Russian missiles strike Ukrainian cities, killing at least five, Ukraine says

Ukrainian rescue and emergency workers attend the site of a missile attack in Kharkiv on Jan. 23, 2024. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)

(KYIV, Ukraine) — Air raid sirens sounded in Ukraine’s two largest cities just before dawn on Tuesday, as the Russian military again targeted residential areas with a barrage of missiles, killing five and injuring dozens.

Many residents of Kyiv and Kharkiv fled to underground shelters as missiles struck their cities, local officials said.

Russia launched at least 41 missiles, including 12 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Ukraine said. Most of the 21 missiles targeting Kyiv, the capital, were shot down, including five ballistic ones, officials said.

At least one person was killed in Kyiv, where missiles struck two high-rise buildings, Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said. Other buildings were damaged and rubble covered parked cars, he said.

“This is Russia’s real intentions: the daily terror of civilians,” Klymenko said on social media.

Another person was killed in a strike in Pavlohrad, in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, and three others were killed in Kharkiv, where an apartment building was destroyed, officials said.

Rescue workers were searching early Tuesday in Kharkiv for people trapped under the rubble at several locations, including an educational facility, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said.

Twenty-seven people had been pulled from the ruins of destroyed buildings, the service said. At least 42 people, including four children, were injured in Kharkiv, officials said.

“I strongly condemn yet another indiscriminate attack” by Russia, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić said, adding that the “barbaric acts have to stop.”

A total of more than 60 people were injured, Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, said on social media.

“We must find the power and fight,” she said. “Promises do not protect us, weapons do.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Fake Biden robocall urges New Hampshire voters to skip their primary

President Joe Biden speaks on his economic plan for the country at Abbot’s Creek Community Center on Jan. 18, 2024 in Raleigh, N.C. (Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — A robocall appearing to impersonate the voice of President Joe Biden has been circulating and encouraging recipients of the call to “save your vote” for the November general election, rather than participate in New Hampshire’s upcoming primary on Tuesday, according to audio obtained by ABC News.

“Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday,” the robocall message said.

“That call was indeed fake and not recorded by the president. I can confirm that,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.

“More broadly,” Biden “has been clear that there are risks associated with deep fakes,” she added.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office said it is conducting an “active and ongoing” investigation into these “spoofed” messages, which “appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters.”

Its Election Law Unit “works closely with our local, state, and federal partners,” a spokesperson with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office added.

Though “the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications,” the NHAG’s office said.

Who is behind the robocalls is still unclear, as is how many people have received the message, officials said.

The state attorney general spokesperson told ABC that at this time, they do know “approximately a dozen” people took the step of calling to request being removed from future calls, and “approximately half a dozen” people sent a complaint to either the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office or the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office.

The robocall ends with a phone number belonging to Kathy Sullivan, a former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair, who now runs a super PAC supporting the effort urging Granite State Democrats to write in Biden’s name this primary.

In an interview with ABC on Monday, Sullivan said she does not know who is responsible for the robocalls, or how many people have been impacted — and doesn’t feel comfortable speculating — but hopes the investigation will yield results.

“Hopefully, who’s been doing this won’t be able to do this in the future,” she said. “You shouldn’t be telling people you shouldn’t go and vote. That’s crazy. That undermines our democracy. It’s just not right. I’ve been calling it an unpardonable sin.”

Sullivan said she hasn’t heard directly from the White House or the re-election campaigns, since, she notes, she’s involved with efforts to get Biden written in on the ballot Tuesday evening.

ABC has previously reported on how authorities are mapping out potential threats to the New Hampshire primary – and strategizing to stop them. The new confidential analysis by the New Hampshire Information and Analysis Center (NHIAC), obtained by ABC, warned of those who “have the ability to disrupt, suppress, or discourage voters from participating” in New Hampshire — including concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to “spread false narratives and influence public perception about candidates or campaigns.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Biden’s not on the ballot in New Hampshire’s primary, but Dems still want him to win. Here’s how.

Marilyn Nieves/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — When New Hampshire Democrats head to the polls on Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s name won’t be listed on their ballots.

That’s the biggest indication of how little the primary, technically, will matter to the Democrats’ nominating process.

Instead, a highly unusual competition is playing out in the state where Democrats either hope to show up for Biden via a write-in campaign, back one of his two long shot challengers or show that he was wrong to spurn the small Northeastern state that has gone first on the calendar for decades.

The conflict — and, to some, confusion — began when the Democratic National Committee shook up its 2024 presidential nominating calendar, selecting South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation primary, a move backed by Biden but contrary to state law, which New Hampshire officials, led by Republicans, declined to change.

This rendered Tuesday’s contest non-compliant with the national party’s rules and led the DNC to call the primary “meaningless.”

Biden declined to put his name on the ballot, and no delegates to earn the Democratic nomination, which are usually won based on voters’ preferences in each primary or caucus, will be awarded based on Tuesday’s results.

Delegates aside, Biden’s performance on Tuesday is nonetheless seen by some Democrats as influential in showing that he is a popular competitor in a state that’s historically swung between both parties, said Gates MacPherson, a former political strategist with ties to New Hampshire.

“It will set a tone for the rest of the cycle,” MacPherson told ABC News. “It’s really, really important that President Biden can show support and momentum in a state like New Hampshire.”

Biden’s challengers in the primary, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, have poured significant resources into campaigning and blasted Biden for not doing the same. Biden’s allies, meanwhile, have rallied around a rare push to see him succeed despite not being an official candidate — via write-in.

What is ‘write in Biden’?

A passionate grassroots group of Democrats who say they are wholly unaffiliated from the official reelection campaign, aptly called “write in Biden,” are encouraging voters to pen the president’s name on Tuesday’s ballot, hoping to deliver the incumbent a win despite the beaurucratic sparring between the local and national party.

These efforts first began in October and amassed more than 1,000 volunteers within seven days of launching. The write-in group is aiming to send volunteers to every polling place come Tuesday, prioritizing the sites with the highest population densities as part of a push to educate voters on how to still pick Biden.

Jim Demers, one of the lead organizers, said this weekend at a get-out-the-vote event that the efforts have “continued morphing every single week” and that the group had achieved its budget goals.

New Hampshire’s swingy voter history also ups the ante. Hillary Clinton eked out a squeaker victory in the 2016 presidential race, besting Donald Trump by less than 1 point. Biden widened that margin in 2020, yet still only won by single digits.

Tuesday’s results will be especially important for what it says about the state’s independent (or “undeclared”) voters, who outnumber registered Republicans or Democrats and who are allowed to also cast ballots in the primary.

“If President Biden comes out on Tuesday and wins, that’s a huge accomplishment for the campaign and a really good sign for what’s to come,” said MacPherson, the strategist.

Terie Norelli, another organizer for the write-in campaign, said that their efforts were meant to depict as much — that a strong showing from Biden on Tuesday could prove he is in a good position in the battleground state, despite his primary rivals and despite his poor or mediocre polling.

“President Biden’s name will not be on the ballot, but we do know what is on the ballot. We know that democracy is on the ballot on Tuesday and in November. … And this is clearly too critical an election to sit on the sidelines,” Norelli said at a gathering of write-in Biden supporters on Saturday in Portsmouth.

Write-in ballots are qualified based on the voter’s intent rather than pure accuracy, according to Secretary of State David Scanlan. Potential variations such as Biden, J. Biden, Joseph Biden and POTUS would all be classified as a vote for Biden because the voter’s intention would be to nominate him.

Yet less clear votes, such as those cast under “cease-fire,” for example — as urged by a smaller grassroots movement pushing Democrats to pencil that in protest of the White House’s position on the Israel-Hamas war — would instead be counted as “scatter” votes.

Write-in campaign draws Biden surrogates but not Biden

Although the Biden campaign is not officially affiliated with the write-in efforts, several prominent Democratic mayors and congressmen have traveled to New Hampshire on the president’s behalf.

And big-name surrogates for Biden such as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker virtually joined press conferences mobilizing voters.

Others including New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hasson and New Hampshire Gov. Maura Healey have joined the effort on the ground in its final weeks, illustrating the fact that, although the results may not matter in terms of the delegates who select the nominee, Biden’s performance matters to Democrats.

Those who are quasi-stumping for the president have set murky expectations, repeating that Biden must win while emphasizing the challenges of a write-in campaign.

