Gaza food site tragedy. Here’s where things stand
From CNN staff
At least 115 people were killed and at least 760 were injured after Israeli forces opened fire as Palestinian civilians waited for food on Thursday, according to Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza.
It's one of the single deadliest tragedies in Gaza since Israel’s war against Hamas began on October 7.
There are now growing calls for an independent inquiry into the incident. The United Nations has said an independent investigation is required to establish the facts, and nations such as France have backed that appeal.
Here's where things stand:
- What happened: A convoy of at least 18 food trucks arrived in northern Gaza on Thursday morning, sent by several countries in the region. Palestinian civilians gathered around the newly arrived aid trucks in the hope of getting food, and Israeli forces soon started shooting, witnesses said. The aid trucks tried to exit the area, accidentally ramming others and causing further deaths and injuries, the eyewitnesses told CNN. The Israeli military has given a different account of the circumstances. In an update on Thursday, the Israeli military said that Israeli tanks had fired warning shots to disperse the crowd around the aid convoy, after seeing that people were being trampled.
- Global calls for investigation: On Friday, the White House said that the US asked Israel to look into the tragedy. Germany also called on Israel to "fully investigate" the deaths. France said it would support the United Nations' call for an independent inquiry, with the French foreign affairs minister calling the events on the ground "indefensible."
- What it could mean for the war: The deaths come at a critical time for the conflict, with negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a deal to pause fighting and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza reaching a potentially pivotal moment. Hamas senior member Izzat Al-Risheq warned that the killing of people collecting aid from trucks in Gaza could lead to the failure of ongoing talks. US officials on Friday said there are no indications that discussions had been significantly derailed — but much hinges on an expected Hamas response to what has been discussed in Paris and Doha in the past week between the other countries involved: Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the US.
- Against the backdrop of a dire humanitarian situation: More than half a million people in Gaza are on the brink of famine, United Nations agencies warned earlier this week, as the war stretches toward the five-month mark. Aid has been so sparse that, when available, it has often prompted panic. The UN reported Friday that at least 10 Palestinian children have starved to death in Gaza and that number can be expected to rise.
- The flow of aid has slowed: The Rafah crossing, where most aid had been delivered into Gaza, is now working at a reduced rate, and the alternate Kerem Shalom crossing in Israel is being blocked by demonstrators calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas. The Jordanian military made three airdrops of aid into parts of Gaza City on Friday and US President Joe Biden announced the US will also be making its own airdrops of supplies in the coming days.
Talks on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal appear on track after killings at Gaza aid site, officials say
From CNN's Alex Marquardt, MJ Lee and Mostafa Salem
Ongoing talks to reach a temporary ceasefire agreement to halt the fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza and release hostages appear to still be on track, even after more than 100 Palestinians were killed on Thursday as they tried to access food in Gaza City, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
United States officials on Friday said there are no indications that the discussions had been significantly derailed but much hinges on Hamas' response to what has been discussed between the other countries involved in recent days: Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the US. On Thursday, a Hamas official warned the negotiations could be impacted.
CNN has reached out to several Hamas officials about the potential deal but has not gotten a response.
What could be in a deal: Technical teams have been working on the key components of a potential deal this week in Doha, officials familiar with the talks say. On Tuesday, Qatari spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said disagreements remained over “numbers, ratios and (Israel Defense Forces) troop movements.”
It’s believed that Hamas will demand a higher ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel if Hamas is to release female IDF soldier hostages, as demanded by Israel.
Those involved in the discussions have said an agreement would likely be implemented in multiple phases; and once an initial deal is made, it could lead to a truce lasting for as long as six weeks, with a group of Israeli hostages released — including women, children, the elderly and sick hostages — in exchange for a smaller number of Palestinian prisoners than Hamas had initially demanded.
Read more about ceasefire deal negotiations.
White House defends Israel's ability to investigate carnage at Gaza aid convoy
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
The White House said Friday that it believes Israel should investigate the deaths of at least 112 people in Gaza City after Israeli troops opened fire while civilians waited for food aid, defending the country’s ability to look into its own potential wrongdoing.
“We've asked the government of Israel to investigate and it's our assessment that they're taking this seriously and they are looking into what occurred, so as to avoid tragedies like this from happening again,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during Friday’s news briefing.
Kirby pointed to previous examples of Israel investigating incidents and said they have been “very honest and upfront” about mistakes. Kirby added that they have not given Israel a timeline to complete their investigation.
The United Nations secretary-general, meanwhile, has called for an independent investigation.
What we know: A convoy of at least 18 food trucks arrived in Gaza City on Thursday morning, sent by countries in the region including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to eyewitnesses.
An IDF spokesperson said Thursday that an Israeli tank fired warning shots to disperse the crowd after unrest broke out and people in the crowd were getting trampled.
That claim was directly contradicted by eyewitnesses, including local journalist Khader Al Za'anoun, who was at the scene and said the chaos only began once Israeli forces opened fire. Some Palestinians were killed by gunfire, but most of the casualties were accidentally rammed by aid trucks fleeing the gunshots, Al Za'anoun said.
Biden calls for immediate temporary ceasefire as part of Israel-Hamas hostage deal
From CNN's Samantha Waldenberg
President Joe Biden on Friday said work toward a deal to release hostages continues and called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“We’re trying to work out a deal between Israel and Hamas on the hostages being returned and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for at least the next six weeks and to allow the surge of aid to the Gaza Strip,” Biden said during a meeting in the Oval Office with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The president added that the US will “insist” that more trucks and routes be added so more aid can be delivered to people in Gaza.
“We're going to insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need, no excuses,” Biden added.