What we know
- The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has begun in much of the world, with no sign of the cease-fire the U.S. has been pushing for, mounting fears of a famine in the Gaza Strip and concerns that tensions could erupt around holy sites in Jerusalem.
- The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned restrictions on Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque following reports that Israeli forces restricted access to worshippers last night, particularly young men. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said freedom of worship would be protected but warned that Israel would fight against any attacks.
- A U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment to build a pier off the Palestinian enclave's coast has left for the Mediterranean, but the first ship carrying 200 tons of food aid remains docked in Cyprus after delays. Aid agencies have criticized the plan for a maritime humanitarian corridor, saying it falls far short of meeting the needs of Gaza's population of 2.2 million.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his policies after President Joe Biden said in an exclusive interview with MSNBC that he was "hurting Israel more than helping." Netanyahu also vowed to move ahead with plans for a military offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering.
- The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 31,000, according to the enclave's 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.
Rising concerns over tensions in East Jerusalem as Ramadan begins with no cease-fire in sight
JERUSALEM — The sun was shining over the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City today as the first full day of Ramadan began — but with no cease-fire in sight, the war in Gaza cast a heavy shadow over the start of the holy month, with fears of tensions rising around the revered Al-Aqsa mosque.
Israeli border police patrolled the streets of the Old City’s Muslim quarter — an area that is usually bustling with people and adorned with lights, lanterns and decorations during Ramadan.
It was markedly quiet today, with no signs of celebration as small groups of worshippers made their way to Al-Aqsa, the third-holiest site in Islam, for noon prayers.
For Muslims around the world, Ramadan is “the most important month for us,” shopkeeper Jamil Halwani said. But this year, he said, the usual “joy of Ramadan,” a time of fasting, prayer, service, introspection and gathering, was absent.
Northern Lebanese area of Baalbek hit by Israeli airstrikes, state news says
Lebanese state news reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted towns surrounding the city of Baalbek in northern Lebanon.
One of the strikes hit a residential building in Ansar, south of Baalbek, according to Lebanon's National News Agency. Injuries were reported, but there no additional details were available. The nearby towns of Shamstar and Taraya were also hit, according to local reports.
Al-Jadeed, a Lebanese news station, reported that an olive oil mill was struck and a worker was missing.
NBC News has not independently verified the reports, and the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
Nassar Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Khan Younis, abandoned to trash after Israeli siege
NBC News returned to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis weeks after it came under siege by Israeli forces.
The hospital grounds are largely abandoned and surrounded by waste, as the remaining doctors and staff try to clean up the complex with hopes of restoring some medical services.
"We have nothing here: no food, no water, no electricity," one woman told NBC News. "Our homes are destroyed and my son died."
Hezbollah says it stages drone strike on Israeli outpost in Golan Heights
AMMAN — Lebanon’s Hezbollah group said it carried out a drone attack today against an Israeli air defense outpost across the border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
It said the four drones hit their target with “accuracy” in an operation to support Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967.
The Iran-aligned Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire along Lebanon’s southern border since October, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of its Palestinian ally, Hamas, which is at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli strikes had been mostly limited to the southern border region of Lebanon, although they have edged further north in recent weeks. Hezbollah last month said it fired rockets against the same target in the Golan Heights.
The armed group has used surface-to-air missiles on several occasions since Oct. 7 to target Israeli aircraft. It has also launched its own surveillance drones into northern Israel.
The Israeli military said two hostile aerial targets crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory in the northern Golan area “fell in open areas." It also said Israeli warplanes struck a Hezbollah military site in the border area of Jibbain and overnight hit another Hezbollah outpost in the Taybeh area.
Aid truck denied over scissors in medical kit, refugee agency says
A truck filled with aid was denied access to Gaza over the scissors packed inside medical kits, according to Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner of the United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency.
Lazzarini wrote in a post on X that very little aid is getting into Gaza as new restrictions, which are imposed by Israel, are increasing. Aid trucks are screened prior to entering Gaza and those that don't meet the requirements are turned away.
