What we know
- Three U.S. troops were killed and 25 were injured in a drone attack on a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syrian border, according to CENTCOM.
- The Biden administration is discussing using weaponry sales to Israel as leverage to persuade the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to heed long-standing U.S. calls to scale back its military assault in the Gaza Strip, according to three current U.S. officials and a former U.S. official.
- CIA Director William Burns is set to meet in Paris today with Qatar’s prime minister and the director of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency. The negotiations are part of an effort to break a deadlock in talks for a new hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
- A Hamas official with knowledge of the talks told NBC News that the group was “flexible” on the details of the deal and would consider releasing hostages as long as the goal was a “final, comprehensive, lasting cease-fire.”
- The U.N. is grappling with the fallout after 12 aid workers employed by the UNRWA were accused of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. Several countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Germany, suspended funding to the aid agency. Two million Gazans depend on the UNRWA for daily survival, and the funding shortfall could curtail aid delivery by February.
- More than 26,400 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 64,400 have been injured, and thousands more are missing and presumed dead.
- Israeli military officials said at least 220 soldiers have been killed during the ground invasion of Gaza. About 1,200 people were killed and about 240 hostages were taken after Hamas launched multipronged attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
- NBC News’ Raf Sanchez, Matt Bradley, Chantal Da Silva and Ali Arouzi are reporting from the region.
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More than 350 people killed in Khan Younis in 48 hours, Government Media Office says
More than 350 people have been killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in 48 hours, according to the Government Media Office.
"Until this moment, neither medical teams nor civil defense and emergency crews have been able to reach dozens of martyrs whose bodies are still dumped in the streets and roads, as the occupation army prevents anyone from reaching them, in clear violation of international law," the media office said in a statement.
The media office confirmed that 150 bodies were buried in the Nasser Hospital complex as Israel "prevented medical teams and citizens from burying the martyrs in the governorate’s cemeteries."
Doctors say situation at Nasser Hospital is 'miserable'
A doctor at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis told NBC News that the facility had gone “out of service” and that medical staff members “cannot do anything” as they continue to receive wounded patients.
“The situation here is miserable,” Dr. Muhammad Harara said. “Today we received a lot of gunshot [patients] who come from families who are seeking another safe place outside the hospital. Our injuries arrive every second.”
Biden took a moment of silence today for the three U.S. service members who were killed in a drone attack in Jordan. The president, speaking at an impromptu stop at Brookland Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, said the U.S. "shall respond."
Right-wing Israeli ministers join thousands at event calling for resettlement of Gaza
JERUSALEM — Thousands of Israelis, including several high-profile government ministers, have gathered at a conference hall in Jerusalem tonight for an event calling for the resettlement of Gaza after the war.
Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed the idea of resettling Gaza — but that has not stopped several prominent right-wing ministers within his Cabinet from taking up the stage and front-row seats at the event.
Addressing a cheering crowd, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said it was time for Netanyahu to “get courageous” and lead the resettlement of Gaza — and to “encourage” Palestinians to leave the enclave.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a speech that he had “mixed emotions” about the event, with Israel focused on its war with Hamas. But, he said, “there is something here in the atmosphere and in the strength of the people here.” Israel, he said, is at a crossroads, and he said: “Without settlement, there’s no security.”
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and Tourism Minister Haim Katz were also at the event, along with several other politicians. In the entrance hall of the conference, a massive map could be seen outlining a plan for possible settlements sprinkled throughout Gaza.
The Biden administration has previously condemned statements made by Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller calling such rhetoric "inflammatory and irresponsible."
Netanyahu’s office declined to comment before the event on the planned attendance of several government ministers.
WHO director general asks donors not to suspend funding to UNRWA
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on donors to not suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East "at this critical moment."
“Cutting off funding will only hurt the people of #Gaza who desperately need support,” Ghebreyesus wrote on his X account.
Jordan condemns attack that killed 3 U.S. troops
The Jordanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., condemned the attack that killed three U.S. troops on the Jordan-Syria border.
Muhannad Mubaideen, the minister of government communications, expressed condolences to the U.S. over the loss, adding that Jordan will continue to fight terrorism on the border with Syria.
Austin 'outraged and deeply saddened' by the killing of 3 U.S. troops, says U.S. 'will respond at a time and place of our choosing'
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is "outraged and deeply saddened" by the killing of three U.S. troops in Jordan and the wounding of others.
"These brave Americans and their families are in my prayers, and the entire Department of Defense mourns their loss," Austin said in a statement. "Iran-backed militias are responsible for these continued attacks on U.S. forces, and we will respond at a time and place of our choosing."
Guterres appeals to governments to 'guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's operations'
UNRWA’s current funding will not allow it to meet the requirements to support 2 million civilians in Gaza who depend on it for aid, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement today, responding to the decisions of several countries to cut funding to the organization.
The secretary-general said that the U.N. was taking “swift action” against the UNRWA workers accused by Israel of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks and had “immediately identified and terminated” nine of the 12 workers implicated.
One more person was confirmed dead, and the identity of two others was being clarified, he said, adding that the “Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation.”
However, he added that “tens of thousands of men and women” work for UNRWA and “should not be penalized” via funding cuts to the organization, appealing to governments suspending contributions to “guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations.”
Palestinians began digging a mass grave inside the Nasser Hospital complex as they lack a safe passage to transport bodies for proper burials.
The head of Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s Khan Younis said 150 bodies were buried in the yard of the hospital after they started to decompose in the mortuary.
Hostage summit in Europe ends, Netanyahu's office says
The summit in Paris to discuss a deal between Israel and Hamas to release hostages has concluded, according to Netanyahu's office.
“A short time ago, the intelligence summit in Europe ended with the participation of Mossad head David Barnea, Shin Bet chief Ronan Bar, and reservist colonel Nitzan Alon with the head of the CIA, the prime minister of Qatar, and the Egyptian minister of intelligence,” said a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office. “The meeting was defined as a constructive meeting. There are still significant gaps in which the parties will continue to discuss this week in additional mutual meetings."
