(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration’s plan to begin operating a pier next month off the Gaza coast to enable millions of humanitarian aid packages a day still faces several unresolved logistical issues, including who will provide security to the United Nations aid workers willing to distribute the supplies, officials say.
The ongoing discussions are pushing the project down to the wire, which is scheduled to be up and running by early May.
“The safety and security of our humanitarian partners is the most important thing,” Sonali Korde, assistant administer to the State Department’s U.S. Agency for International Development, told reporters this week during a briefing on humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
“It’s absolutely vital, and they need to feel safe and secure,” Korde said.
President Joe Biden ordered the military in March to build the pier after experts warned Gaza was on the brink of famine.
U.S. military ships have already arrived in the Mediterranean, carrying the heavy equipment to construct the giant floating pier and causeway. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday those vessels are “standing by,” ready to begin construction when ordered.
Another major hurdle was cleared in recent days when USAID announced the U.N.’s World Food Program (WFP) agreed to distribute the aid from the pier so long as certain conditions are met.
Cooperation from the U.N. aid group was key to the project moving ahead because Biden has mandated that no U.S. troops or private American contractors operate from the ground in Gaza.
But while the U.S. military can build the pier relatively quickly — much as it did in 2010 off the coast of Haiti following an earthquake — officials have spent weeks wrangling over how to operate a massive humanitarian hub in the middle of a war zone.
According to one U.N. official, there have been lengthy discussions on the pier’s precise location and where it might be most effective. It’s also unclear how long the pier will need to be used.
On security, the U.N. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to describe internal deliberations, said the U.N. wants to rely on its own security to protect World Food Program staff, not the Israeli military. The primary concern, the person said, was to maintain neutrality in the conflict.
The Israel Defense Forces currently manage checkpoints into Gaza and provide security for designated “humanitarian corridors” that enable U.N. trucks to travel north.
“Given the catastrophic hunger situation in Gaza, WFP is open to exploring any opportunity to safely reach people in desperate need,” the WFP wrote in a statement. But any final agreement must set conditions “that allow for safe, sustained, and scaled up assistance to reach people in need,” the WFP added.
More than 200 humanitarian aid workers have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7. Among those killed were seven aid workers with the World Central Kitchen in a strike on April 1 that Israeli forces said was a grave mistake.
USAID’s Korde acknowledged the security concerns in a press briefing Tuesday.
“We’re very cognizant … that the U.N. needs to maintain its principles of neutrality and independence and access throughout Gaza,” Korde said.
“We’re trying to abide by those principles and make sure that everyone involved has the safety and security they need,” she added.
Since the Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers, and under pressure from Biden, Israel has dramatically increased the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, allowing on average 200 aid trucks a day, according to the State Department.
U.S. officials said this week that more needs to be done to improve the distribution of aid, provide potable water, and get lifesaving medicine to civilians. Administration officials also say they are pressing Israel to be clearer about which items included in humanitarian packages will be prohibited so that shipments don’t get held up by Israeli security.
David Satterfield, the State Department’s special envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues, told reporters at the briefing that the U.S. has made clear to Israel that the military pier and maritime aid route needs to be done in addition to — not in lieu of — keeping ground checkpoints open to aid trucks.
“There is no question that the most efficient and effective ways to deliver assistance is by as many land corridors as possible,” Satterfield said.
When asked if the Israel Defense Forces would agree to the U.N. providing its own security, a spokesperson for the Israeli military declined to comment.
Both the Pentagon and USAID say that even with discussions underway, the project is still on track to become operational in early May.
“This is a complex operation that requires coordination between many partners, and our conversations are ongoing,” a USAID spokesperson wrote in a statement.
ABC News’ Phoebe Natanson, Dana Savir, Desiree Adib, Matt Seyler, and Kirit Radia contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — The United States and Niger are discussing plans to withdraw American troops from the West African nation, ending more than a decade of U.S. military presence in the country.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed during Tuesday’s press briefing that “discussions have begun between the United States and Niger for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country.”
“In the near future, the Department of Defense will provide a small delegation from the Pentagon and U.S. Africa Command to participate in those discussions,” Ryder said, adding that the U.S. will continue to work with nations throughout the region to address terror threats.
The U.S. has yet to announce a timeline for when it will pull out the more than 1,000 military personnel stationed at an American drone base in the Sahara desert near the Nigerien city of Agadez. Videos circulating on social media over the weekend showed hundreds of people marching through the streets of Agadez to protest the U.S. military presence.
Niger’s ruling military junta, which ousted the democratically elected government in July 2023, announced its decision last month to immediately revoke a 2012 military cooperation deal with the U.S. following contentious meetings between high-level officials on both sides in the Nigerian capital of Niamey.
The American delegation had raised “concerns over Niger’s potential relationships with Russia and Iran, as well as the status of U.S. forces in the country,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
But the spokesperson for Niger’s junta, Col. Amadou Abdramane, denounced what he called a “condescending attitude combined with the threat of reprisals by the head of the American delegation against the people of Niger.” He accused the U.S. of failing to adhere to democratic protocol by trying to “deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism.”
