Hamas defensive lines are collapsing in Gaza, Israel says

A tiny Christian town on Lebanon’s edge emptied by worries of war

AIN EBEL, Lebanon — The church bells still ring in Ain Ebel, but there’s hardly anyone left to hear them.

The small Christian village of about 1,500 is only a few miles from Lebanon’s border with Israel — an island in an ocean of mostly Shiite Muslims governed by the dominant militant group, Hezbollah.

As cross-border shelling between Hezbollah and Israel has increased over the past few weeks, the majority of the women and children have fled, mostly to Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.

That has left mostly adult men, about 40% of the population, and an eerie silence along empty streets lined with shuttered shops and restaurants.

The men who remain say they’re here to protect their homes from thieves. But they also answer to a deeper calling: Like so many vulnerable communities throughout the Middle East, they worry that leaving their homes could invite a kind of cleansing of the region’s only bastion of Christian identity — that abandoning their homes could allow their Shiite neighbors to swallow Ain Ebel whole.

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Speaker Mike Johnson reaffirmed House Republicans’ commitment to passing legislation for aid to Israel and rejected calls for ceasefire.

“There was a cease-fire. It was before Oct. 7th and Hamas broke it,” said Johnson in his first press briefing as speaker. “Israel doesn’t need a cease-fire. It needs its allies to cease with the politics and deliver support now.”

Johnson said he intends to cut government spending and reduce the size of the federal government to pay for American aid to Israel.

German Interior Minister bans group over antisemitism and glorification of Hamas

Andy Eckardt

MAINZ, Germany — The Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network has been banned by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser over allegations that the group glorifies terrorism and perpetuates antisemitism.

“The organizing of spontaneous ‘jubilation celebrations’ here in Germany in response to the terrible terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel shows Samidoun’s antisemitic, inhumane worldview in a particularly disgusting way,” Faeser said.

Samidoun said in a statement to NBC News that allegations of antisemitism or glorification of terrorism are entirely false and described it as a “racist assault” on Palestinians and Arabs.

“This attack should be of serious concern to all who carry out political work, especially for Palestinian liberation,” the group said.

Israel’s defense, finance ministers clash over Palestinian tax payout

JERUSALEM— Israel’s defense and finance ministers clashed yesterday over whether some West Bank tax revenues should be transferred to the Palestinian Authority, underlining the tensions straining the government as Israeli forces push on with the war in Gaza.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinians in parts of the West Bank under direct Israeli control, to be disbursed without delay.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whose hard-line religious nationalist party has strong support among Jewish settlers in the West Bank, responded that Gallant was making a “serious mistake” in demanding the release of the funds.

Under interim peace accords, the Israeli Finance Ministry collects tax on behalf of the Palestinians and makes monthly transfers to the Palestinian Authority, which has limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, but there have been constant wrangles over the arrangement.

Search for survivors after blast at Bureij refugee camp

Max Butterworth

Palestinians sift through the smoldering rubble of destroyed buildings at the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza today.

Border opening a positive step, British foreign secretary says

BLETCHLEY, England — British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told NBC News today that the opening of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza was a “positive step.”

Speaking at the AI Safety Summit in the United Kingdom, he said the situation was “fragile” and “in order to continue having British nationals and other foreign nationals leaving Gaza, we will need to maintain this fragile coalition.” 

 Overnight, he said he had talked to his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry. He added that the U.K. had been speaking directly with people who have influence over the situation and through “intermediaries.” 

“We have been calling for these humanitarian pauses, temporary, localized to facilitate the evacuation of foreign nationals, including British nationals, and to help facilitate the inward movement of humanitarian aid. They have proven to be incredibly difficult to achieve,” he added.

Ex-IDF intelligence chief: Netanyahu only focuses on his own survival

A former Israeli military intelligence chief has criticized Netanyahu’s judgment during the war with Hamas.

Amos Malka told the 103FM radio station that Netanyahu had a tendency to play the “blame game” and disengage from responsibility, according to a post on X from the outlet quoting the interview.

“If he has the time to deal with whether the investigative committee will be a government or state committee, I say that he is not focused on the management of the fighting, but on survival,” Malka said.

Foreign passport holders gather at border hoping for a way out of Gaza

As the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened to civilians for a second day, foreign passport holders stuck in the enclave flocked to the border to see if their names were on the list for today’s expected evacuations.

Biden’s call for a pause was not a new policy announcement, White House says

Peter Alexander

WASHINGTON — Biden was not announcing a new policy when he told a protester in Minnesota that he thought a “pause” was needed, a White House official told NBC News today.