“A win is a win, it means getting the most votes,” California Rep. Ro Khanna said on Saturday at another write-in event, in Portsmouth. He avoided setting any numerical benchmark for Tuesday.

Phillips, for his part, said this week that getting a vote share “somewhere in the 20s would be pretty awesome.”

The congressman, a former member of Democratic leadership in the House, has not yet gained much traction in polling tracked by 538. He has indicated he wants to show Biden is a weak candidate to run against Trump and force him from the race — a possibility dismissed by Biden allies.

Williamson, for her part, has defended New Hampshire’s role in the primary, saying, “You don’t protect democracy by suppressing democracy.” She told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl last year that “I don’t see myself as running against Joe Biden. I see this campaign as challenging a system.”

One Democratic veteran of numerous New Hampshire primaries, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the state of the race, calculated what could be a potential outcome for party results based on historical results.

The bar for Democratic incumbent success in New Hampshire is then-President Bill Clinton in 1996, who won the primary with 84%. The last candidate to win a write-in campaign in New Hampshire was President Lyndon B. Johnson, who got 48% and defeated Eugene McCarthy in 1968’s Democratic primary — but, as Phillips has noted, ultimately dropped out of the Democratic race just weeks later.

“Given the difficulty and mechanics of a write-in, if he gets over 65[%], that’s a resounding victory to me,” the Democratic source said of Biden. “And if he falls below 50, then I think he’s in Lyndon Johnson territory, and it’s a problem.”

More recent (if inexact) precedent for a successful write-in campaign is in 2010’s senate race in Alaska, when Lisa Murkowski won out after she lost her Republican primary to tea party candidate Joe Miller. Murkowski received just shy of 40% of the vote after an active campaign. However, she was also facing two other prominent candidates.

Biden has done the opposite, remaining fervently out of New Hampshire so far this cycle, in deferrence to the national party’s position on the calendar.

“It’s a hard thing to do in a write-in campaign. It’s not easy. There are a lot of ways to be disqualified, so what I would say doing well is to win — and in a state that you haven’t campaigned in, in a state where you’re not on the ballot,” Khanna said this weekend.

Khanna struck a delicate tone, speaking in a room full of state residents, about the president’s reasoning for elevating South Carolina instead, which many locals consider an insult to their cherished — if sometimes controversial — position at the front of the line.

The state, as some other Democrats will note, is not demographically representative of the country and has a relatively poor track record of predicting the president.

“The president’s motives of wanting to elevate the voices of Black and brown communities was correct,” Khanna told reporters. “But it has to be done also with recognizing that history and tradition of New Hampshire so that no one’s delegates get disqualified, and I think that we will work towards that outcome.”

But Biden’s challengers aren’t buying it.

“If he wrote you off, why would you write him in?” Phillips asked at an event in Nashua on Saturday. “Seems like the president is taking the Granite State for granted.”

What New Hampshire voters are saying

Almost a dozen New Hampshire Democrats or undeclared voters expressed disappointment to ABC News about both the DNC stripping its contest of delegates and the Biden campaign for not choosing to participate in the primary.

Marie Mulroy of Manchester, an undeclared voter, said she voted for Biden in the last two presidential elections but plans to vote for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary come Tuesday, scoffing when asked about the write-in effort for the president.

“I find that it’s very disrespectful to our state,” Mulroy said last week at Maryann’s Diner in Derry. “Not only does he write it in, it’s going to hold up the election because they have to hire people to hand count them, so it really is disrespectful.”

Scanlan, the secretary of state, has said he’s not concerned with the write-in effort holding up results and that the state has a process in place.

“I respect Biden, but he said he didn’t want to be here. He shouldn’t be here,” Mulroy added.

“I think he would do better not being on the ballot at all. I think I would have more respect for him if he wasn’t,” she said.

Gayle Taylor of Concord, also undeclared, said she plans to write-in Biden but is disappointed that she won’t see his name.

“There’s a lot of blame going around. Did Joe Biden direct the DNC to do this? Did the DNC do it on their own? And then that letter saying that our votes would essentially be wasteful, that really hurt,” she told ABC News at a write-in Biden event in Concord.

“That was not a good thing for the Democrats,” Taylor said, “but I think we’re getting beyond it, trying to figure out the right thing to do. Really, it’s not about that. It’s about making sure we elect the right president.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

California State University workers end strike after reaching tentative agreement

ArtistGNDphotography/Getty Images

(LOS ANGELES) — Professors, librarians and other employees in the California State University system have ended the strike they began on Monday after reaching a tentative agreement with the college system’s management on Monday night.

“The collective action of so many lecturers, professors, counselors, librarians, and coaches over these last eight months forced CSU management to take our demands seriously. This Tentative Agreement makes major gains for all faculty at the CSU,” California Faculty Association President Charles Toombs said in a statement announcing the news.

The CSU also confirmed an agreement had been reached by the CFA, with Chancellor Mildred García saying in a statement she was “deeply appreciative” that the two sides “reached common ground.”

“The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system’s long-term financial sustainability,” García’s statement continued. “With the agreement in place, I look forward to advancing our student-centered work — together — as the nation’s greatest driver of social mobility and the pipeline fueling California’s diverse and educated workforce.”

The CSU workforce began their strike on Monday. It came following monthslong contract negotiations centered on pay increases and other workplace improvements for employees at the nation’s largest public university system, which serves about 460,000 students spread across 23 campuses.

According to the CFA, the tentative deal includes a 5% general salary increase for all faculty, retroactive to July 1 of last year. The contract will also see workers’ salaries increase again in July of 2024, CFA said. Lower-paid workers will get a pay bump, and parental leave will increase from six to 10 weeks, the organization announced.

CSU did not announce or confirm contract details. It did say instruction would “resume immediately.” Students have been advised to look for messages from CSU instructors about any class schedule adjustments.

Ninety-five percent of union members voted in October to authorize a strike, after CSU stood by its offer of a 5% pay increase for faculty to go into effect on Jan. 31.

Last month, some faculty participated in one-day strikes at four CSU campuses in response to the standoff.

On Friday, CSU reached a tentative contract agreement with more than 1,000 plumbers, electricians and other skilled trade workers who had otherwise planned to participate in the strike this week.

The tentative deal included guaranteed annual salary increases and the return of a salary-step system that codifies promotions, according to a statement from Teamsters Local 2010, which represents the workers.

“We achieved this historic agreement by standing together as Teamsters — and in solidarity with our sister Unions at CSU — to take powerful action like CSU has never seen before,” Teamsters Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz said in a statement on Friday, encouraging union members to join the picket lines in support of striking faculty.

In a statement, García applauded the agreement.

“The work of our Teamsters-represented employees is invaluable, providing our students with an environment that supports their success,” García said.

“I am thankful and appreciative that we have been able to arrive at a fiscally sustainable agreement that fairly compensates them for their skilled and dedicated work,” she added.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Suspect in Joliet, Illinois, homicides found dead

Kali9/Getty Images

(JOLIET, Ill.) — The suspect law enforcement officials in Joliet, Illinois, were searching for after seven people were found dead from gunshot wounds in two homes on Monday has died, police said.

Investigators earlier said they were looking for a suspect they identified as Romeo Nance, 23, after they discovered the bodies of five victims in one home and another two in a nearby residence on West Acres Road Monday morning.

Late Monday night, the police said Nance had been located by U.S. Marshals near Natalia, Texas, and it was “believed that Nance took his own life with a handgun following a confrontation with Texas law enforcement officials.”

Officers had been watching one of the homes as part of an investigation into two shootings that took place Sunday, Dan Jungles, the deputy chief of Special Operations for the Will County, Illinois, Sheriff’s office, said at a press conference Monday night. Jungles said officers knocked on the house door they were watching before noon Monday but went to a nearby house when they got no response.

“They knew that the house across the street was related to the individuals that resided at that house,” he said. “They walked over there, and that’s when they discovered the blood and made entry into the house to look for injured individuals.”

Details of the victims were not immediately released, but Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans told reporters that the victims were related. He also addressed the scene officers found.

“I’ve been a policeman 29 years. This is probably the worst crime scene I’ve ever been associated with,” Evans said.

Jungles said the victims in the homes were “known to Nance.” Nance’s last known address was on the block where the crimes were discovered, authorities said Monday night.