The development came just months after Niger’s former colonizer, France, heeded the junta’s demands and withdrew French troops from the country amid a shifting geopolitical landscape in Africa’s arid Sahel region.
Niger has long been a key ally to the U.S., France and other Western nations in the fight against Islamist militants in the Sahel, south of the Sahara. But as Niger’s military government moves to sever those ties, the country – and others in the region – has been increasingly turning to Russia to deal with security threats. Earlier this month, the initial deployment of some 100 officers from Russia’s newly established African Corps arrived in Niger.
The paramilitary unit, which is under direct supervision of the Russian Ministry of Defense and is believed to be rebranded from the infamous but now defunct Wagner Group, said they are there to “develop military cooperation between Russia and Niger” and will “train” Nigerien military personnel.
While testifying before Congress on March 7, the commander of the U.S. African Command, Gen. Michael Langley, warned of Russia’s growing influence in the Sahel, saying “a number of countries are at the tipping point of actually being captured by the Russian Federation.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that “Russia reaffirms its commitment to helping African countries strengthen their sovereignty and security in all aspects and dimensions.”
Two horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — As many as five horses — and at least one of them soaked in blood — have caused chaos across central London on Wednesday morning after breaking free in Westminster, police say.
“We are aware of a number of horses that are currently loose in central London and are working with colleagues, including the Army, to locate them,” Westminster Police said in a statement on social media on Wednesday morning.
Early reports indicate that the horses may have come from the Household Calvary, the ceremonial guard of the British monarch, in Westminster.
One of the horses reportedly ran into the front of a double decker bus while another injured horse was seen bloodied and running through central London traffic.
The Household Calvary is made up of regiments of the British Army and are responsible for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
It is unclear how long the incident went on for but the horses are thought to have run approximately 6 miles before being contained by authorities in east London.
“We’re pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for,” Westminster Police said in a statement on social media. “We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”
Two horses on the loose bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych. Picture date: Wednesday April 24, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — As many as five horses — and at least one of them soaked in blood — have caused chaos across central London on Wednesday morning after breaking free in Westminster, police say.
“We are aware of a number of horses that are currently loose in central London and are working with colleagues, including the Army, to locate them,” Westminster Police said in a statement on social media on Wednesday morning.
Early reports indicate that the horses may have come from the Household Calvary, the ceremonial guard of the British monarch, in Westminster.
One of the horses reportedly ran into the front of a double decker bus while another injured horse was seen bloodied and running through central London traffic.
The Household Calvary is made up of regiments of the British Army and are responsible for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
It is unclear how long the incident went on for but the horses are thought to have run approximately 6 miles before being contained by authorities in east London.
“We’re pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for,” Westminster Police said in a statement on social media. “We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”
(NEW YORK) — A single explosion resulting from an Israeli shelling in December destroyed more than 5,000 specimens in Gaza’s largest and oldest IVF clinic, according to the director of the medical center.
An estimate of 4,000 embryos and an additional 1,000 specimens of sperm and unfertilized eggs stored at the Al Basma center in Gaza City were lost, Dr. Bahaeldeen Ghalayini, the founder and director of the clinic, told ABC News.
Among these were the embryos of 45-year-old Najwa Abu Hamada.
“Najwa came to our center in 2022. She had lost her 19-year-old son Khalil in a bombing near their home in Jabalia refugee camp. He was her only child and born after many failed IVF attempts,” said Dr. Ghalayini. “She was devastated. We did two operations free of charge for her, we froze her embryos.”
Abu Hamada started to prepare for her impregnation in 2023 but once the war started, the clinic had to pause everything.
Lawsuit alleges negligence in hiring of maintenance man accused of torturing resident In February, Dr. Ghalayini received a call from Abu Hamada. “I had to give her the devastating news that her embryos were destroyed,” he recalled. “This was her only chance in life.”
Similar to Abu Hamada, the singular shell destroyed the hopes and dreams of many women struggling with infertility in Gaza, another face of the suffering that the female population of the strip has experienced since the aftermath of Oct. 7, when Israel began a retaliatory attack after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack in southern Israel.
Over 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza since the war began, an April report from UN Women estimated. The unsanitary conditions, as well as limited assess to food and clean water, make pregnant women and their children, particularly vulnerable to complications and significant health risks.
Dr. Ghalayini, 73, founded Al Basma in 1997, after being inspired by the work of his teachers, “I trained with the pioneers of in vitro fertilization, Mr. Patrick Steptoe and Professor Robert Edwards at the world’s first IVF clinic in 1983,” he told ABC News. The pioneering work of Steptoe and Edwards led to the first baby born via in vitro fertilization in 1978.
Al Basma was developed to become the main fertility center in Gaza, with over half of the treatments being carried out in the center. “We had an average of 60-70 patients a month in the last 5 or 6 years. Before that, it was 100 patients a month. We treated 50% of the patients of Gaza, while the remaining half were divided among the other eight [fertility centers],” Ghalayini told ABC News.