"Medical scissors are now added to a long list of banned items the Israeli Authorities classify as 'for dual use,'" Lazzarini wrote. "The list includes basic and lifesaving items: from anesthetics, solar lights, oxygen cylinders and ventilators, to water cleaning tablets, cancer medicines and maternity kits."
NBC News has reached out to the IDF and Israel's office of Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories for comment.
IDF still trying to determine whether it killed Hamas leader in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces is still trying to confirm whether it killed a Hamas leader during overnight strikes Saturday to Sunday in Nuseirat, according to military spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
Fighter jets targeted an "underground compound" that housed Marwan Issa, a man believed to be a high-ranking Hamas official working under militant leader Mohammed Deif, Hagari said.
He added that another military combat leader, Raazi Abu Tameh, was also believed to be in the compound.
"I want to emphasize, and this is important, that according to all the intelligence indications we have checked and examined carefully, as well as those we had at the time of approval of the attack, there were no Israelis held captive in the area," Hagari said.
Biden's criticism of Netanyahu hasn't translated to policy changes
Tensions in the relationship between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have seeped into the public recently, but it appears the disputes may not translate into policy changes.
NBC News correspondent Richard Engel noted that while Biden said there is a "red line" in regard to an invasion of Rafah, "there’s no red line when it comes to continuing to supply Israel with weapons."
There has not yet been any policy change to date on how Biden has defended Israel despite his frustrations with Netanyahu, said New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker.
"But it’s true that there is also widespread support in Israel across the political spectrum, it’s not just Netanyahu, for the military operation there," Baker said. "And so, obviously this personal relationship between the two is fraught."
12 Israeli human rights groups say Israel has failed to abide by order to prevent genocide
Israel has failed to abide by a provisional order from the International Court of Justice to prevent civilian genocide in Gaza, a dozen human rights organizations in Israel said in a joint letter today.
The letter was signed by Israel based-groups, such as The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Hamoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual; and Breaking the Silence.
They also said humanitarian aid to Gaza dropped 50% in February, the month after the court's ruling was issued.
"We urge the Israeli government to comply with the ICJ order and implement the court’s provisional measures, which are essential to mitigating and overcoming the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza," the letter said.
South Africa brought the case to the court, accusing Israel of conducting a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israeli officials have vehemently denied. An official ruling on the case could take years.
Last week, South African officials asked the court to impose further measures on Israel as children in Gaza began to die of malnutrition.
Palestinian foreign ministry condemns Israel's restrictions on Al-Aqsa during Ramadan
The Palestinian foreign ministry is condemning Israel's efforts to restrict access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a revered holy site in Islam, particularly during the month of Ramadan.
In a post on X, the ministry showed photos of Muslims lined up against what appeared to be metal barricade fences guarded by Israeli troops at a gate to enter the mosque's compound.
"The Ministry confirms that the occupation’s continued aggression against Al-Aqsa is the shortest way to blow up the entire conflict arena and bring it into the furnace of a fire that is difficult to control," it said in a statement.
The ministry urged international leaders to intervene on Israel's encroachment on Jerusalem's holy sites and protect the mosque.
IDF commander censured for demolishing university in Gaza without proper approval
JERUSALEM — An Israel Defense Forces commander has been formally censured for ordering the demolition of a university in Gaza without the proper approval.
Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, commander of the 99th Division, failed to ask permission from the head of the Southern Command to destroy the building, the IDF said.
The IDF said an investigation into the demolition of the university found that Hamas had used the site and its surroundings for military activity against Israeli forces, but that the destruction of the building was carried out "without the required approvals."
It was not immediately clear exactly when Hamas used the site. The IDF said it could not immediately provide a response to a request for comment from NBC News.
The incident continues to be investigated by the General Staff Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism, the body responsible for probing exceptional incidents during the war, the Times of Israel reported.