Nance was believed to be driving a red Toyota Camry, police said earlier. The same red Toyota Camry was also identified in an investigation into two shootings that took place in Joliet on Sunday.

The Sheriff’s office said that officers responded to an emergency call at Pheasant Run Apartments in Joliet township Sunday, where they discovered Toyosi Bakare, 28, had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Bakare was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Jungles.

An hour before responding to the Pheasant Run Apartments call, Joliet Police officers responded to the 200 block of Davis Street, where they said they discovered a 42-year-old man who had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg.

The sheriff’s office began surveillance on the West Acres Road home after they learned the Camry was associated with the address and waited to see if it would return to the residence, officers said.

“During this investigation, Detectives quickly identified 23-year-old Romeo Nance as a suspect in the homicides on West Acres Road and it was believed that he was also involved in a fatal shooting being investigated by the Will County Sheriff’s Office as well as a non-fatal shooting in Joliet,” authorities said late Monday night. “Both of these shootings took place on January 21, 2024.”

Evans said the investigation is ongoing, and no motive has been determined, but he said he believes that the Sunday shootings “had some correlation” with the scene they discovered Monday.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Israel-Gaza live updates: 21 IDF reservists killed in Gaza Strip, Israel says

A man holds the body of a small child as he and others mourn while collecting the bodies of friends and relatives killed in an airstrike on January 13, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza. (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — More than 100 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of the neighboring Gaza Strip.

The conflict, now the deadliest between the warring sides since Israel’s founding in 1948, shows no signs of letting up soon and the brief cease-fire that allowed for over 100 hostages to be freed from Gaza remains a distant memory.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 23, 3:00 AM
21 IDF reservists killed in Gaza Strip, Israel says

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that 21 of its reservists were killed while fighting in the central Gaza Strip a day earlier.

The IDF is investigating the incident.

“War has a very painful and heavy price,” IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement. “The dedicated reservists, who stood up for the flag, sacrificed the most precious of all, for the security of the State of Israel and so that we can all live here safely.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “one of the most difficult days since the outbreak of the war.”

“We must learn the necessary lessons and do everything to safeguard the lives of our fighters.” Netanyahu said in a statement. “On behalf of our heroes, for our very lives, we will not stop fighting until total victory.”

Jan 22, 2:51 PM
Biden ‘under no illusions’ how difficult 2-state solution would be: White House

President Joe Biden is “under no illusions” about “how difficult” a two-state solution would be after the war in Gaza ends, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Monday.

Kirby’s comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “firmly” stands by his belief to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state as long as he’s in power. Biden said Friday, “We’ll be able to work something out.”

“When we say two-state solution, what does it actually mean? And there’s many different interpretations. There’s lots of different ways you can get at that ultimate solution,” Kirby said. “And the president, as he has always done, kept an open mind about trying to pursue that.”

“If this was easy, I mean, my goodness, we’ve had a two-state solution for years now,” Kirby continued. “It’s going to require negotiation, it’s going to require sacrifices, again, on both sides. The president understands that.”

Kirby kept characterizing Biden’s phone calls with Netanyahu as “good conversations” and said the president is “not going to let go of this.”

-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez

Jan 22, 11:25 AM
Hostage families storm Israel’s parliament in protest

Relatives of Israeli hostages being held by militants in the Gaza Strip stormed Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Monday in protest of the government’s failure to bring their loved ones home.

“You will not sit here while our children die,” some of the family members yelled while disrupting a finance committee hearing. “What about ransoming captives?”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of hostages at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, telling them there’s no “real proposal from Hamas” on the table right now.

“Contrary to what they say, there is no real proposal from Hamas,” he said. “I say this as clearly as I can because there are so many false things that must be tormenting you. In contrast, there is an initiative of ours, and I will not elaborate.”

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor

Jan 22, 10:04 AM
Israeli bombardment intensifies near southern Gaza hospital, rescue agency’s headquarters

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said Monday that it had “completely lost contact with” its teams in the besieged city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli tanks surrounded Al-Amal Hospital, headquarters of the humanitarian organization.

The PRCS added that its ambulances were “unable to reach the wounded” in Khan Younis due to the ground invasion.

“Israeli occupation forces are besieging the PRCS ambulance center, and targeting anyone attempting to move in the area,” the organization wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The PRCS said it was “deeply concerned” about the safety of its teams as well as people taking shelter at its facilities in the besieged city.

-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor

Jan 22, 7:08 AM
Hostage families storm Israel’s parliament in protest

Relatives of Israeli hostages being held by militants in the Gaza Strip stormed Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Monday in protest of the government’s failure to bring their loved ones home.

“You will not sit here while our children die,” some of the family members yelled while disrupting a finance committee hearing. “What about ransoming captives?”

Jan 21, 1:27 PM
IDF confirms death of kidnapped soldier

The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday announced that Sgt. Shay Levinson, who until now had been identified as a hostage, was killed in battle on Oct. 7 and his body is being held in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials say 532 IDF soldiers have been killed, including 195 since the ground operations in Gaza began.

-ABC News’ Anna Burd

Jan 21, 12:41 PM
Netanyahu says war to continue ‘on all fronts,’ rejects Hamas’ ‘terms of surrender’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will “continue the war on all fronts and in all sectors.”

“We do not give immunity to any terrorist — not in Gaza, not in Lebanon, not in Syria and not anywhere,” Netanyahu said in the statement Sunday, written in Hebrew.

The prime minster added, “Whoever tries to hurt us — we hurt him.”

Netanyahu said he’s working to secure the return of all the hostages “around the clock,” and added: “But to be clear: I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas.”

Netanyahu also said he had a conversation with President Joe Biden over the weekend, in which he emphasized “determination to complete all war objectives, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” according to the prime minister’s statement.

“That is why I insist that after we achieve complete victory, after we eliminate Hamas — there will be no factor in Gaza that finances terrorism, educator of terrorism or courier of terrorism,” Netanyahu said.

“Gaza must be demilitarized, under full security control of the State of Israel,” he said. “I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over all the territory west of Jordan.”

Netanyahu added he will continue to “firmly” stand by his insistence to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state for as long as he is prime minister.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Jan 21, 5:39 AM
More than 25,000 killed in Gaza, health ministry says

More than 25,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the Gaza Ministry of Health said Sunday.

At least 62,681 people have been injured since the war began, said the ministry, which operates under the Hamas Authority.

A ministry spokesperson said at least 178 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last day.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta and Edward Szekeres

Jan 21, 1:27 PM
IDF confirms death of kidnapped soldier

The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday announced that Sgt. Shay Levinson, who until now had been identified as a hostage, was killed in battle on Oct. 7 and his body is being held in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials say 532 IDF soldiers have been killed, including 195 since the ground operations in Gaza began.

-ABC News’ Anna Burd

Jan 21, 12:41 PM
Netanyahu says war to continue ‘on all fronts,’ rejects Hamas’ ‘terms of surrender’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will “continue the war on all fronts and in all sectors.”

“We do not give immunity to any terrorist — not in Gaza, not in Lebanon, not in Syria and not anywhere,” Netanyahu said in the statement Sunday, written in Hebrew.

The prime minster added, “Whoever tries to hurt us — we hurt him.”

Netanyahu said he’s working to secure the return of all the hostages “around the clock,” and added: “But to be clear: I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas.”

Netanyahu also said he had a conversation with President Joe Biden over the weekend, in which he emphasized “determination to complete all war objectives, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” according to the prime minister’s statement.

“That is why I insist that after we achieve complete victory, after we eliminate Hamas — there will be no factor in Gaza that finances terrorism, educator of terrorism or courier of terrorism,” Netanyahu said.

“Gaza must be demilitarized, under full security control of the State of Israel,” he said. “I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over all the territory west of Jordan.”

Netanyahu added he will continue to “firmly” stand by his insistence to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state for as long as he is prime minister.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

Jan 21, 5:39 AM
More than 25,000 killed in Gaza, health ministry says

More than 25,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the Gaza Ministry of Health said Sunday.

Citizens inspect a car that was destroyed by Israeli air strikes on Jan. 21, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza.
At least 62,681 people have been injured since the war began, said the ministry, which operates under the Hamas Authority.

A ministry spokesperson said at least 178 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last day.