“We developed dramatically over the years despite Gaza being under Israeli siege,” 37-year-old Mohammed Ajjour, Al Basma’s chief embryologist and IVF lab director, said.
Due to the Israeli military onslaught, Dr. Ghalayini decided to close the center last November. “We told the patients who were due for an operation we will aspirate their eggs and freeze them because of the war. We estimate there were roughly 4,000 embryos and 1,000 eggs and sperm specimens stored in the nitrogen tanks at Al Basma.”
Ghalayini said there was shelling at Al Basma and the surrounding area in early December.
“All the equipment was destroyed. When one shell entered the embryology lab, it damaged everything. It blew up the liquid nitrogen tanks, which held the embryos, eggs and sperm. Everything was gone,” said Dr. Ghalayini.
Pictures of the clinic in April show the extent of the destruction, with the embryology lab reduced to rubble.
“We don’t know if this was a deliberate targeting or not,” Ajjour added. “I want to emphasize the point that while this is a very ugly, inhumane and unprovoked act, it is part of a comprehensive, collective and harsh punishment borne by Palestinian civilians. It does not compare to the horrors of what is happening to them but fits in the larger pattern of loss and destruction.”
The Israel Defense Forces told ABC News the attack on the center is still being investigated.
Both men are pleading for a permanent cease-fire.
Ajjour has an extra plea. “I’m asking fertility organizations around the world, which lead in humanitarian work as we all work for humanity, to please help us. The extent of destruction is so vast that we will not be able to rebuild and provide what we did before without their support. Just as they helped the Ukrainians in the Russian-Ukraine war – we have seen the stories of the help that was extended to the IVF clinics there. Help us too. “
As for GhaIayini, he is committed to supporting his 50 employees financially and is also working on raising funds to open a branch of Al Basma in Egypt or Qatar to support his center in Gaza.
“The Palestinian people, who have been occupied for more than 70 years, have to be free. We want the free world to make us free, to help us go back to our homes so we can live in peace and safety.”
(LONDON) — The United Kingdom approved controversial legislation on Tuesday that allows the government to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, with deportation flights expected to start this summer.
The so-called Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill completed its passage through the U.K. Parliament in the early morning after almost eight hours of debate overnight, clearing the way for it to soon receive royal assent and become law. The legislation, which aims to deter migrants from entering the U.K. illegally via small boats with hopes of claiming asylum once they reach the shore, had been stalled in Parliament for two months as lawmakers in both houses repeatedly proposed and rejected amendments.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who described the bill as “landmark legislation,” has promised that the first flights deporting illegal migrants to Rwanda, where their asylum claims will be processed, would take off in 10 to 12 weeks.
“We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them,” Sunak said in a statement Tuesday. “The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay. I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives.”
Rwanda is “pleased” by the U.K. Parliament’s approval of the bill and “look[s] forward to welcoming those relocated to Kigali,” according to Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo.
“It doesn’t alter what we have always known to be true: we have worked hard over the last 30 years to make Rwanda a safe and secure country for Rwandans and non-Rwandans alike,” Makolo said in a statement Tuesday.
The idea was first proposed in 2022 by former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who signed a multi-million-dollar partnership with the Rwandan government introducing the idea to have illegal migrants with asylum applications “deemed inadmissible by the U.K.” flown to Rwanda instead. But the U.K. Supreme Court blocked the deportation flights last November, finding the plan “unlawful” because the government couldn’t guarantee the safety of those being transferred to Rwanda.
In response, the U.K. signed a new treaty with Rwanda that increased protections for migrants and then, last December, proposed the current legislation, which declares the East African nation to be “safe” for asylum seekers.
Top officials from the United Nations released a joint statement on Tuesday calling on the U.K. to reconsider its plan, which they warned will have a “harmful impact” on human rights and refugee protection.
“The new legislation marks a further step away from the U.K.’s long tradition of providing refuge to those in need, in breach of the Refugee Convention,” said Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. “Protecting refugees requires all countries – not just those neighboring crisis zones – to uphold their obligations. This arrangement seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international cooperation and setting a worrying global precedent.”
“By shifting responsibility for refugees, reducing the U.K.’s courts’ ability to scrutinise removal decisions, restricting access to legal remedies in the UK and limiting the scope of domestic and international human rights protections for a specific group of people, this new legislation seriously hinders the rule of law in the U.K. and sets a perilous precedent globally,” added Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. “It is critical to the protection of the human rights and dignity of refugees and migrants seeking protection that all removals from the U.K. are carried out after assessing their specific individual circumstances in strict compliance with international human rights and refugee law.”
Just hours after the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill’s approval, French authorities announced Tuesday that five people, including a child, had died while trying to cross the English Channel from France to the U.K.
The U.K. government is prepared to face a “whole range of legal challenges” to the new policy that may arise, according to British Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration Michael Tomlinson.
“We need to get the flights off the ground, and that’s when we will see the deterrent effect kick in,” Tomlinson told BBC News on Tuesday.
