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.
Hamas-linked website warns Palestinians not to work with Israel
GAZA — A Hamas-linked website is warning Palestinians against cooperating with Israel to provide security for aid convoys and if they do, they'll be treated as collaborators.
The warning came on the Hamas Al-Majd security website, quoting a security official in Palestinian militant forces. It came in response to Israeli media reports that Israel was considering arming some Palestinian individuals or clans in Gaza to provide security protection for aid convoys.
The convoys would be part of wider planning for humanitarian supplies after the fighting ends.
The Israeli prime minister’s office has declined to comment on the report, which came a week after dozens of Palestinians were killed in an incident in which crowds surrounded a convoy of aid trucks entering northern Gaza and troops opened fire.
“The occupation’s attempt to communicate with the leaders and clans of some families to operate within the Gaza Strip is considered direct collaboration with the occupation and is a betrayal of the nation that we will not tolerate,” the website said, quoting the official. “The occupation’s (Israel) efforts to establish bodies to manage Gaza are a ‘failed conspiracy’ that will not materialize.”
With civil order increasingly strained in Hamas-run Gaza and police refusing to provide security to convoys because of the risk of being targeted by Israeli forces, the issue of secure distribution of desperately needed food and other supplies has become a major problem.
162 UNRWA employees killed since start of the war, agency says
At least 162 staff members with the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency have been killed since the start of the war, the agency said in its situation update today.
More than 400 internally displaced civilians have also been killed at UNRWA facilities that have been hit directly or indirectly, the agency said.
An estimated 1.7 million of the roughly 2.2 million civilians inside the Gaza Strip are sheltering in or near UNRWA facilities.
Worshippers gather at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the first night of Ramadan prayers
Muslims perform the Tarawih prayer on the first night of the holy month of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem last night.
Oscar-winning 'The Zone of Interest' director condemns violence in Gaza and Israel
British filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, accepting the Academy Award for best international feature yesterday, denounced the bloodshed in the Middle East and asked the audience to consider how it could “resist” the “dehumanization” of the war in Gaza.
Glazer received the Oscar for “The Zone of Interest,” a drama that follows Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss and his family as they attempt to build an idyllic life right outside the walls of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland during the Holocaust.
The film, a co-production of the United Kingdom and Poland, pointedly avoids showing the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime inside Auschwitz, instead focusing on the day-to-day domestic routines of the Höss family.
“All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present — not to say, ‘Look what we did then,’ rather, ‘Look what we do now.’ Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst,” Glazer said, reading from prepared remarks. “It shaped all of our past and present.”
Glazer, who is Jewish, then said: “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many people.”
Hundreds attend Ramadan prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque as Israeli police restrict access
Hundreds of Palestinian Muslims have gone to Al-Aqsa Mosque to pray as Ramadan begins even though Israeli forces have enforced restrictions on the area.
The start of Ramadan was officially declared for many Muslims yesterday evening after the crescent moon was spotted in the night sky, making today the first day of fasting. Palestinians within Israel's borders went to the mosque last night to perform their Tarawih prayers, a special prayer done only during the month of Ramadan, but many were met with Israeli forces blocking their way.
Video circulated on social media of a large crowd being blocked from accessing a gate leading to the mosque and at least one officer was seen hitting people with a baton as the group was being pushed back. NBC News verified the videos using geolocation and has reached out to Israeli police for comment.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Information, Israeli forces refused access to young men who were attempting to go to the mosque as part of restrictions and witnesses saw some detained.
"It is noteworthy that the occupation forces have imposed a strict siege on Al-Aqsa Mosque for five months and prevented entry to it," the ministry said.
Israel has restricted access to the mosque to only Arab-Israeli citizens and residents of Jerusalem, preventing Palestinians in the West Bank from being able to pray there. Al-Aqsa is one of the holiest sites in Islam and Israeli forces have previously raided the mosque during Ramadan, saying last year they were seeking out young men who threw firecrackers at them outside.
U.N. chief calls for a cease-fire in the spirit of Ramadan
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is again calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, asking both Hamas and Israel to honor the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan "by silencing the guns."
"At the same time, and in the Ramadan spirit of compassion, I call for the immediate release of all hostages," Guterres said in a news conference today. "The eyes of the world are watching. The eyes of history are watching. We cannot look away. We must act to avoid more preventable deaths."
Guterres characterized international humanitarian law as being in "tatters" as the scale of death and destruction over the last six months is beyond anything he's ever seen in his time at the helm of the United Nations. He also called for a cease-fire in Sudan, where a civil war has also pushed civilians into a devastating hunger crisis.
"I call on political, religious and community leaders everywhere to do everything in their power to make this holy period time for empathy, action and peace," Guterres said. "Let's not forget that beyond Ramadan, Christians will soon celebrate Easter and Jews will celebrate Passover in April."
"It's time to end the terrible suffering."
Italian police arrest three Palestinians on terrorism charges
ROME — Italian police arrested three Palestinians based in central Italy who were planning attacks in an unspecified country, it said in a statement today.
The three men living in l’Aquila, about 75 miles northeast of Rome, had set up a cell linked to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the police said. There was no immediate comment by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is an armed group linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement and is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the European Union and the United States.
Police said the three Palestinians have been charged with criminal conspiracy for terrorism purposes or subversion of the democratic order, which carries jail terms of up to 15 years.
“The suspects engaged in proselytism and propaganda (...) and planned attacks, including suicide attacks, against civilian and military targets on foreign territory,” police said.