-ABC News’ Nasser Atta and Edward Szekeres

Jan 20, 12:54 PM
Relatives of hostages protest outside Israeli PM’s home

Several relatives of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza protested outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home on Saturday, demanding the government take more steps to free the captives.

Some protesters camped out in front of his home, in the coastal town of Caesarea.

More than 130 hostages are still held in captivity, according to Israeli officials.

Jan 20, 12:01 PM
Fatal shooting of Palestinian-American teen in West Bank under investigation

The fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Palestinian-American in the West Bank on Friday remains under investigation, as mourners gathered Saturday for the teen’s funeral.

Tawfiq Ajaq was killed near the city of Ramallah, according to the Defense for Children International – Palestine advocacy group.

Israeli police said they received a report Friday regarding a “firearm discharge, ostensibly involving an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier and a civilian.” Police did not identify who fired the shot but described the shooting as taking place over people “purportedly engaged in rock-throwing activities” along a main highway.

Israeli police said its internal affairs department is investigating the incident.

An initial assessment by the Defense for Children International – Palestine also found that it was unclear who fired the shot that struck the teen.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen civilian in the West Bank on Friday.

Asked about the incident at a briefing on Friday, U.S. National Security spokesman John Kirby said White House officials “don’t have perfect context about exactly what happened here” but are “seriously concerned about it.”

“We’re going to be in constant touch with counterparts in the region to get more information,” he said.

The teen’s funeral was held Saturday in the West Bank.

Jan 19, 3:18 PM
Biden speaks with Netanyahu in 1st known call in 27 days

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday, according to the White House.

This was the first known call between the two leaders since Dec. 23, 2023.

Biden and Netanyahu spoke about a two-state solution, among other things, one day after Netanyahu expressed opposition to a Palestinian state.

“The president still believes in the promise and the possibility of a two-state solution,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Friday. “He recognizes that it’s going to take a lot of hard work. It’s going to take a lot of leadership, there in the region, particularly, on both sides of the issue. And the United States stands firmly committed to eventually seeing that outcome.”

“We’re not going to agree on everything,” Kirby said. He later added that Netanyahu’s comments will not change Biden’s “strong conviction” that “the best long-term solution for regional security, particularly the security of the Israeli people, is a free, independent Palestinian state that they can live in peace and security with — and this is an important caveat — with Israel’s security also guaranteed.”
Though Biden will continue to press for a two-state solution, “this isn’t about trying to twist somebody’s arm or force a change in their thinking,” Kirby said.

Kirby said Netanyahu’s comments did not trigger the two leaders’ Friday call.

“This was a call that we’ve been, actually, trying to land on the schedule for quite a bit of time,” he said.

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow

Jan 19, 11:43 AM
Teen boy shares story of being held hostage by Palestine Islamic Jihad

Yagil Yaacov, now 13, was 12 years old when he was kidnapped at knifepoint from his room at the Nahal Oz kibbutz on Oct. 7.

He told his captors — allegedly members of the Palestine Islamic Jihad — “Don’t take me, I’m too young,” according to his mother, Renana.

Yagil’s brother was also kidnapped and the two were separated. Yagil told ABC News in an exclusive interview that he was first taken to a safe house, and then to another home where he stayed for 30 days.

Yagil said during his time as a hostage he listened to some radio and learned a little Arabic to determine what was happening around him.

He was eventually reunited with his stepmother and brother.

Yagil’s father is still being held hostage.

ABC News’ Matt Gutman

Jan 18, 2:54 PM
Netanyahu voices opposition to Palestinian state in post-war Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his opposition to a Palestinian state in a post-war Gaza.

“For 30 years I have been consistent — this conflict is not about the absence of a Palestinian state but about the existence of a Jewish state. Wherever we vacate territory, we receive terrorism,” he said at a news conference. “It happened in Judea and Samaria and it happened in Gaza. In any agreement, Israel must control all territory west of Jordan. This is what I say to our American friends: I stopped the possibility of a security breach in the State of Israel. This did not prevent me from expanding the circle of peace to four Arab countries, and I am determined to expand it to other countries in the region, together with our American friendship.”

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in response that Israel, for the first time, has a “historic opportunity” to “deal with challenges that it has faced since its founding.”

“You see the countries in the region who are ready to step up and further integrate with Israel and provide real security assurances to Israel. The United States is ready to play its part, too, but they all have to have a willing partner on the other side,” Miller said.

Miller also said, regarding the challenges facing Israel after the war eventually ends, “There is no way to solve their long-term challenges, to provide lasting security and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza, establishing governance and providing security for Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

Jan 18, 12:41 PM
Unclear whether medical aid has reached Israeli hostages in Gaza

It was unclear Thursday whether medical aid had reached Israeli hostages in the war-torn Gaza Strip as part of a Qatari-brokered deal between Israel and Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas.

During an interview Thursday on CNN, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the medicine was received by Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health but that there was not yet confirmation of it being distributed to the Israeli hostages as agreed upon. The spokesperson noted that an ongoing telecommunications blackout in Gaza has made it difficult to get information in real time.

The medical aid, provided by Qatar and France, entered Gaza on Wednesday, according to the Qatari foreign ministry.

As part of the agreement, Hamas was expected to pick up the medicine for the Israeli hostages at designated hospitals and then distribute it among the abductees. Qatar will verify and provide proof to Israel that the medicine was in fact delivered to the hostages, according to Hamas and Qatari officials.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has helped with getting aid into Gaza and transferring some hostages out of the enclave as part of previous deals, said it has no role in the implementation of this agreement, including the delivery of the medicine.

“The ICRC initiated the conversation in its role as a neutral intermediary. The parties negotiated the agreement, including how much medicines would be delivered and by whom, with Qatar brokering the deal,” the ICRC told ABC News in a statement on Thursday. “The mechanism that was agreed to does not involve the ICRC playing any part in its implementation, including the delivery of medication.”

“The ICRC welcomes the agreement to deliver medications to the hostages and to medical facilities for the residents of Gaza as a positive humanitarian step,” the organization added.

The Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson told CNN on Thursday that the ICRC could not be involved because the security situation in Gaza makes it almost impossible for them to deliver the medicine.

ABC News’ Will Gretsky, Jordana Miller, Cindy Smith and Morgan Winsor

Jan 17, 1:29 PM
Qatar says it’s brokered deal to allow medicine, aid into Gaza

Qatar said Tuesday it has mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas to deliver medicine to Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Medicine and other humanitarian aid will also be delivered to civilians “in the most affected and vulnerable areas” of the Gaza Strip as part of the deal, Qatar said.

The aid landed in Egypt Wednesday and “includes medicines provided by the State of Qatar and the French Republic, along with food items provided by Qatar Charity to be further transferred to Gaza,” the Qataris said.

Jan 17, 11:38 AM
Gaza’s telecommunications blackout surpasses 100 hours

NetBlocks, a London-based nonprofit that covers internet connectivity around the world, said Wednesday that the Gaza Strip has been “in the midst of a near-total telecoms blackout for 120 hours.”

“The disruption, now entering its sixth day, is the longest sustained telecoms outage on record since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war,” NetBlocks wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Morgan Winsor

Jan 17, 11:28 AM
IDF can’t confirm cause of death of 3 hostages found in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday informed the families of Ron Sherman, Nick Beiser and Elia Toledano that it is not possible to determine what caused their deaths, ABC News has learned.

Sherman, Beiser and Toledano were among the more than 200 people taken hostage by militants during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. The IDF recovered the bodies of the three abductees from a Hamas tunnel in the city of Jabalia in the Gaza Strip on Dec. 14, near where Ahmed Randour, who commanded Hamas’ forces in the northern part of the enclave, had been killed a month earlier.

ABC News has learned that an investigation subsequently concluded the IDF did not know there were hostages in the area at the time it attacked the tunnel where Randor was staying and that the IDF discovered the bodies while conducting scans of the tunnel afterward.

ABC News has learned that a pathological report showed no signs of trauma or gunshots on the three bodies, and it could not be ruled out or confirmed whether they were killed as a result of suffocation, poisoning or due to an attack by the IDF or Hamas. Samples were taken to conduct a further examination.

ABC News’ Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor

Jan 17, 9:59 AM
Blinken says Palestinians need own state but must ‘work with Israel’

Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the scenes in the war-torn Gaza Strip as “gut-wrenching” and said Palestinians need a state of their own but must “work with Israel to be effective.”

