What we know
- In an exclusive interview with MSNBC, President Joe Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's disregard for "innocent lives" is "hurting Israel more than helping Israel." He said that a ground invasion of Rafah would be a red line but that he would "never leave Israel." However, he added, Netanyahu "cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead."
- Biden also said that he wanted to see a cease-fire and that he maintains hope that there could be one before Ramadan. "I think it's always possible," he said. "I never give up on that."
- In an interview with Politico, Netanyahu defended his political policies as being supported by an "overwhelming majority" of Israelis following criticism from Biden that he was harming the country. "I don't know what the president meant, but if he meant that I lead a policy against the majority of the Israeli public and that it harms Israel's interests, he is wrong on both counts," Netanyahu said.
- Millions of Muslims will begin fasting tomorrow morning after the crescent moon was spotted in Saudi Arabia, marking the start of Ramadan for some. Many of the Gazans who observe the holy month are struggling with food insecurity and malnutrition, hindering their ability to eat well enough to sustain well-balanced fasts.
- The U.S. said that as part of a plan to surge humanitarian aid to Palestinians, it will develop a maritime corridor and has deployed an Army vessel from Virginia to begin construction of a floating pier off Gaza. Aid agencies have criticized the plan, saying sending aid by air and sea falls far short of meeting the needs of Gaza's population of 2.2 million.
- The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 31,000, according to the Health Ministry, including at least 25 people who have died of starvation. The Israeli military said at least 247 soldiers have been killed since the ground invasion of Gaza began.
LAPD orders protesters near Dolby Theatre to leave
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Police Department has ordered protesters near the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars ceremony is underway, to leave the area immediately.
Ahead of the Oscars ceremony, about 200 people turned up to protest Israel’s war in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Some red carpet arrivals were slowed by as much as an hour, according to The Associated Press.
As its officers maintained the multi-block security zone around the venue, the department declared a citywide tactical alert, which allows supervisors to keep officers on-duty beyond their shift times in case extra police are needed for specific incidents.
The tactical alert appears to have been declared in response to the protest.
The department already had the area around the theater cordoned off as part of its customary security measures for the Academy Awards, and the FBI was assisting with security measures as a precaution.
“The FBI has a presence at various special events, to include the Academy Awards, in order to share intelligence and to support our partners at the LAPD who have the lead on securing venues for functions in the city of Los Angeles,” the bureau said in a statement last week.
The LAPD said Sunday night that one person was arrested on an allegation of battery on an officer. Details of the incident were unavailable. It was not clear when or where the arrest was made.
“The groups have dispersed and the flow of traffic has been restored,” the department said on social media platform X.
Hamas official says group is flexible on prisoner exchange terms but not cease-fire duration
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, said today that the group was willing to show some flexibility on the matter of a prisoner exchange but would not relent on a long-standing, durable cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.
"Yes, the issue of prisoners is important, and the enemy must understand that he will pay a price in the issue of exchange, but the top priority is to protect our people, stop the aggression, stop the massacres, return the displaced and open a political horizon for our cause and our people," Haniyeh said.
He placed blame on Israel for failing to secure a cease-fire deal before the start of Ramadan, saying Israeli officials have yet to provide a plan to re-establish displaced Gazans back to their homes.
The group is aiming for "comprehensive" cease-fire that would also end the war and move toward ending Israel's occupation, Haniyeh said.
An effort to get aid to Gaza by sea is moving ahead. But the first ship is still waiting in Cyprus.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza was heading to the Mediterranean today, after Biden announced plans to increase aid deliveries by sea to the besieged enclave where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going hungry.
The opening of the sea corridor, along with airdrops by the U.S., Jordan and others, reflected growing alarm over Gaza’s deadly humanitarian crisis and a new willingness to bypass Israeli control over land shipments. But aid officials say that air and sea deliveries can’t make up for a shortage of land routes. Aid trucks entering Gaza daily are far below the 500 entering before the war.
