US and Israeli defense officials discuss possible Iranian attack
From CNN’s Michael Conte in Washington, DC, Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem and Larry Register in Atlanta
US Defense Secretary LloydAustinspoke with Israeli Defense Minister YoavGallanttoday to “reaffirm the US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies,” according to a Pentagon spokesperson.
The call comes a day after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel "must be punished and it will be" following a strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria that killed seven Iranian officials.
“A direct Iranian attack on Israeli territory would require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran,” Gallant said on the call, according to a statement issued by his office.
Israel “will not tolerate an Iranian attack on its territory,” the statement read, adding that the two defense leaders also discussed detailed preparations “for an Iranian attack against the State of Israel.”
Gallantsaid an Iranian attack on Israel could lead to a regional escalation.
It is the second discussion held betweenGallantandAustinover the past week, according to the statement.
Gallantexpressed his appreciation forAustin’s personal commitment to the security of Israel and for the deepening cooperation between the defense establishments of both countries, as well as between the Israel Defense Forces and US CENTCOM.
Hamas says ceasefire essential to collect data on hostages held in Gaza
From CNN's Abeer Salman and Mohammed Tawfeeq
A member of Hamas' political bureau saida prisoner-hostage exchange is being discussed as part of larger ceasefire negotiations.
"Part of negotiations is to reach a ceasefire agreement to have enough time and safety to collect final and more precise data" on the hostages held in Gaza Basem Naim said in a statement on Thursday.
"Because they (hostages) are in different palaces, (being held) by different groups, some of them are under the rubble killed with our own people, and we negotiate to get heavy equipment for this purpose," he added.
Naim's statement was in response to questions from media outlets about whether Hamas has rejected the latest proposal, made in Cairo over the weekend, because it cannot release 40 hostages in the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire deal.
According to an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, Hamas told negotiators it was currently unable to identify and track down 40 Israeli hostages meeting the criteria required for a deal, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known.
CNN's record of the conditions of the hostages also suggests there are fewer than 40 living hostages who meet the proposed criteria.
Israeli military says it is constructing a new land crossing to northern Gaza
From Lauren Izso in Tel Aviv and Caitlin Danaher in London
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are constructing a new land crossing from Israel to northern Gaza, according to a statement released Thursday.
The Israeli military said the new northern crossing will “enable more aid to flow directly to civilians in the areas that have been challenging for trucks to access.״
The UN and other agencies have reported a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is imminent due to a lack of aid.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said late Wednesday that Israel was planning to“flood Gaza with aid,”amid intensifying pressure from the US to urgently increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
COGAT, the Israeli agency that coordinates the inspection of aid deliveries to Gaza, said the daily number of trucks entering Gaza had doubled from last week’s numbers. But the UN agency for Palestinian affairs, which tracks the flow of aid into Gaza, has not reported a similar increase.
Israel is preparing for "scenarios" in locations other than Gaza, Netanyahu warns
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy in London and Lauren Izso in Tel Aviv
Israel is preparing for "scenarios" in locations other than Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a visit to an Israeli airbase on Thursday.
Tensions are mounting throughout the Middle East following warnings from US officials thatIran could carry out an imminent attackon US or Israeli assets in the region. Iran has blamed Israel for a recent attack on its consulate in Syria that killed commanders from its Revolutionary Guard Corps.
"We are in the midst of the war in Gaza, which is continuing at full force, even as we are continuing our relentless efforts to return our hostages. However, we are also prepared for scenarios involving challenges in other sectors," Netanyahu said, according to a readout from his office.
The prime minister said Israel had developed a strategy in the face of potential attacks.
"We have determined a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively," Netanyahu said to Israeli air force personnel at the Tel Nof Air Base, south of Tel Aviv.
While at the base, the Israeli leader also received an update on Israel's activity during the war in Gaza from the deputy base commander and squadron commander, according to his office.
Top US humanitarian official says "credible" to assess famine already in parts of Gaza
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The top US humanitarian official said Wednesday it is “credible” to assess that famine is already happening in parts of Gaza.
Although US officials have been sounding the alarm about the imminent risk of famine in the enclave, United States Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power is the first official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place.
Power, speaking at a congressional hearing, was asked about an assessment from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and whether it “is plausible or likely that parts of Gaza, and particularly northern Gaza, are already experiencing famine.”
“The methodology that the IPC used is one that we had our experts scrub,” Power said. “It's one that's relied upon in other settings and that is their assessment and we believe that assessment is credible.”
“So there's, famine is already occurring there?” the administrator was asked by Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro.
“That is – yes,” she replied.
Power noted that the rate of malnutrition in northern Gaza before October 7 "was almost zero. And it is now one in three ... kids."
Some background:AnIPC analysislast month stated that all 2.2 million people in Gaza do not have enough food to eat, with half of the population on the brink of starvation and famine projected to arrive in the north “anytime between mid-March and May 2024.” It is unclear if this is the analysis cited in the hearing.
Why this matters:The assessment is likely to fuel further calls for the Biden administration to put restrictions on its military aid to Israel. Top officials, including the US president himself, have told Israeli officials they must do more immediately to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk changes in US policy.
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