Palestinian medics rush to the site of an Israeli strike on al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on April 22, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (AFP via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran early Friday morning local time, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
The strike followed Iran’s attack on Saturday, when Tehran sent a volley of more than 300 drones and missiles toward targets in Israel, according to Israeli military officials. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.
Iran’s weekend attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of Gaza.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Apr 23, 11:36 AM Israel responds to report released on UNRWA
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, is claiming that more than 2,135 workers at UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, are members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
“Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA so deeply that it is no longer possible to determine where UNRWA ends and where Hamas begins,” Erdan said. “Israel calls on the donor countries to refrain from transferring their taxpayers’ money to UNRWA-Gaza, as these funds will go to the Hamas terrorist organization, and that violates legislation in the donor countries themselves.”
This comes after an independent review of UNRWA released on Monday found the agency had policies in place to back up its principle of neutrality, but also found UNRWA had “serious gaps in implementation,” The Associated Press reported. The report made recommendations to improve the agency’s neutrality.
The report also found that Israel hadn’t provided evidence to back up its claim that a significant number of UNRWA employees were members of Hamas or PIJ, the AP said.
Apr 23, 11:33 AM IDF denies mass grave claims
The Israel Defense Forces has denied accusations from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that they buried at least 283 bodies in a mass grave near Nasser Hospital in Gaza.
“The claim that the IDF buried Palestinian bodies is baseless and unfounded,” the IDF said in a statement. “During the IDF’s operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance to the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined.”
“The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages,” the IDF said. “Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place.”
Apr 22, 3:11 PM Iran calls Israel’s attack ‘harassment’ that ’caused no damage whatsoever’
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called Israel’s retaliatory strike against Iran last week “harassment” that has “caused no damage whatsoever.”
“In our opinion, this issue is not worthy of addressing,” Kanaani said Monday.
Apr 22, 2:58 PM State Department considers Gaza a ‘severe humanitarian crisis’
The State Department has released its annual assessment of human rights across the globe.
The U.S. assessed that Israelis have killed or injured nearly 80,000 Palestinians in Gaza — accounting for 3% of the population.
The State Department stressed that Israel “must conduct military operations in accordance with international law and take every feasible precaution to protect civilians.”
“We continue to urgently raise concerns surrounding the deaths of and injuries to tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable persons,” the U.S. said. “We repeatedly have pressed concerns about Palestinian civilians’ access to humanitarian assistance, displacement of the majority of the population of Gaza, and the unprecedented number of journalists killed.”
The U.S. continues to review allegations that Israel violated international laws of war in Gaza and the West Bank, and part of that review will look into whether U.S. weapons were involved, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference Monday.
Blinken said the process will be fair, whether a country is “an adversary or competitor, a friend or an ally.”
-ABC News’ Chris Boccia
Apr 22, 5:36 AM Israeli intelligence chief resigns over Oct. 7
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, has submitted his resignation in the wake of the Oct. 7 surprise terror attack, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday.
“The Chief of the General Staff thanked Major General Aharon Haliva for his 38 years of service in the IDF, during which he made significant contributions to the security of the State of Israel as both a combat soldier and commander,” IDF officials said in a post on social media.
Apr 22, 5:19 AM US drops 50,000 meals over Northern Gaza
The U.S. military on Sunday dropped 50,688 ready-to-eat meals into northern Gaza, Central Command said.
The humanitarian aid, which was dropped from four Air Force aircraft, brings the total U.S. assistance supplied by air to about 1,001 tons, CENTCOM said.
“The DoD humanitarian airdrops contribute to ongoing U.S. and partner-nation government efforts to alleviate human suffering,” CENTCOM said on social media. “These airdrops are part of a sustained effort, and we continue to plan follow-on aerial deliveries.”
Apr 22, 3:29 AM Three injured in ‘ramming terror attack’ in Jerusalem, police say
Three people were “lightly” injured after being struck by a vehicle in a “ramming terror attack,” Israeli police said on Monday morning. The two suspects allegedly fled the scene.
The pedestrians were struck at about 8 a.m. on Mordechai Tekhelet Street, police said.
“Immediately afterward, two terrorists emerged from the vehicle armed with ‘Carlo’ type weapon, and attempted to open fire, unsuccessfully,” police said.
Investigators recovered a weapon from the area following the incident, police said.
Apr 21, 6:09 PM Israeli Defense Minister responds to potential US sanctions on IDF battalion
Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant held a discussion with IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi regarding the developing report on U.S. intentions to impose sanctions against the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda battalion, an Israeli military unit operating in the West Bank.
“Any attempt to criticize an entire unit casts a heavy shadow on the actions of the IDF, which operates to protect the citizens of Israel,” Gallant said in a statement. “Damage to one battalion, affects the entire defense establishment – this is not the right path for partners and friends.”
Gallant urged the U.S. not to impose sanctions on the unit.
“Our friends and our enemies are closely watching the ties between Israel and the United States, now more than ever,” Gallant said. “I call on the U.S. Administration to withdraw its intention to impose sanctions on the Netzach Yehuda battalion.”