Blinken said the Palestinian Authority, which exercises partial civil control over areas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, could lead such a state but only “with the help of Israel, not with its active opposition.”

“The question now is, is Israeli society prepared to engage on these? Is it prepared to have that mindset?” Blinken asked. “You’re not going to get the genuine security you need absent that [Palestinian state].”

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Morgan Winsor

Jan 17, 9:08 AM
IDF says it killed top militant in West Bank strike

The Israel Defense Forces said early Wednesday that it has killed a top Palestinian militant in an airstrike in the occupied West Bank, averting “an imminent, large-scale terrorist attack” he was allegedly planning.

Ahmed Abdullah Abu Shalal and members of his terrorist cell were “eliminated in a precision airstrike” at the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to the IDF. It was unclear exactly how many individuals were killed in the strike.

“Abdullah was responsible for carrying out a number of terrorist attacks over the last year, including the shooting attack in the Shimon HaTzadik neighborhood in Jerusalem last April during which two Jerusalem residents were injured,” the IDF said in a statement. “Additionally, he was responsible for the bombing attack against IDF soldiers last October during which a soldier was injured.”

“Under Abdullah’s leadership, the terrorist infrastructure in the Balata camp in Nablus has received funding and guidance from Iranian sources who are in cooperation with terrorist headquarters in both the Gaza Strip and abroad,” the IDF added.

Jan 16, 3:35 PM
Qatar says it’s brokered deal to allow medicine, aid into Gaza

Qatar said Tuesday it has mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas to deliver medicine to Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Medicine and other humanitarian aid will also be delivered to civilians “in the most affected and vulnerable areas” of the Gaza Strip as part of the deal, Qatar said.

The medication and aid is expected to depart Doha on board two Qatari Armed Forces aircraft on Wednesday, bound for Arish, Egypt, before being transported to the Gaza Strip, Qatar said.

Jan 16, 3:22 PM
2 Israeli hostages who appeared in Hamas video confirmed dead: Kibbutz

Itay Svirsky, 35, and Yossi Sharabi, 53 — two hostages who appeared in a video released by Hamas earlier this week — have been confirmed dead, according to Kibbutz Be’eri.

“Their bodies are in the hands of Hamas, we will demand their return with the rest of our abductees,” Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the communities attacked by the terrorist group on Oct. 7, said in a statement on Tuesday. “Our hearts are with the families in their immense pain. May they rest in peace.”

Svirsky was at his parents’ home in the kibbutz when he was abducted, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Hamas released a video on Sunday showing the two men, as well as 26-year-old Noa Argamani, while calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war on Gaza.

Following the release of the hostage video, the IDF said they told the men’s families that “there is grave concern for their lives” and denied Hamas’ claims that Israeli forces shot Svirsky.

Jan 16, 12:07 PM
Jordan accuses Israel of hindering aid delivery to Gaza

Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said Tuesday that Israel is creating hurdles to the entry of aid into the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Jordan is working in coordination with the United Nations to deliver aid to Gaza, but only 10% of the total needs of the more than 2 million Palestinians who live there are currently being met, according to Safadi.

“The reality now is that Israeli measures are preventing sufficient aid from arriving and only a fraction is being delivered,” Safadi said during a press conference in Amman.

ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Morgan Winsor

Jan 15, 1:27 PM
At least 1 dead, 17 injured in car-ramming attacks in Israel, police say

At least one person was killed and 17 others were injured on Monday afternoon in car-ramming attacks that took place in various locations across Ra’anana, Israel, authorities said.

Two suspects — identified as a pair of Palestinian men from the Hebron area in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — allegedly stole multiple vehicles before ramming them into crowds of pedestrians in Ra’anana, about 13 miles north of Tel Aviv, according to the Israel Police.

Both suspects have since been arrested. The incidents and the motive remains under investigation, police said.

The victim killed was an elderly woman, according to police.

Fourteen of the 17 injured remained hospitalized Monday evening, officials said. At least seven children were among the injured.

ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Bruno Nota, Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor

Jan 15, 11:59 AM
What life is like for displaced Palestinians in Rafah’s tent city

Ahmad Ismael said his “whole world turned upside down” after Oct. 7.

The Palestinian father of four now lives with his family in a tent in Rafah, the southernmost region of the Gaza Strip. They are among the almost 1.9 million people — 85% of Gaza’s population — who are displaced from their homes, nearly half of whom are crammed inside Rafah.

“We want the tragic situation we are living in to end,” Ismael told ABC News in an interview Sunday. “We hope from God that the war will stop.”

Ismael said Israel’s intense bombardment forced him and his family to flee their home in northern Gaza. They have been living in Rafah’s tent city for the past 70 days, he said.

“We fled with only our souls,” he told ABC News. “We didn’t bring anything with us.”

Ismael showed ABC News around his family’s makeshift shelter and explained what life is like there amid the latest outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas.

“People wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning,” he told ABC News. “You wake up to think about the situation of the tent. Is there water flowing or not? Because of the rain, how will we provide wood for the fire? How will we provide today’s food for the children?”

Ismael said they receive some canned food from a U.N. agency’s warehouse every two or three days. But it’s not enough to feed his family, so they must try to buy other food and cook it over an open fire.

“Everything is expensive and scarce,” he told ABC News. “We used to buy this oil for 7 or 6 shekels. Today, I buy this for 20 shekels. One day you find it and the next day you don’t.”

“Firewood is also very expensive, not cheap, and even I can no longer afford it,” he continued.

“What I’m telling you is not just about my life,” he added, “but the lives of all of us here.”

ABC News’ Rashid Haddou-Riffi, Morgan Winsor and Sami Zayara

Jan 15, 10:52 AM
Another communications blackout in Gaza

NetBlocks, a London-based nonprofit that covers internet connectivity around the world, said Monday that the Gaza Strip has been “largely offline” for the past 72 hours.

“The disruption is the longest sustained telecoms blackout on record since the onset of the Hamas-Israel war, and is likely to significantly limit visibility into events on the ground,” NetBlocks wrote in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Morgan Winsor

Jan 15, 9:22 AM
At least 1 dead, 16 injured in car-ramming attacks in Israel, police say

At least one person was killed and 16 others were injured on Monday afternoon in car-ramming attacks that took place in various locations across Ra’anana, Israel, authorities said.

Two suspects — identified as a pair of Palestinian men from the Hebron area in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — allegedly stole multiple vehicles before ramming them into crowds of pedestrians in Ra’anana, about 13 miles north of Tel Aviv, according to the Israel Police.

Both suspects have since been arrested. The incidents and the motive remains under investigation, police said.

At least four of the wounded victims were hospitalized in critical condition, according to Israel’s rescue service MDA.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Bruno Nota, Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor

Jan 15, 5:07 AM
What we know about the conflict

The Israel-Hamas war has reached the three-month mark.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 24,100 people have been killed and 60,834 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

There has also been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have killed at least 297 people in the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Jan 15, 4:59 AM
Shots fired as crowd seeks humanitarian aid in Gaza

Gunshots rang out as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sought food from humanitarian aid trucks in the war-torn Gaza Strip on Sunday.

Video of the incident in Sheikh Iljlin, a neighborhood in southern Gaza City, shows a large crowd gathering to receive flour from aid trucks parked near an Israeli military checkpoint. Then the sound of gunfire erupts and people are seen frantically running.

ABC News was not able to independently verify who fired the shots and whether anyone was killed or injured.

The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on Monday.

-ABC News’ Felicia Alvarez, Nasser Atta, Helena Skinner and Morgan Winsor

Jan 14, 7:29 PM
Hamas releases video showing 3 Israeli hostages in captivity

Hamas released a video on Sunday showing three Israeli hostages who are still being held in captivity in Gaza.

The three hostages that appear in the video are 26-year-old Noa Argamani, 35-year-old Itai Svirsky and 53-year-old Yossi Sharabi.

The video released by Hamas called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war on Gaza.

-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman

Jan 14, 6:47 PM
100 days into war, IDF says its ‘goals are complex to achieve and will take a long time’

As the Israel-Hamas war reached its 100th day Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces says it’s goals “will take a long time” to achieve.

“To achieve real results, we must continue to operate in enemy territory, not to allow extortion attempts for a cease-fire,” IDF Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a televised address Saturday.

“We must continue applying pressure and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said. “[Our] goals are complex to achieve and will take a long time. To dismantle Hamas, patience is both necessary and essential.”