The official said that Biden’s comments last night emphasized his belief that to facilitate the release of additional hostages, a temporary cease-fire — or pause — would be necessary.

Biden, the official said, helped to convince Netanyahu to halt airstrikes for a short period in an area of Gaza to allow the transfer of two American Israeli hostages, Natalie and Judith Raanan.

The Biden administration has called for a pause in order to allow more humanitarian aid to enter, first called for by Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, and for a pause to allow for hostages to be released.

Donkeys transport families during Gaza fuel shortage

Max Butterworth

Palestinians use donkey-drawn carts for transportation amid fuel shortages in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip today.

Dual nationals struggle to leave Gaza despite opening of the crossing

The Rafah crossing opened to civilians yesterday, allowing people with foreign passports to finally depart Gaza, but many are still struggling to make the journey into Egypt.

Jammal Qaoud, an American passport holder, said he’d been waiting hours fighting to get into the border crossing even as Israeli airstrikes in Gaza continue nearby.

“Just about an hour ago, you heard the problem, a bomb came down and almost exploded everything,” Qaoud said. “I have a heart condition, it’s like you know, it can collapse any time. So I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m just trying to get to the other side and be safe.”

Ward Abu Shaaban and her daughter went to Rafah with their American passports, but her husband may have to remain behind. “My husband doesn’t have a passport, he has papers submitted but he still didn’t get his passport,” Shaaban said. “I am pregnant. I want to get out. How am I supposed to get out without my husband?”

White House responds to Hamas official’s vow to repeat Oct. 7 attacks

Peter Alexander

WASHINGTON — A threat by a senior Hamas official to repeatedly attack Israel was called “chilling” today by White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

Ghazi Hamad told the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation that the militant group would repeat the Oct. 7 attack “time and again until Israel is annihilated.”

Kirby told reporters that everyone should pay attention and take such “chilling comments” seriously. “That’s what’s at stake for the people of Gaza — that Hamas is willing to continue this fight and will continue to try to slaughter innocent Israelis,” he said.

Palestinian Health Ministry: Death toll surpasses 9,000 in Gaza

A total of 9,061 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement today.

Among those killed are 3,760 children killed in Gaza and more than 2,300 women, the ministry said.

NBC News has not independently verified these numbers.

IDF says it is collapsing Hamas defense lines, taking control of areas

Israeli soldiers are fighting face to face with Hamas militants in Gaza as the operation in the strip is progressing “as planned,” a spokesperson for the country’s military said today.

“The fighters continue to collapse the defense lines of Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip and take control of central areas,” Hagari told a news conference. “We continue to intensify the activity and move forward according to the plan and goals we have set for ourselves.”

One battle lasted “several hours” overnight as part of the ground operations, with air defenses offering support, he said.

Civilians pass through Rafah crossing

Max Butterworth

A young boy peers through a countertop window as civilians leaving Gaza are processed at the Rafah border point with Egypt today.

Two hospitals in Gaza have run out of fuel, Health Ministry says

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Two hospitals in northern Gaza have run out of power because of fuel shortages, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported today.

The main power generator at the Indonesian Hospital, where victims of Israeli strikes on the Jabaliya refugee camp were taken, is empty, the ministry said in a statement.

It added that the Turkish hospital, the only facility dedicated to cancer treatment in the enclave, has also ceased operations.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later posted on X that his country was ready to support the cancer patients at the hospital. “The only option other than saving the lives of patients is to knowingly let them die,” he said.

New list suggests 370 Americans will be evacuated from Gaza today

NBC News has obtained a new list of foreign passport holders who will be allowed to cross from the Gaza Strip into Egypt.

It suggests that more than 370 Americans are set to leave the enclave via the Rafah border crossing today. The Gaza Crossings and Borders Authority confirmed the list’s authenticity.

However, an NBC News review of the document found some duplicate names. At least one was of an American who was confirmed to have been evacuated yesterday.

Israeli strikes on Jabalia refugee camp killed 195, Hamas says

At least 195 people were killed in two Israeli strikes in two days on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Hamas said in a Telegram post today.

Another 120 people are considered missing under rubble and 777 others were wounded, the post said. NBC News has not been able to independently verify these numbers.

The Israeli military said both strikes were targeting senior Hamas commanders.

Dr. Atef al-Kahlout, director of the Indonesian Hospital, told a news conference Tuesday that 400 people were either killed or injured in the first strike. It is unclear how many casualties there were in the second strike yesterday.