A ship belonging to Spanish aid group Open Arms and carrying 200 tons of food aid was expected to make a pilot voyage to Gaza from nearby Cyprus “as soon as possible,” but not today, said Linda Roth, a spokesperson for partner organization World Central Kitchen. There was no explanation after Cyprus’ president had said it would leave then.
Israel says it welcomes the sea deliveries and would inspect Gaza-bound cargo before it leaves Cyprus. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reviewed preparatory work off Gaza’s coast today.
Meanwhile, U.S. efforts began to set up the temporary pier in Gaza for sea deliveries. U.S. Central Command said that a first U.S. Army vessel, General Frank S. Besson, left a base in Virginia yesterday and was on its way to the eastern Mediterranean with equipment for construction. U.S. officials said that it would likely be weeks before the pier is operational.
The ship in Cyprus is expected to take two to three days to arrive at an undisclosed location in Gaza. The World Central Kitchen spokesperson said that construction work began today on the jetty for it.
A member of the charity said on X, formerly Twitter, that once the ship’s barge reaches Gaza, aid would be offloaded by a crane, placed on trucks and driven to northern Gaza, which has been largely cut off from aid shipments and was the first focus of Israel’s military offensive.
Saudi Arabia's king calls for end to 'brutal crimes' against Palestinians
Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz asked Allah to bring peace to the region this Ramadan during a speech read on his behalf today.
"As it pains us that the month of Ramadan falls this year, in light of the attacks our brothers in Palestine are suffering from, we stress the need for the international community to assume its responsibilities, to stop these brutal crimes, and provide safe humanitarian and relief corridors," the speech said.
Before the war started in October, Saudi Arabia was in negotiations to normalize relations with Israel. But last month, the kingdom reportedly told American officials that it would refuse to establish ties with Israel without the normalization of a Palestinian state.
Ramadan should have come with 'long' overdue respite, UNRWA chief says
Philippe Lazzarini, chief of the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency, marked the start of Ramadan with a post on X noting the struggles of Muslims in Gaza during the Islamic holy month."For the people of #Gaza, it comes as extreme hunger spreads, displacement continues & fear + anxiety prevail amid threats of a military operation on #Rafah," he wrote. "This month should bring a ceasefire for those who have suffered the most."
Palestinians in Gaza deserve the "peace of mind" that comes with a respite from violence that's been "long over due," Lazzarini said. He expressed his own wishes for better times to all of those celebrating Ramadan, including his own colleagues.
Senate Intelligence Chair Mark Warner: Eliminating all of Hamas is not 'realistic'
During an interview that aired on CBS’ “Face the Nation” this morning, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and ranking member Marco Rubio, R-Fla., discussed the importance of the U.S. continuing to send humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed doubts that the end of the Israel-Hamas war is within reach.
Asked whether Biden’s announcement that the U.S. is building a port in an effort to deliver more humanitarian aid into Gaza is a good decision, Warner said he thinks it’s “important” for the U.S. to continue to show that it has been the “largest single donor to humanitarian efforts for years in the region.”
“I mean, the airlift approach is more symbolic than actually getting relief to most folks,” Warner said. “I think the right thing to do in terms of particularly as we go into Ramadan, hopefully lowering some of the tension, but also shows America’s concern for some of the humanitarian costs in the region.”
Rubio said that “everybody’s in favor of helping innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire of any conflict,” before going on to note the challenges in delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, which he largely attributed to a system of tunnels built by Hamas.
“Hamas has built a system of tunnels — it’s expensive. I mean, I don’t care if they got a great deal on the concrete. It’s expensive to build this extensive system of tunnels, millions of dollars,” Rubio said. “That’s money that could have gone on to create an economy, to feed people, to build hospitals and serve civilians. They didn’t do it.”
Pressed on whether they agree with Netanyahu that total victory will be achieved within weeks, Warner disagreed.
“Meeting with folks in Israel, in the military community, in the intelligence community, the idea that you’re going to eliminate every Hamas fighter, I don’t think is a realistic goal,” Warner said.