Amid reports of possible sanctions, Gallant recently completed a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Earlier today, Minister Gallant also held a discussion with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew.
Apr 21, 1:38 PM 22 reported dead in strikes on Rafah: Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry
Two strikes were launched on the southern Gaza town of Rafah, killing 22 people, including 18 children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
At least one blast occurred at the Al-Shabora refugee camp in Rafah, a spokesperson for the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah told ABC News.
The hospital spokesperson told ABC News doctors were able to rescue an unborn baby whose mother was killed in the blast at Al-Shabora camp. Officials identified the mother as Sabreen Mohamed Al-Sakani.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strikes, telling ABC News, “At the given times, the IDF struck several military targets of the terrorist organizations in Gaza including military compounds, launch posts and armed terrorists.”
Apr 21, 11:23 AM 14 ‘terrorists’ killed in dayslong West Bank raid: IDF
Israeli forces have withdrawn after a dayslong raid in the Nur Shams area of the Tulkarm camp in the West Bank left 14 “terrorists” dead, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Israel Border Police forces “completed extensive counterterrorism activity based on IDF and ISA (Israel Security Authority) intelligence in the area of Nur Shams,” the IDF said in a statement.
During the raid, which began Friday, “the forces eliminated 14 terrorists in close-quarters combat, apprehended 15 wanted suspects, seized numerous weapons, and destroyed dozens of explosive devices as well as two terror explosives laboratories,” according to the IDF statement.
The IDF said all of the terrorists were killed during fire exchanges with Israeli forces.
Since the raid started, nine IDF soldiers and an Israel Border Police officer were “lightly to moderately” injured in the fighting, according to the IDF.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society, the first responder service in the West Bank, also said 14 people were killed as a result of the raid.
Apr 20, 6:05 PM Netanyahu responds after Blinken says US may impose sanctions on IDF
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the department will be announcing his determinations regarding the Israel Defense Forces under the Leahy Law — which empowers the secretary of state to withhold funding from units of a foreign military accused of human rights violations — “in the coming days.”
The State Department could announce sanctions against the IDF and withhold aid to the military.
“I think it’s fair to say that you’ll see results very soon. I’ve made determinations, you can expect to see them in the days ahead,” he told press gathered for G7 meetings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a statement on X saying sanctions must not be imposed on the IDF.
“In recent weeks, I have been working against the imposition of sanctions on Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with senior American government officials. At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose a sanction on a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low,” Netanyahu said Saturday.
Emergency personnel work at the site of helicopter crash in Lumut, Perak, Malaysia on April 23, 2024. (Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Two Malaysian navy helicopters have collided in mid-air killing all 10 crew members aboard the two aircraft, according to a statement from the Royal Malaysian Navy on Tuesday.
Video on social media shows the moment of impact between the two helicopters as parts of both helicopters, including the rotor, flying off.
The circumstances that led up to the crash are currently unclear.
Prince Louis, accompanied by his parents the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive for a settling in afternoon at Lambrook School, near Ascot on Sept. 7, 2022 in Bracknell, England. (Jonathan Brady – Pool/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Prince Louis, the youngest child of Prince William and Kate, the princess of Wales, and younger sibling of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, is 6.
Six years ago, on April 23, 2018, the prince, whose full name is Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Wales, was born at 11:01 a.m., local time.
The young prince, a grandson of King Charles III, made his first public appearance just seven hours after his birth, when William and Kate brought him outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
In the years since, Louis has been known to steal the spotlight at royal events.
In 2022, Louis captured the public’s eye when he animatedly stood next to his great-grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during her Platinum Jubilee.
Later on at the jubilee’s Platinum Pageant, Louis’ display of facial expressions, waving and even at times screaming, prompted William and Kate to caption a video montage of the event, “We all had an incredible time, especially Louis…,” followed by an emoji of watchful eyes.
The next year, in 2023, Louis had his turn in the spotlight again at Charles’ coronation, where he was seen dancing, waving and, at times, yawning.
Just after the coronation, in early May, Louis marked a royal milestone, attending his first royal engagement.
The then-5-year-old was seen trying archery and shoveling alongside Kate as they were joined by William, George and Charlotte in helping to renovate a hut for a scout troop during the Big Help Out, a coronation event meant to encourage people to volunteer in their communities.
Louis’ birthday this year comes at a less celebratory time for the royal family, which has two members battling cancer.
Louis’ mom, Kate, announced in March that she was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
Just one month earlier, in February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles was diagnosed with cancer and had begun treatment.
The palace has not specified Charles’ type of cancer, the stage of cancer or the type of treatment.
Likewise, Kensington Palace has not shared details on the type of cancer Kate was diagnosed with. She said in a video message that the cancer was discovered in post-operative tests after her planned abdominal surgery in mid-January.
In announcing her cancer, Kate asked for privacy for her family. The palace has said only that Kate will return to public duties once she is medically cleared to do so.
After taking time off during their children’s Easter school holiday, William returned to work on April 18, visiting a food charity in his first royal engagement back since Kate’s announcement.