The IDF also said it’s now moving to intensify its operations in southern Gaza, where it believes Hamas’ leadership is hiding.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Jan 13, 4:56 PM
Netanyahu says Israel will pursue war with Hamas until victory

Israel will pursue its war against Hamas until victory and will not be stopped by anyone, including the world court, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a defiant speech Saturday evening.

Netanyahu spoke after the International Court of Justice at The Hague held two days of hearings on South Africa’s allegations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, a charge Israel has rejected as libelous and hypocritical.

South Africa asked the court to order Israel to halt its blistering air and ground offensive in an interim step.

“No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anyone else,” Netanyahu said in televised remarks, referring to Iran and its allied militias.

The case before the world court is expected to go on for years, but a ruling on interim steps could come within weeks. Court rulings are binding but difficult to enforce.

Netanyahu made clear that Israel would ignore orders to halt the fighting, potentially deepening its isolation. Netanyahu also said a decision had yet to be made about a potential military takeover of the “Philadelphi Corridor” along the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt.

-ABC News’ Bruno Nota

Jan 13, 2:44 PM
Israel-Hamas war reaches 100th day

Saturday marked 100 days since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the deadliest conflict between the two sides in recent history.

The fighting began on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has launched numerous airstrikes and a ground offensive. The Israeli government has previously claimed it is defending itself.

More than 23,300 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Meanwhile, 1,200 people have been killed in Israel along with 520 Israel Defense Forces officers since Oct. 7.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N’s Palestinian Relief Agency, issued a statement marking 100 days of the war, saying there are now 1.4 million people in U.N. shelters in Gaza and facing a “looming famine.”

Meanwhile, families of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza are holding a series of events Saturday to mark 100 days since their captivity began.

-ABC News’ Mary Kekatos and Patrick Reevell

Jan 13, 8:22 AM
More than half a million people are starving in Gaza, UN says

About 577,000 people in Gaza, equal to a quarter of the population, are now starving, Arif Husain, chief economist for the U.N.’s World Food program, told ABC News.

Hussain has worked as an expert assessing hunger crises for 20 years and said, in terms of scale of severity and speed, he has never seen what is unfolding in Gaza right now, calling it “unprecedented.”

Even before the war with Israel, Gaza relied on humanitarian assistance to meet around 75% to 80% of its needs. With Israel now allowing very few supplies into Gaza, it has quickly run into massive shortages.

“If things continue as they are, or if things worsen, we are looking at a full fledged famine within the next six months,” he said.

-ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Jan 12, 12:59 PM
Deal reached to get medicine to hostages, Israel says

A deal has been reached to get medicine to the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza over the next few days, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office.

The families of the hostages are insisting that the Israeli war cabinet “demand visual proof that the medications did indeed reach the abductees, as a condition for any return from Israel.”

“After 98 days in the Hamas tunnels, all the abductees are in immediate danger and need life-saving medication,” the families said in a statement.

Jan 12, 9:30 AM
Israel rejects genocide charges at UN’s top court

Israel on Friday called on the United Nations’ top court to dismiss South Africa’s request to halt its offensive in the Gaza Strip amid “grossly distorted” accusations of genocide.

During opening statements to a panel of judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Israeli legal adviser Tal Becker said the country is fighting a “war it did not start and did not want.”

“In these circumstances, there can hardly be a charge more false and more malevolent than the allegation against Israel of genocide,” Becker added.

He noted that “Israel is in a war of defense against Hamas, not against the Palestinian people,” and that the suffering of civilians during wartime does not amount to genocide.

“The key component of genocide, the intent to destroy a people in whole or in part, is totally lacking,” he said.

-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres and Morgan Winsor

Jan 11, 12:18 PM
Blinken says he found new willingness to discuss Gaza’s future, denies conflict is escalating

As Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his trip to the Middle East, he said he encountered a new appetite among Middle Eastern leaders to discuss contributing to what he often refers to as “the day after” in Gaza.

“I have to say what was different about this trip is that on our previous trips here, I think there was a reluctance to talk about some of the day after issues and long-term stability and security on a regional basis, but now we’re finding that our partners are very focused on that and wanting to engage on those questions,” Blinken said.

On his major goal of preventing the Israeli-Hamas war from spreading across the region, Blinken was optimistic.

“I don’t think the conflict is escalating. There are lots of danger points; we’re trying to deal with each of them,” he said.

ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Jan 11, 12:11 PM
Hostage families beg for Israel to ‘take the deal’: ‘This is hell’

The families of hostages held by Hamas came together for a news conference Thursday demanding that the Israeli war cabinet prioritize their loved ones’ return and approve any deal that would lead to their release.

“I demand the cabinet take any deal on the table,” said Shay Wenkert, whose son, Omer Wenkert, was kidnapped from the music festival on Oct. 7.

“My son has colitis,” Wenkert said. “This is hell. I’m begging you — you had opportunities for other deals and didn’t take them. Take action. You have to take the deal. Bring them home now.”

“No one is doing us any favors in Israel. They must do everything to release the hostages, at any price,” said Gilad and Nitza Corngold, parents of Tal Shoham, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri. “I suggest anyone who says ‘It’s not worth it’ to bring a family member of theirs and make a personal exchange with me — to give me their son and take mine out. Their time is running out.”

Jan 11, 11:48 AM
Genocide case against Israel begins at UN’s top court

Israel is defending itself in the United Nations’ top court starting Thursday against allegations that its ongoing military campaign in the neighboring Gaza Strip amounts to genocide of the Palestinian people — a claim that Israel vehemently denies.

South Africa, which brought forward the allegations, is initially asking the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of the Israeli military offensive against Gaza’s militant rulers, Hamas, as part of a landmark case that is likely to take years to resolve.

“Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies as a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African attorney Adila Hassim told the panel of judges inside a packed courtroom in The Hague during Thursday’s opening statements. “Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court.”

South Africa insists Israel is committing genocide by design and that the country’s latest war in Gaza is part of its decadeslong oppression of Palestinians. South Africa’s ruling political party, the African National Congress, has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and sees parallels with its own struggle against the apartheid regime of white minority rule that ended in 1994.

“The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023,” South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said. “The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called South Africa’s allegations “atrocious and preposterous,” while Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed the case as “meritless.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response Thursday called South Africa’s allegations “upside-down.”

“Israel is fighting against murderous terrorists who have committed terrible crimes against humanity: they slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they killed children, women, the elderly, young men, young women. A terrorist organization that committed the most terrible crime against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and now there are those who come to defend it in the name of the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue to fight the terrorists, we will continue to repel the lies, we will continue to maintain our right to defend ourselves and secure our future.”

Lawyers for Israel will address the court on Friday.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Edward Szekeres and Morgan Winsor

Jan 11, 11:08 AM
Man who lost entire family sifts through rubble in Gaza

The main highway connecting south and north Gaza, Salah al-Din Road, which Israeli forces used for a civilian corridor, has become impassable in Deir al Balah in central Gaza.

“When we came here, we were surprised — Salah al-Din is a main road connecting the north and the south in four directions, 70 meters wide,” Gaza resident Yahya Deeb Al-Laham told ABC News. Now there’s “no infrastructure, no electricity, no roads, buildings and areas are non-existent … there is nothing here, there are no signs of life. Homes for families have completely disappeared and not a single one of them remains.”

The Israelis have recently left the area.

One of the families who followed Israeli military instructions, evacuating from northern Gaza to Deir al Balah, has been completely wiped out.

The surviving family member, Muhammad Fouad Abu Safi, returned to the site to sift through the rubble and try to find what might be left of his family.

“They left me no family member, no sister, no brother, no cousin, no child,” he told ABC News. “There were about 50 people here. Only three children, girls, came out alive … the rest here were taken out as body parts or decomposing bodies.”

“Humanity has ended, mercy has ended,” he said. “Neither from America nor from any country, there is no humanity or mercy.”

ABC News’ Samy Zayara

Jan 11, 8:32 AM
UN court opens hearings on South Africa’s accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

Israel is defending itself in the United Nations’ top court starting Thursday against allegations that its ongoing military campaign in the neighboring Gaza Strip amounts to genocide of the Palestinian people — a claim that Israel vehemently denies.

South Africa, which brought forward the allegations, is initially asking the International Criminal Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza as part of a landmark case that is likely to take years to resolve.