Rubio said that it’s “possible to achieve a situation which Hamas does not have the capability” to launch an attack against Israel similar to Oct. 7, but expressed concerns over the possibility of another Iran-allied group stepping in.
“That doesn’t mean Hezbollah doesn’t step in and take over now as a result, that doesn’t mean that a new Hamas offshoot wouldn’t re-create it,” Rubio said. “This is an ongoing challenge.”
U.S. and Jordan conduct new aid airdrop, U.S. Central Command confirms
More aid was airdropped onto Gaza this afternoon in a joint effort between the U.S. and the Royal Jordanian Air Force, U.S. Central Command confirmed today.
"The DoD humanitarian airdrops contribute to ongoing U.S. and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering," the defense agency said on X. "These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow on aerial deliveries."
The airdrop occurred in northern Gaza, which has been the hardest to reach by land for aid groups, and provided more than 11,500 "meal equivalents" provided by Jordan. Aid pallets also included essentials such as rice, flour, pasta and canned food, according to Central Command.
Hostage families to meet U.N. Security Council in New York
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz will leave for New York this evening alongside several family members of hostages still in Gaza to discuss the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization with the United Nations Security Council.
The prime minister's office said in a statement that a request from the United States, Great Britain and France to immediately convene the Security Council to hear the arguments against Hamas was an "unprecedented political achievement" in what Netanyahu described as "a fight for Israel’s position and justice."
The hostage families will also meet with the U.N.'s special representative for sexual violence in conflict zones, Pramila Patten, and will be accompanied by Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator of prisoners and missing persons, the prime minister's office said.
Israel will "not stop" until the U.N. officially declares Hamas a terrorist organization and applies personal sanctions to Hamas leaders within and outside Gaza, Katz said in a statement.
Netanyahu responds to Biden comments, says policies are supported by 'overwhelming majority' of Israelis
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his political policies as being supported by an "overwhelming majority" of Israelis, following criticism from President Joe Biden that Netanyahu was harming the country.
"I don't know what the president meant, but if he meant that I lead a policy against the majority of the Israeli public and that it harms Israel's interests, he is wrong on both counts," Netanyahu said.
The remarks were made in an interview with Politico that is expected to air later today. Netanyahu posted a preview clip to his X account, adding a caption that says the vast majority are united on these topics.
His statement also comes amid a wave of internal backlash against Netanyahu and calls by thousands of Israelis for new elections. The Times of Israel reported yesterday that water cannons were deployed in Tel Aviv against anti-government protesters who were blocking a highway. Speakers at the event included many vocal critics of Netanyahu and his government, according to the Israeli newspaper.
Netanyahu went on to accuse the Palestinian Authority, which is the governing body in the West Bank, of educating children toward "terrorism." Though Hamas is designated a terrorist group by many states internationally, the U.S. has worked with the Palestinian Authority and supported the idea it could run an independent Palestinian state.
The Israeli prime minister also said the idea of a Palestinian state is "rammed down our throats" and that Israelis support his position to reject a two-state solution.
"The attempt to say that my policies are my private policies that are not supported by Israelis is false," Netanyahu said. "The vast majority is united like never before, and they understand what is good for Israel."
Palestinians in Jerusalem prepare for Ramadan in shadow of Gaza war
Palestinians prepared for Ramadan in a somber mood, with heightened security measures by Israeli police and the specter of war and hunger in Gaza overshadowing the normally festive Muslim holy month as talks to secure a cease-fire stalled.
Thousands of police have been deployed around the narrow streets of the Old City in Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of worshippers are expected every day at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound.
Despite calls from Israel's far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for restrictions on the number of worshippers at Al Aqsa, the prime minister's office said in a statement today that the number of worshippers allowed entry to the compound would be similar to previous years.
Al Aqsa Mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam, with some of its buildings dating back to the fifth century. It sits atop what Muslims know as al-Haram al-Sharif, or "the Noble Sanctuary" in Arabic. The area is also the holiest site in Judaism and known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