(NEW YORK) — Israel, early Friday morning local time, launched a retaliatory strike against Iran, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
The strike follow Iran’s attack last Saturday, where the country sent a volley of more than 300 uncrewed drones and missiles toward targets throughout the country, Israeli military officials previously said. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.
Iran’s attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s war cabinet have met several times since the Iran strikes, and as ABC News previously reported, at least two strikes were previously aborted.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Apr 19, 12:22 PM G7 foreign ministers: Iran should be held accountable for ‘malicious and destabilizing actions’
The foreign ministers at the G7 meeting in Capri, Italy, issued a lengthy statement condemning Iran’s weekend attack on Israel.
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel of April 13-14, which Israel defeated with the help of its partners. This was a dangerous escalation, as Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” the leaders said.
“We will hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions and we stand ready to adopt further sanctions or take other measures, now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives,” the leaders said.
They added, “In light of reports of strikes on April 19th [from Israel to Iran], we urge all parties to work to prevent further escalation.”
The G7 leaders also called on Israel to do more to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
-ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
Apr 19, 11:24 AM House votes to advance foreign aid bills, including $26B for Israel
The House on Friday cleared a key procedural hurdle in passing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, despite dozens of Republican defections, with Democrats helping Speaker Mike Johnson avoid a defeat.
The Israel bill would provide roughly $26 billion in aid.
Its passage means the House will debate the bills Saturday morning before voting Saturday afternoon to send it to the Senate.
Apr 19, 11:08 AM Israelis fired 3 missiles in limited strike
Three missiles were fired from Israeli fighter aircraft outside of Iran in Friday morning’s very limited strike, according to a senior U.S. official.
The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility, the official said. The first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hasn’t been completed, the official said.
The strike was intended to send a signal to Iran that Israel has these capabilities, but was not looking to escalate the situation, according to the official.
Apr 19, 7:46 AM Blinken says US ‘not involved’ in Israel’s strike on Iran
United States Secretary of State Antony has denied any U.S. involvement in Israel’s retaliatory strike on Iran.
Blinken was asked at a press conference early Friday morning if Israel told the United States in advance of the strikes in Iran.
“I’m not going to respond,” Blinken said. He went on to say that “the U.S. was not involved in any U.S. offensive.”
Apr 19, 4:14 AM No damage to Iran’s nuclear sites after Israeli strike: IAEA
Iran’s nuclear sites have not been damaged by Israel’s strike on Iran early Friday morning, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In a statement released on social media, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi says he “continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts.”
Apr 19, 12:49 AM Flight operations resume in Iran: State media
After suspending flights at several airports following reports of an explosion in Iran, Iranian state media said early Friday normal operations have resumed.
Apr 18, 10:31 PM Flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz suspended after reports of explosion in Iran: Iranian state media
Flights to Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz have been suspended following reports an explosion was heard in the city of Qahjavaristan, Iranian state media reported.
The city of Qahjavaristan is located near Isfahan Airport and the 8th Shekhari Base of the Army Air Force in the northwest of Isfahan.
Apr 18, 9:27 PM Israeli missiles have hit a site in Iran
A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News Israeli missiles have hit a site in Iran. The official could not confirm whether Syria and Iraq sites were hit as well.
Apr 18, 4:19 PM In meeting with Israelis, US officials ‘expressed concerns’ over Rafah
In a Thursday meeting between U.S. and Israeli officials, the two sides discussed the attack by Iran as well as the Israeli military’s plans for an operation in Rafah in Gaza, according to the White House.
During the meeting, the “U.S. participants expressed concerns with various courses of action in Rafah,” according to a White House readout.
“Israeli participants agreed to take these concerns into account and to have further follow up discussions between experts, overseen by the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group,” and the officials agreed to meet again “soon,” according to the White House.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan convened the meeting and the Israeli side was led by Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.
Apr 18, 2:38 PM Israel makes significant process in preparations for Rafah evacuations: Source
Israel has made significant progress in preparations for the evacuation of around 1 million civilians from Rafah ahead of the Israeli military’s impending operation in the southern Gaza city, according to an Israeli source.
Preparations have been ongoing for over a month, including repairing water and sewage pipes and amassing thousands of tents, the source said
There are around 1.5 million Palestinians estimated to be in the Khan Younis and Rafah areas in southern Gaza. It’s believed around 1 million people would evacuate north. The evacuation process, which could take weeks, would not start until after Passover.
State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel stressed to reporters that “any kind of forced relocation or displacement of the Palestinian people within Gaza cannot and should not be part of any plan or an operation.”
Apr 18, 12:52 PM US, Israeli officials to hold high-level meeting on Rafah plans
U.S. and Israeli officials will hold a high-level, virtual meeting on Thursday about alternative plans for an Israeli military operation in Rafah, a White House official confirmed to ABC News.
The official said that it will be a secure video meeting that will follow up on discussions from earlier this month. National security adviser Jake Sullivan will lead the meeting for the U.S. side, the official said.
The meeting was first reported by Axios.
“The main purpose really is to talk about Rafah … and also share our continued concerns over a major ground offensive there,” White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said.
