January 4, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday joined multiple countries in condemning deadly twin blasts in Iran, which have threatened to stoke tensions in the region nearly three months after war erupted in Gaza.

Dozens of people were killed Wednesday in the southern Iranian city of Kerman after twin explosions near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani, in what officials called a terror attack. No group has claimed responsibility.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has blamed Israel for the blasts, saying it will pay a “heavy price.” The Israeli military told CNN it had “no comment” on the matter.

Separately, Saudi's Foreign Ministry said in an X post that it affirms the kingdom's "rejection and condemnation of the terrorist bombings that targeted civilians in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Both countries also expressed condolences to the victims.

The attacks have also been condemned by the European Union, the United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, and the foreign ministries of Pakistan and India.

Calling "terrorism" a “threat to regional and global peace and security,” Pakistan's foreign ministry urged bilateral and regional cooperation.

Some context: At least 84 people were killed and 284 others injured in the blasts, one of which was caused by a bomb, state TV said, near the grave of military commander Soleimani.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. The Israeli military told CNN it had "no comment" on the matter while the US State Department said it had no reason to believe Israel was involved. A senior US official said the blasts were similar to previous terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS.

A US Department of Education political appointee resigned Wednesday over the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, becoming the second known US official to quit in protest during the nearly three-month long conflict.

Tariq Habash, a Palestinian American policy adviser in the department's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, said in his resignation letter that he could not "stay silent as this administration turns a blind eye to the atrocities committed against innocent Palestinian lives."

His resignation follows that of former State Department official Josh Paul, who quit in October "due to a policy disagreement concerning our continued lethal assistance to Israel."

Asked for comment on Habash's resignation, a Department of Education spokesperson said in a statement: “We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Fierce fighting is raging in parts of Gaza including the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Israel's military and sources in the strip, even as several areas have quietened following the withdrawal of some Israeli units.

The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 22,300 people since October 7, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza.

Meanwhile, fears over the potential for a wider regional conflict were underscored after Iranian officials blamed Israel for deadly twin blasts in Iran and threatened revenge.

The blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani came on the fourth anniversary of his death in a US airstrike, threatening to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Here's what you need to know:

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday said it will hold public hearings next week regarding proceedings brought by South Africa against Israel over allegations of genocide in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The hearings will be dedicated to South Africa’s request last week for “provisional measures” — emergency steps the court can order to preserve the rights of a party.

South Africa is scheduled to present its oral arguments on January 11, with Israel set to do the same the following day. 

An Israeli government spokesperson said Tuesday that Israel will appear before the ICJ "to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel for deadly twin explosions during a memorial ceremony in southeastern Iran on Wednesday.

The blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani came on the fourth anniversary of his death in a US airstrike, threatening to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Raisi, who is the head of the Iranian government, also warned that Israel's punishment will be "regrettable and severe."

The Israeli military told CNN it had "no comment" on the explosions in Iran. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts which Iran has called a "terror attack."

US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters Wednesday that the US does not "have any independent information" about the explosions, and that the State Department has “no reason to believe that Israel was involved.”

Read more about the deadly blasts in Iran.

Israel’s military on Wednesday released a video that it claims shows the dismantlement of a tunnel route it accuses Hamas of excavating under Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the underground tunnel route was dismantled on November 24 by special forces and soldiers from the Yahalom Unit, which specializes in engineering tasks.

The IDF claims the hospital was not damaged and that humanitarian activities were able to continue while it dismantled the tunnel route, which it says spanned more than 250 meters.

CNN cannot independently verify the IDF’s claims.

Israel accused Hamas of developing the tunnel system beneath the hospital and connecting it to nearby tunnel shafts and other Hamas centers to carry out “terrorist operations," which Hamas has repeatedly denied. 

The IDF also insisted that Hamas systematically operates in Gaza hospitals and adjacent areas, "using the residents as human shields." Hamas has previously denied using the hospital as a command hub. 

US intelligence: On Tuesday, the United States reiterated its assessment that Hamas and other Gaza militants used Al-Shifa Hospital as a command hub as well as to hold hostages and store weapons, with a senior intelligence official pointing to newly declassified intelligence that reinforces the conclusion of Israeli and US intelligence.

But the US intelligence community did not release any new evidence to support its assessment after questions were raised about to what extent the Al-Shifa Hospital was indeed the “beating heart” of Hamas operations, as Israel had claimed.

In late December, the Washington Post published an extensive investigation that cast doubt on some of Israel’s claims.

Israel had come under widespread criticism for its November siege and assault on the struggling hospital, where doctors had described the situation as “catastrophic.”

A unspecified number of people were killed Wednesday following artillery strikes near a hospital in southern Gaza, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which runs the medical facility.

On Tuesday, the Red Crescent reported that five people were killed and three others injured in strikes near the same hospital.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment but has yet to receive a response. 

Some context: While some parts of Gaza have been quieter after the withdrawal of some Israeli units, intense combat is raging in Khan Younis, according to both the Israeli military and Hamas’ military wing.

“The troops, including armored corps and engineering forces, conducted targeted raids on central locations in the area,” the IDF said. It spoke of intensive battles in the neighborhood.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday warned that if Israel wages war with Lebanon, the response would be "limitless," adding that the killing of a senior Hamas official in Beirut on Tuesday "won't go unpunished."

Tensions have escalated between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah since the October 7 attack and ensuing war between Israel and Hamas, which has prompted fears of a spillover into a wider regional conflict.

Nasrallah made the remarks during a pre-planned address to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike in Iraq.

"A war with us will be extremely costly," he added. "It would then be in Lebanon's interest to go to war to the very end."

Nasrallah's speech also follows the killing of Hamas senior leader Saleh Al-Arouri in Beirut, which a US official has told CNN was caused by an Israeli airstrike.  

"Yesterday's crime was large and dangerous," Nasrallah said, referring to Arouri's killing. "This crime will not be left without a response and punishment. Between us and our enemies there is time and the battlefield." 

Some background: Prior to October 7, Nasrallah had not spoken publicly in person since 2006, when a month-long war erupted between Lebanon and Israel. In that speech, Nasrallah called for a ceasefire and praised Hamas' attacks on Israel, adding that they were fully planned and executed by the militant group.