“Genocides are never declared in advance, but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies as a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African attorney Adila Hassim told the panel of judges in a packed courtroom at The Hague during Thursday’s opening statements. “Nothing will stop the suffering except an order from this court.”

South Africa insists Israel is committing genocide by design and that the country’s latest war in Gaza is part of its decadeslong oppression of Palestinians. South Africa’s ruling political party, the African National Congress, has a long history of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and sees parallels with its own struggle against the apartheid regime of white minority rule that ended in 1994.

“The violence and the destruction in Palestine and Israel did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023,” South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said. “The Palestinians have experienced systematic oppression and violence for the last 76 years.”

Lawyers for Israel will address the court on Friday.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called South Africa’s allegations “atrocious and preposterous,” while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has dismissed the case as “meritless.”

Jan 10, 1:31 PM
Hamas official says hostages won’t return alive if Netanyahu doesn’t accept cease-fire

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said in a statement that the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza “will not return alive to their families” unless Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli leaders respond to Hamas’ conditions, “the first of which is a comprehensive and complete cessation of their aggression against the Gaza Strip.”

Jan 10, 11:50 AM
Israelis in Egypt for hostage talks: Egyptian security source

A delegation from Israel is in Egypt on Wednesday for new discussions on swapping Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for Palestinians in prison in Israel, an Egyptian security source confirmed to ABC News.

Jan 10, 11:18 AM
Israeli minister warns ‘Hamas will regain control’ if combat in Gaza stops

Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz warned Wednesday that “Hamas will regain control” of the Gaza Strip if the Israeli military ceases combat operations there.

“We must go on. If we stop now, Hamas will regain control,” Gantz, a retired army general who previously served as Israel’s defense minister and alternate prime minister, said during a press conference in Tel Aviv. “In most areas, we have completed the phase of operational takeover and now, we are deep in the phase of dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, which will lead to the demilitarization of the strip.”

However, Gantz noted that “the most urgent thing is the return of the abductees.” More than 100 Israeli citizens are believed to still be held hostage by militants in Gaza after being taken captive during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

“This has precedence over every move in combat,” he said.

Gantz also warned that the Israeli military “will act in southern Lebanon as we act in northern Gaza” if the neighboring country “continues to serve as an Iranian terrorist outpost.” His remarks came as Israeli forces continue to exchange fire with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, amid fears that regional tensions could escalate into a wider war in the Middle East.

“This is not a threat to Lebanon,” Gantz added. “It is a promise to the residents of [northern Israel].”

Israel’s war cabinet is expected to meet on Wednesday evening, followed by a meeting of the wider security cabinet.

ABC News’ Dana Savir and Morgan Winsor

Jan 10, 10:06 AM
IDF claims to have found ‘further evidence of Hamas’ exploitation’

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday claimed to have found “further evidence of Hamas’ exploitation of the civilian population for terrorist activity across the Gaza Strip.”

The 55th Brigade combat team made the alleged discovery in recent days while “operating to destroy terror infrastructure” in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to the IDF.

“During the operations on the military targets, the soldiers located a UAV launch post, a loaded rifle underneath a child’s bed, along with grenades, cartridges, Hamas uniforms, and many intelligence materials inside the residences of terrorist operatives,” the IDF said in a statement. “During the operation, the soldiers found a tunnel shaft near a school, a rocket launcher near a kindergarten, and a training compound near a mosque.”

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza, has denied Israel’s claims that it deliberately shelters behind civilians by hiding its fighters, infrastructure and weapons in hospitals, schools and other areas populated by civilians.

ABC News’ Morgan Winsor

Jan 10, 9:49 AM
At least 40 killed in Israeli strike near Gaza hospital, Hamas says

More than 40 people, including a journalist, were killed Wednesday when Israeli forces bombed an inhabited house across the street from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas Government Media Office.

Hamas claimed the Israeli military had declared the city of Deir al-Balah safe before striking the area.

There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Earlier Wednesday, the IDF said its aircraft and ground troops were continuing to operate against Hamas in central Gaza within the area of the Maghazi refugee camp, a couple miles north of Deir al-Balah.

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Some of Gaza’s wounded treated aboard French helicopter carrier-turned-hospital ship

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(EL-ARISH, Egypt) — Sixteen-year-old Abdul Rahman Iyad, now in a wheelchair, was critically injured in the leg and head when an Israeli strike hit his home in central Gaza on Christmas Eve, killing his parents, siblings and grandparents, he said.

Israeli strikes also left 8-year-old Abdullah with a fractured thigh bone and arm injury, his mother told ABC News.

And 16-year-old Nesma Abu Jeyad lost a leg after she said her home was hit by a rocket on Oct. 30.

All three children are being treated aboard the Dixmude, a French helicopter carrier docked in el-Arish, Egypt, that’s been turned into a field hospital to treat some of Gaza’s most severely wounded.

Doctors aboard the Dixmude told ABC News roughly half of the more than 1,000 patients they’ve treated so far are children; one in two are amputated.

“Some have one amputation. But unfortunately, we also regularly see children who’ve lost two limbs. It’s often due to the fact that they’ve had to wait so long to get help, so their wounds are infected,” said Dr. Sandrine Salle, medical adviser and chief medical officer aboard the Dixmude.

More than 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed, mostly civilians, and 6,900 others injured, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. Israeli officials say 537 Israel Defense Forces soldiers have been killed, including 200 since the ground operations in Gaza began.

The IDF has said it is only targeting the Hamas terrorist organization and other militants in Gaza and alleges that Hamas deliberately shelters behind civilians, which the group denies.

Abdul Rahman, Abdullah and Nesma are among the few who’ve been allowed to leave Gaza for treatment. Salle estimated that just 20-60 critically wounded civilians are evacuated from Gaza daily. More than 62,000 people have been injured in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Various medical facilities have been set up aboard the Dixmude, including a burn ward, a resuscitation room and a number of tents to expand hospitalization capabilities. Patients who need additional care are airlifted to Cairo via helicopter. A whiteboard outside the two operating rooms lists recent patients; all of them are minors.

According to Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Nasser Hospital — the largest functioning health facility in Gaza, located in Khan Younis in the south — is currently operating at 300% capacity. “The situation is catastrophic. There are way too many patients for the staff to handle,” Leo Cans, MSF head of mission for Palestine, said in a statement earlier this month.

Salle said most of the patients being brought to the Dixmude come from Khan Yunis and the south.

“They tell us about their long journey, they often had to spend hours under the rubble of their homes before a surviving member of their family was able to get them some help,” she said.

“Many also suffer from PTSD,” she added. “They’ve faced death, they’ve feared for their own lives, they’ve seen their families decimated. They have nightmares, they are constantly reliving horrific scenes, we see them reacting to the smallest noise.”

Abdul Rahman recalled waiting for hours to get treatment in Gaza.

“There was no medicine, no beds. I was kept in a hallway. The situation was very difficult,” the 16-year-old told ABC News. “There were very few nurses; three nurses and one doctor, for an entire department of 50 to 60 patients.”

Doctors have told Abdul Rahman he won’t be able to walk for another four to six months. But he says he looks forward to returning to Gaza, once he’s healed.

The bodies of his mother and grandfather are still trapped under the rubble of their home, he said.

“And almost all my family is gone. My [mom], dad and siblings. I am the only survivor left from the family,” he said.

“I just want to live in peace,” he added. “It’s my city, it’s my country.”

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How the ‘loud budgeting’ viral trend could help you save money

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(NEW YORK) — TikTok users are loud and proud, not just about their dance moves and style choices, but also when it comes to budgeting.

The recent #loudbudgeting trend, which has racked up nearly 10 million views and counting, is all about sharing your savings goals and shouting it from the proverbial rooftops, and TikTokkers and financial experts alike say the viral trend could help people cut back on impulse purchases and make smarter financial choices.

Among the vocal advocates behind loud budgeting is Lukas Battle.

“It’s not ‘I don’t have enough,’ it’s ‘I don’t want to spend,'” Battle explained in a now viral TikTok video.

Battle told “Good Morning America” that staying quiet about your finances and setting spending limits don’t have to be shrouded in shame.

“My friend wants to go out to dinner. I’m gonna just text them ‘loud budgeting’ this month. I think financial transparency with your friends is something that you don’t have to be embarrassed about,” Battle said.

