February 13, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

The Israeli military has not yet presented its plan to the government for the evacuation of Rafah, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday directed the IDF to plan for the “evacuation of the population” from Rafah, ahead of an anticipated ground assault on the southern Gaza city.

Lerner said the military aims to create a plan that evacuates civilians "out of harm's way" and differentiates civilians from Hamas militants.

More than half of Gaza’s population is believed to be in Rafah, with the majority of people displaced from other parts of the besieged enclave crammed into a makeshift tent city.

More than half of Gaza’s population is believed to be in Rafah, with the majority of people displaced from other parts of the besieged enclave crammed into a makeshift tent city.

Israel faces growing international pressure over the potential impacts on civilians from a ground invasion of Rafah. 

On Tuesday, Lerner addressed the concerns, likening "the alternative... to surrender to Hamas and to sacrifice 134 people."

"We need to bring home the hostages, we need to bring them home now. We can do it, we've done it in the past. We've proven time and time again that we can evacuate a mass amount of people out of harm's way," he said. 

After being trapped in a building for more than a week in a neighborhood of Gaza City besieged by Israeli troops, a group of Palestinian women told CNN they were forced to flee south with their children, with some walking barefoot for more than 12 miles along a stretch of coastline to escape.

CNN spoke with the four women at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, where they arrived on February 3 with their 16 children – aged 9 months to 12 years – after walking for about eight hours in the cold rain from Gaza City.

The group of relatives and neighbors from Abu Eskandar in northern Gaza said they had sought shelter in Gaza City on their journey south, holing up in an apartment building in the Al-Rimal neighborhood.

The women alleged that Israeli forces abducted their husbands and sons, older relatives, and one sister, a female doctor, from the building where they were sheltering. They accused the Israeli military of blowing up the building, as well as others nearby.

Read the full story here.

Palestinians in Rafah are trying to figure out their next move after deadly Israeli strikes rained down on the southern Gaza city, a displaced aid worker told CNN on Monday. 

About 100 people, including children, were killed as the “extremely intense” airstrikes and shelling pounded multiple locations, according to local officials.

The Israeli military confirmed it conducted a “series of strikes” in the Shaboura area of Rafah and that two Israeli hostages were rescued in a “special operation.”

More than 1.3 million people — more than half of Gaza’s population — are seeking refuge in Rafah, with the majority of people displaced from other parts of the besieged enclave crammed into a sprawling tent city.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to plan for the “evacuation of the population” ahead of an offensive against what he described as "Hamas’s last bastion.”

Here are the latest developments:

A Greek-owned commercial vessel targeted by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Monday was carrying corn from Brazil to Iran, according to US Central Command and the State Department.

This appears to be the first time the Houthis have targeted a ship destined for Iran, which provides backing for the rebel group that controls parts of Yemen.

The Houthis had previously claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was a US vessel.

The vessel was not subject to US sanctions because it was carrying corn, which falls under an exemption that covers food supplies, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the vessel is owned by Star Bulk Carriers, “a Greek-based global shipping company with partial U.S. owners.”

The ship suffered minor damage and no injuries to its crew, according to the US Central Command.

The vessel, named the "Star Iris," was sailing from the Brazilian port of Vila Do Conde to Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini port in the Persian Gulf, according to marine tracking company Kpler.

"At a projected 4.5 million tonnes for this year, flows from Brazil make for the majority of Iran's corn imports," he said.

The Houthis have been targeting vessels delivering for Israel in the Red Sea in response to what they call Israel's "aggression" against Gaza.

Despite repeated strikes against Houthi weapons, the Iran-backed rebel group has vowed to continue targeting vessels with links to Israel, the US and the UK.

The US has called on the Israeli government to investigate the death of 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said on Monday.

Rajab was found dead this weekend after being trapped in a car for Gaza City with members of her family who were reportedly shot to death by Israeli forces weeks ago.

Rescue workers dispatched to find her were also reportedly shot and killed. 

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff cast doubt Monday on the idea that Iran wants war with the United States, telling NBC’s Lestor Holt, “I don’t know that they do.” 

Brown’s comments come after at least 170 attacks by Iran-backed groups on US and coalition forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since October 17.

US President Joe Biden discussed a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas which would include a six-week pause in fighting with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on Monday.

The US president said that in the past month, he had participated in talks about a deal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of Qatar and Egypt.

Biden said he’s been working “day and night,” along with Abdullah, to bring home hostages held by Hamas and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

He also thanked the king for conducting an airdrop of medical supplies to the region.

Speaking about Israel's planned ground offensive into Rafah, Biden said the country “should not proceed without a credible plan" to ensure the safety of people sheltering in the city.

The Biden administration is deeply concerned about an Israeli operation that rescued two hostages out of Rafah but may have also resulted in about one hundred Palestinians being killed as part of that operation, according to a senior administration official.

The hostages were rescued Monday after 128 days in captivity.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that more than 100 people were killed in strikes that the Israeli military carried out in Rafah overnight. It did not specify how many of those were militants. 

US officials are still gathering information on the rescue operation, but such a high rate of Palestinian deaths would be deeply worrisome, the US official said.

Some background: Tension between President Joe Biden's administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has intensified in recent days as Israel has said that it is preparing to go into Rafah. US officials have expressed strong concerns to their Israeli counterparts about the feasibility of safely moving the large civilian population out of the area.

US President Joe Biden is growing increasingly frustrated behind the scenes with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, telling advisers and others that the prime minister is ignoring his advice and obstructing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Biden has stopped short of directly criticizing Netanyahu in public. But he has become increasingly critical of Israel’s tactics, saying last week he believes the campaign in Gaza is “over the top.”

In private, Biden has been more willing to offer unvarnished thoughts on Netanyahu, including his deep irritation that Netanyahu has not followed through on American recommendations to de-intensify military tactics in Gaza. 

The tension between the Biden administration and Netanyahu’s government has only intensified in recent days over Israel’s preparations for a ground incursion into Rafah, where more than 1.3 million people are seeking refuge

The Biden administration is highly skeptical about whether Netanyahu’s direction to Israel’s military for an “evacuation of the population” out of Rafah before Israel forces go in is even remotely feasible.

CNN's Arlette Saenz contributed reporting to this post.