One of the three men is wanted by Israel, and an Italian court is examining an extradition request for him, the statement added. In a separate statement, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi hailed the arrest of “three dangerous terrorists” and said Italy was always on high alert against extremism and radicalization.
Netanyahu says Biden's criticism hurts the war effort
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu equated President Joe Biden's criticism of a ground invasion into Rafah with leaving the Nazi military intact in World War II and said the criticism is unhelpful to the fight against Hamas.
“To the extent that the world thinks that America and Israel are united, that helps the war effort and it helps our effort to achieve victory, and obviously the release of the hostages,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News this morning. “To the extent that Hamas believes there is daylight between us, that doesn’t help.”
The prime minister equated an invasion of Rafah with the invasion of Berlin decades ago, saying that a quarter of Hamas militants are still in Rafah.
Biden told MSNBC that an invasion of Rafah, where a majority of the Gaza population is sheltering, would be a "red line."
The U.S. has been critical of any ground assault on the densely populated city without an adequate humanitarian plan. Biden also told MSNBC he believes Netanyahu is hurting Israel with his policies, a statement that Netanyahu rejected by saying he has the support of a majority.
“It’s either Israel or Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “There’s no middle ground.”
Al-Qaida’s Yemen branch says leader Khalid al-Batarfi dead in unclear circumstances
The leader of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida is dead, the militant group announced, without providing details.
Khalid al-Batarfi had a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S. government over leading al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula through years that saw him imprisoned, freed in a jailbreak and governing forces in Yemen amid that country’s grinding war.
Though believed to be weakened in recent years by infighting and suspected U.S. drone strikes killing its leaders, the group has long been considered the most dangerous branch of the extremist group still operating after the killing of founder Osama bin Laden.
Al-Qaida released a video showing al-Batarfi wrapped in a white funeral shroud and al-Qaida’s black-and-white flag. Militants offered no details on the cause of his death, and there was no clear sign of trauma visible on his face. Al-Batarfi was believed to be in his early 40s.
Israel will respect freedom of worship during Ramadan, defense minister says with a warning
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said that authorities would respect freedom of worship during Ramadan but warned against making the Muslim holy month a “month of jihad.”
"We say to everyone who thinks of trying us — we are ready, don’t make mistakes," he said in Arabic in a video message this morning.
A heavy shadow hangs over Jerusalem's Old City as Ramadan begins with no cease-fire
JERUSALEM — The sun was shining over the streets of Jerusalem's Old City this afternoon, but as Ramadan began with no cease-fire in sight, the war in Gaza cast a heavy shadow over the start to the holy month.
The streets beyond Damascus Gate are normally filled with people and adorned with lights, lanterns and decorations for Ramadan — but today, they were markedly quiet, with no signs of celebration as small groups of worshippers made their way toward Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers.
Israeli border police could be seen patrolling the streets, with at least one checkpoint set up just outside the Old City — the latter an unusual sight.
One shopowner, Freddy Hidmi, told NBC News it was difficult to feel "excited" about Ramadan this year. Still, determined to uphold tradition, he busily prepared qatayef, or semolina pancakes, a staple sweet for iftar — the meal at sunset where Muslims break their daily fast during the holy month.
Hidmi, 66, said that this Ramadan his thoughts will be with Palestinians in Gaza. "God help them," he said.
Food aid ship held up by 'diplomacy' and waiting to sail from Cyprus to Gaza
LARNACA, Cyprus — An aid ship expected to depart today with 200 tons of food destined for Gaza from this Mediterranean port has been held up as “diplomacy” over the operation continues, the U.S.-based aid group coordinating the effort told NBC News.
A barge laden with pallets containing rice flour, lentils and canned beans, tuna, beef and chicken has been waiting for days to be pulled by ship to the coast of Gaza, where it is due to be received by World Central Kitchen workers. The journey is expected to take three days.
The operation is part of a broader effort involving the U.S. and allies including Cyprus to open a maritime route for humanitarian aid into Gaza. All aid is to be inspected by Cypriot customs agents with Israeli observers.
WCK said there are no remaining “technical issues” either in Cyprus or in Gaza and that “World Central Kitchen is ready to sail.”
Israeli bombardments continue in southern Gaza
A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing over Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip during an Israeli bombardment this morning.
Red pins and protests at the Oscars
From award winners to those outside the Dolby theatre, the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza was present at last night's Academy Awards .
Protesters blocked traffic around the venue in Los Angeles, which slowed down the arrival of celebrities, with some protesters shouting "Shame!" at the guests.
Some celebrities walked on the red carpet wearing red pins supporting a cease-fire in Gaza, including Mark Ruffalo, Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell.
And Jonathan Glazer, writer-director of the Auschwitz drama "The Zone of Interest," which won best international film, condemned the current war in his acceptance speech.
“Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst,” Glazer said. “Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.”
Palestinians mourn as losses continue
A body belonging to a victim of Israeli bombardment is loaded onto a flat surface by men in the southern city of Rafah today. Israeli strikes have continued in the region, despite hopes for a cease-fire in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Death toll in Gaza since Oct. 7 rises to 31,112, health ministry says
At least 31,112 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military assault of the besieged enclave after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, the enclave's health ministry said today.
Another 72,760 people have been injured since the war began, it added in a statement on Telegram.
The ministry said that at least 67 people were killed and another 106 injured in the last 24 hours, with a number of victims still trapped under rubble.
NBC News has not independently verified the numbers.
New efforts underway to deliver food aid to Gaza
The Spanish organization Open Arms and Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen are preparing a joint mission to get aid into Gaza, with plans to deliver food aid through a newly-secured maritime corridor.