With the cost of living and home prices still high, financial educator Tiffany Aliche of “The Budgetnista” told “GMA” people can use loud budgeting on their journey to achieving financial goals.

“Budgeting out loud, it’s not just the words, but also having these tools in place,” Aliche said. “It holds you accountable. But also, it allows the people that care about you to also hold you accountable.”

One way Aliche said she puts loud budgeting into action is to place a “deactivation sticker” on her credit card as a visual reminder to save money.

“Whenever I take out the card, it’s a physical reminder, because I’m budgeting out loud,” Aliche explained. “Is this a need? Is this a love? Because if it’s just a like or a want, that’s $10, $20, $30 less that I can put toward my [goal of a] dream trip.”

To get started with loud budgeting, Aliche recommends a few beginner tips.

Budgeting basics

  • Start a “money list.”
  • Check credit and debit card statements.
  • Divide your money into categories.
  • Write down your spending per month in each category.

Aliche also recommends taking the guesswork out of dividing your funds by asking your bank and/or employer to automatically split your paycheck into separate accounts.

Each account can be dedicated to a purpose or goal, such as one for bills, one for savings, and another for entertainment purchases.

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Police in Joliet searching for man after ‘multiple deceased’ people found in two homes

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(JOLIET, Ill.) — Authorities in Joliet, Illinois, are searching for a man police said should be considered “armed and dangerous” after multiple people were found dead from gunshot wounds in two homes.

In a Facebook post on Monday, authorities said they are looking for Romeo Nance. He is believed to be driving a Red Toyota Camry. In their news release, police did not say if Nance is a suspect.

“At this moment, Detectives and Officers are conducting an active homicide investigation after Officers located multiple deceased individuals who had sustained gunshot wounds in two homes in the 2200 block of West Acres Road,” Joliet police wrote in a post on the site.

Police have asked anyone who has information “regarding Nance” and the vehicle to contact local law enforcement. “Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Joliet Police Department,” the department wrote in their Facebook post.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Haley is going head-to-head with Trump in New Hampshire. Some experts expect it won’t help.

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(WASHINGTON) — Republican critics of Donald Trump have always said that getting the 2024 primary down to a one-on-one race would be key for any of his challengers to try to defeat him with voters.

That race is now here — and by Tuesday night, it’ll start to become clear whether it matters.

The former president will face off against just former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie bowed out in recent days. (Technically, Trump and Haley are also running against pastor Ryan Binkley, but he has failed to register in polling and never qualified for the debates.)

The head-to-head, combined with New Hampshire allowing independent voters to participate in the Republican race, is seen as offering Haley her best shot at throwing a blockade in front of Trump’s campaign before it becomes a runaway train.

If Haley can pull off a strong showing in the state, she has indicated, she can use that momentum to argue in other states that a Trump win is not inevitable and voters can go with someone else.

“We’re going home to South Carolina. The goal is we wanted to be strong … stronger in New Hampshire and then even stronger than that in South Carolina,” Haley told ABC News’ Rachel Scott, referring to her home state’s Feb. 24 primary. “We have saved our money. We’ve got it ready. We’ve got the big ad buy that we’re going to do for South Carolina and we’re going to crisscross the state that I love so much so we’re not we’re not backing out anytime soon.”

But Republican strategists in New Hampshire estimated to ABC News that while Haley is likely vacuuming up former Christie supporters, many DeSantis and Ramaswamy backers are now swarming to Trump, because his policies and approach are more similar to theirs, dampening anti-Trump Republicans’ hopes that there is a large enough vote to consolidate against him.

And polling offers a dour outlook for Haley, with only one major survey in 538’s database showing her within single digits of Trump — and none showing her near the lead, though she is running closer to Trump in New Hampshire than elsewhere in the country.

“I think President Trump ends up basically locking up the nomination tomorrow night around nine o’clock,” predicted New Hampshire GOP strategist Dave Carney.

“No other state in the country do you have this high of independents in the mix,” Carney added. “And if you can’t beat Trump here, you can’t beat him anywhere. He’s going to get over 50%, and there’s no pathway for anyone else to move forward, and the race will be over. There’s nobody siphoning off Trump voters from Trump now that it’s a two-way race. It’s going to be a beatdown.”

Such a result would mark a significant blow for Haley, who is looking for a win or a strong second-place showing to catapult her to next month’s primary in her home state of South Carolina, though that state’s soil is even more fertile for a Trump win, according to 538’s polling average.

Trump is currently leading Haley in South Carolina by more than 30 points, per 538.

Haley and her campaign surrogates have boasted of her chances in New Hampshire. And while they have moderated expectations more recently, going from predicting an outright win to saying that running narrowly behind Trump would be enough to keep her going, the former governor is still sounding a bullish note on the trail.

“It’s now one fella and one lady left,” she said at a campaign stop on Sunday after DeSantis suspended his campaign. “May the best woman win.”

Republican and nonpartisan operatives in the state said that to win, Haley would need to overperform recent polling on how she fares with undeclared voters — who make up the plurality of voters in the state. But she’d also need for those voters to turn out at virtually historic levels, given Trump’s continued popularity with registered Republicans.

“Undeclareds always vote at lower rates than do registered Republicans, and no candidate’s ever won the primary without winning the plurality of the party registered voters. Nobody’s ever won with independent voters,” said Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire’s survey center, referencing possible turnout.

“It could happen,” Smith said, “but she would need to have that be 55% undeclared, 45% registered Republicans [in the turnout]. The highest it’s ever been has been 40% undeclared in 2012. And she’d have to get 65% of the undeclareds.”

Carney said that kind of turnout for independents in the GOP primary may be particularly difficult to achieve given competing activity on the Democratic side. President Joe Biden’s allies are working to gin up support for a write-in campaign in the party’s unsanctioned primary, which is also featuring two long shot challengers, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson.

“Some undeclared voters are gonna say, ‘I can’t stop Trump, Trump’s gonna win, I’m gonna go vote against the president or … I’m gonna go vote for Biden.’ We are historically late deciders, and undeclared voters have the luxury of voting where they can have the most fun, the most impact, cause the most trouble,” Carney said. “If Biden was on the ballot and he was getting 92 [or] 82% of the vote, there’s no reason to vote in the Democrat primary. I think it would help Haley much more.”

Ensuring strong support from undeclared voters is expected to be even more important for Haley after Ramaswamy and DeSantis dropped out, strategists said. The two were seen as largely competing with Trump for votes, given their similar platforms, and their departures could add to his already hefty advantage, some experts said.

“That’s why I say I think Trump could push 60[%] because what Haley needed to have happen in this last week — she needed Vivek to stay in the race and she needed DeSantis to stay in the race to split the Republican vote,” said New Hampshire GOP strategist Mike Dennehy. “Both of those candidates dropping out has boosted Donald Trump up 7 to 10 points.”

Indeed, 538’s polling advantage has seen Haley gain support in recent days — but Trump gaining even more.

Dennehy also said he felt Haley played it too safe and “sat on the fence too long” in New Hampshire, possibly dampening her support.

While she has been blitzing the state with retail stops — dozens more than Trump — Haley refrained from many media interviews and town hall events where reporters and voters could press her on the issues and refused to debate DeSantis while he was still in the race.

She has ramped up her pointed attacks on Trump, though for months she spoke more ambivalently, casting him as the “right” president while in office but also an agent of chaos. She’s said she would pardon him if she were elected and he were convicted of a crime (he denies wrongdoing), and she would support him if he is the ultimate GOP presidential nominee.

“When you come in here from Iowa, you have five, six solid days of campaigning [after the caucuses], you need to use every single resource available, every tool in your belt. And it’s like she was fighting with two hands tied behind her back,” Dennehy said. “You’re not going to motivate and influence independent voters by having supporter rallies. … She’s not acting like the insurgent candidate that she is.”

Haley’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News about the race. And not every operative had similar nitpicks with the way she’s run the race, arguing that not alienating Trump voters, who are a significant part of the Republican base, is a valid strategy.

But every person who spoke to ABC News for this story pointed to one overarching theme: Strategy aside, Trump seems to remain the most popular politician in the Republican Party, and ousting him in a primary is a tall task, even with independent votes in one state.

“I think she ran an excellent race,” Smith said. “I think she played her cards as best as could be played. But they just weren’t high enough cards.”

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