Apr 18, 9:41 AM US sanctions 16 people, two groups after Iran attacks
The U.S. is sanctioning two groups and 16 people it says enabled Iran’s drone production following Iran’s attack on Israel last weekend.
“Today, in coordination with the United Kingdom and in consultation with partners and allies, we are taking swift and decisive action to respond to Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. “We’re using Treasury’s economic tools to degrade and disrupt key aspects of Iran’s malign activity, including its UAV program and the revenue the regime generates to support its terrorism.”
The Treasury Department said it’s sanctioning Khuzestan Steel Company, Iran’s largest steel producer. The Treasury Department said Iran’s metals sector generates “several billion dollars in revenue annually.”
The U.S. is also targeting the Iranian carmaker Bahman Group for its role in making vehicles used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for military operations.
The sanctions also target people who work for Iran-based drone manufacturers, including executives of the Mado Company, which the U.S. says produced drone engines used in Iran’s Shahed UAVs. The U.S. also sanctioned members of the IRGC who it says help supply proxy groups, like the Houthis in Yemen, with drones that have attacked U.S. service members in the Red Sea.
Yellen added that the U.S. would “continue to deploy” sanctions to counter any further action by Iran, with the goal of making it harder and more expensive for Iran to undertake destabilizing actions.
Apr 17, 6:16 PM Israel not likely to carry out strike until after Passover: US official
Israel is unlikely to carry out a strike on Iran until after Passover, a senior U.S. official told ABC News, although that could always change.
Passover begins on Monday and ends after nightfall on April 30.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other leadership are still on a high state of alert, with some in safe houses and underground facilities, the official said.
Apr 17, 5:50 PM Israel aborted strikes against Iran 2 nights this week: Sources
Israel prepared for and then aborted retaliatory strikes against Iran on at least two nights this past week, three Israeli sources told ABC News.
Iran attacked Israel with more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday night into Sunday morning local time in Israel. Israel has been weighing how and when to respond to Iran’s attack since then, holding war cabinet meetings on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
The members of the Israeli war cabinet are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister Benny Gantz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
A range of responses have been presented to the Israeli war cabinet. The potential responses include options ranging from attacking Iranian proxies in the region but not on Iranian soil to a potential cyber attack, sources told ABC News.
There was no war cabinet meeting on Wednesday, but Netanyahu told his government cabinet that while he appreciates the advice from allies, Israel will “make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”
-ABC News’ Matt Gutman and Jordana Miller
Apr 17, 3:02 PM Iranian president: Israel invasion would be met with ‘massive’ response
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said at an army parade Wednesday that “the tiniest invasion” from Israel will be met with a “very massive and harsh response.”
Apr 17, 2:26 PM House GOP package totals $14.1 billion for Israel
House Republicans have posted the legislative text for three national security bills, addressing Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific.
For Israel, lawmakers have crafted a package totaling $14.1 billion, including: $4 billion for missile defense; $1.2 billion for Iron Beam; $4 billion replenishment of stocks to the Department of Defense; and $3.5 billion for Israel to purchase U.S. weapons.
“The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.”
Apr 17, 1:12 PM Netanyahu: Israel ‘will make our own decisions’ on how to respond to Iran
After meeting with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he appreciates their advice, but added, “We will make our own decisions and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”
Cameron told reporters after the meeting in Jerusalem, “It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act.”
“We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible, and in a way that — as I said yesterday — is smart as well as tough,” Cameron added.
Cameron also reiterated that the “real need is to refocus back on Hamas, back on the hostages, back on getting the aid in, back on getting a pause in the conflict in Gaza.”
“That’s why I’m here today to talk to the Israeli government, to talk to the Palestinian Authority to try and push those things forward,” Cameron said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Apr 16, 7:04 PM US says it will impose new sanctions on Iran in coming days
The United States announced Tuesday it will impose new sanctions targeting Iran in the coming days following its “unprecedented air attack against Israel.”
The sanctions include targeting Iran’s missile and drone program and new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran’s Defense Ministry, according to the White House’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.
“We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions,” Sullivan said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to continue to take action, in coordination with allies and partners around the world, and with Congress, to hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions.”
The U.S. is telegraphing its sanction plan in advance to underscore the large international response that the U.S. is coordinating and to signal to Iran there will be diplomatic costs to what they’ve done, a senior administration official told ABC News. The official said they believe this will have an impact, in part, by bringing other countries on board.
Apr 16, 4:08 PM IDF’s conduct, ethics under scrutiny following soldiers’ social media posts
Six months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, the conduct and ethics of some Israel Defense Forces members have increasingly come under the microscope.
Incidents ranging from pranks to potentially criminal acts are being exposed to the world, often by videos soldiers themselves have posted online, according to critics and Israeli officials.
In many pictures and videos that have circulated since the conflict began, and which were reposted by pro-Palestinian activists to millions of followers, IDF soldiers are seen blowing up buildings in Gaza while in combat, waving women’s underwear like flags and rifling through the possessions of Gazans with gleeful expressions.
Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian activist, says he’s seen thousands of videos of IDF soldiers reportedly behaving improperly.
“You can see all the soldiers liking their posts,” Tirawi told ABC News.
Apr 16, 3:48 PM Blinken to Israeli war cabinet: ‘We do not want to see further escalation’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, during which Blinken “continue[d] to send the same messages in all his conversations — which is we do not want to see further escalation of the conflict,” according to spokesperson Matt Miller.
Miller declined to say whether the U.S. assessed the threat of escalation had fallen, but an administration official said the amount of time that has already elapsed since Iran’s weekend attack had boosted hopes that Israel would exercise constraint.
Miller batted down reports that Iran and the U.S. were communicating through intermediaries in the wake of Tehran’s attack on Israel.
“There have not been such messages delivered. It’s been days since we’ve communicated — since we’ve sent messages to the government of Iran,” Miller said. “And I say that as a reminder of something we’ve said before: Oftentimes, the Iranian government has misled the world about either messages they’ve passed to us or messages that we have passed to them.”
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Apr 16, 3:36 PM UK prime minister ‘gravely concerned’ about humanitarian situation in Gaza
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. While Netanyahu thanked Sunak for the U.K.’s support to counter Iran’s weekend attack on Israel, Sunak also had harsh words for Netanyahu about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“On Gaza, the Prime Minister said he remained gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis,” a Downing Street spokesperson said. “The U.K. wanted to see a massive step change in aid access to flood Gaza with vital supplies, including Israel opening up new aid routes as quickly as possible. The Prime Minister said it was deeply disappointing that Hamas blocked a deal at the weekend that would have saved Palestinian lives and secured the safe release of hostages.”
Apr 16, 3:23 PM Israeli war cabinet meeting ends again with no final decision on response: Source
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet met for the third day in a row on Tuesday to consider an Israeli response to Iran’s weekend attack.
But Tuesday’s meeting ended with no final decision made about an Israeli response, according to an Israeli source with knowledge of the meeting. A variety of options are still being considered, the source said.
Apr 16, 2:13 PM Iran foreign minister says ‘no intention of further escalating the situation’
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a call that “Iran is willing to exercise restraint and has no intention of further escalating the situation,” according to the Chinese foreign ministry’s readout of the conversation.
Apr 16, 1:56 PM More than 19,000 children orphaned in Gaza
Over 10,000 women have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to a report from UN Women, the United Nations’ entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Out of those 10,000 women, 6,000 were mothers, who have left behind 19,000 orphaned children, according to the report.
-ABC News’ Kori Skillman
Apr 16, 11:18 AM Israel focused too intensely on Iran’s nuclear threat at expense of ballistic threat: IDF
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel focused too intensely on the Iranian nuclear threat at the expense of its ballistic threat.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News the U.S. also relied too heavily on the misguided conception that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was cautious and would never order a direct attack on Israel, and that this weekend’s attack and the general U.S. assessment of Iran now requires study and reassessment.
Sima Shine, a former head of the Iran desk at Israeli espionage agency Mossad, also said Israel’s assessment was wrong, and said “the rules of the game” have changed. A huge barrage of missiles was considered possible, but highly unlikely, Shine said.
Shine said any Israeli response under the new conception requires the assumption that Iran will follow up with its threat of another salvo of missiles. That said, Shine believes that Iran and the supreme leader do not want a full-scale war because it would be unpopular in Iran and the U.S. could get involved.
-ABC News’ Matt Gutman
Apr 16, 9:18 AM Yellen to Iran: US ‘will not hesitate’ to issue new sanctions
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning Iran that the U.S. “will not hesitate” to impose new sanctions in response to Iran’s “unprecedented attack” on Israel.
“Treasury will not hesitate to work with our allies to use our sanctions authority to continue disrupting the Iranian regime’s malign and destabilizing activity,” Yellen is expected to say at a Tuesday press conference. “The attack by Iran and its proxies underscores the importance of Treasury’s work to use our economic tools to counter Iran’s malign activity.”
Yellen’s message follows President Joe Biden’s Sunday meeting with the G7 nations, during which the leaders discussed a coordinated effort on sanction measures.
Apr 16, 6:31 AM Israeli war cabinet to consider response again Tuesday
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet is expected to meet again on Tuesday to consider an Israeli response to Iran’s weekend attack.
“We are closely assessing the situation. We remain at our highest level of readiness,” Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said on Monday. “Iran will face the consequences for its actions.”
Halevi added Israel would “choose our response accordingly.”
Apr 16, 6:14 AM UN watchdog calls for de-escalation in Israel-Iran conflict
United Nations officials called on Tuesday for Israel and Iran to de-escalate their conflict, saying the retaliatory military attacks “violate the right to life and must cease immediately.”
“All countries are prohibited from arbitrarily depriving individuals of their right to life in military operations abroad, including when countering terrorism,” the U.N.’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a press release, quoting U.N. officials described as “experts.”
The retaliatory strikes by both countries may constitute the “international crime of aggression by civilian and military leaders responsible,” those officials said, according to the statement.