Funerals held in Khan Younis

Max Butterworth

Relatives mourn lost family members outside the Nasser Hospital morgue in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, ahead of their burial today.

Official hostage count increases to 242

TEL AVIV — The number of hostages recorded by Israel has risen to 242, a military spokesperson told a briefing this morning.

Although a trickle of hostages have been released or freed, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters that the number of families notified had ticked up again because of a complex counting and verification process.

The fate of the captives has heaped pressure on the Israeli government.

Hagari said, “We are committed to the national mission of returning everyone home.”

More than 20 Australians successfully cross Gaza border

As many as 20 Australians, one permanent resident and two family members have successfully crossed from Gaza into Egypt today, Australian officials said.

“I can’t describe the situation there … no one, no human being can handle this,” Mona Sakr, who left Gaza via the Rafah border crossing, told SBS Arabic News. “I’m very sad that all at the same time because I’m leaving my family behind with no food, no water and in a very scary situation,” she added.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said today that she was “relieved and grateful this cohort was able to cross.” She added that arrangements were being made for “them to get home free of charge.”

Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Watts told ABC’s “News Breakfast” that his government was aware of 65 Australians who are still in Gaza. “We are continuing to push for them to be able to make that passage across the Rafah crossing as soon as possible,” he said.

Fact check: Has Israel’s name been removed from China’s maps?

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, social media users have been discussing the way Israel is labeled on Chinese-language online maps. Commenters note that Israel’s country name does not always appear on maps published by privately owned companies, such as the internet search giant Baidu, even though the names of neighboring countries, as well as key cities in Israel and elsewhere, are clearly marked.

China, which is known for its sensitivity around maps, particularly when it comes to the Beijing-claimed island of Taiwan, has tried to balance its relations with Israelis and Palestinians in the current conflict, and has been criticized for its refusal to explicitly condemn Hamas.

But the inconsistent depictions of Israel on Chinese-language maps do not appear to be a new phenomenon. In social media posts seen by NBC News, Chinese internet users have been discussing it as far back as 2015, with some commenters suggesting it could be a technical issue.

Asked about it this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that China and Israel have full diplomatic relations, and that Israel “is clearly marked on the standard maps issued by the Chinese competent authorities.”

Baidu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Strikes on Jabalia camp ‘cannot become the new normal,’ UNICEF says

The Israeli strikes on Jabalia, the largest refugee camp in Gaza, “cannot become the new normal,” UNICEF said in a statement that once again called for a humanitarian cease-fire.

“Attacks of this scale on densely populated residential neighborhoods can have indiscriminate effects and are completely unacceptable,” the statement said. “Refugees and internally displaced people are protected under international humanitarian law.”

The organization went on to say that the “killing and captivity of children must stop.”

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck the camp in a targeted attack on a Hamas official and blamed Hamas for building its infrastructure under civilian buildings. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured, according to a local hospital

Tearful tennis star donates part of prize money to Palestinians

After she defeated America’s Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals in Mexico yesterday, Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur tearfully told the crowd that she would donate part of her prize money “to help Palestinians.”

Although she was pleased to win, she said in her post-match interview, “the situation in the world doesn’t make me happy,” adding that she felt “hopeless” watching videos and photos taken during the war.

“It’s very tough seeing children, babies dying every day,” Jabeur said. “It’s heartbreaking. So I’ve decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians. I cannot be happy with just this win, with what is happening.”

Satellite images reveal destruction of Gaza refugee camp

Max Butterworth

A combination image shows an overview of the Jabaliya refugee camp on Tuesday, and the destruction in the same camp after it was hit by an Israeli strike.

Egypt working to evacuate 7,000 people from southern Gaza, Foreign Ministry says

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Egypt is working to evacuate about 7,000 people from southern Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement this morning.

The statement said that people from “more than 60 countries” would be among those allowed to cross.

Evacuations began through the crossing yesterday for the first time since Israel imposed a siege and started airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave after the Hamas attack Oct. 7.

Some injured civilians crossed into Egypt and hundreds of foreign passport holders, including some American, were allowed to leave.

More than half of Gaza’s population has been displaced, UNRWA estimates

It’s estimated that 1.4 million people are currently displaced in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency said in a statement today.

That would mean that more than half of the enclave’s population of 2.3 million people had been uprooted from their homes.

The UNRWA statement added that an estimated 160,000 people are housed in 57 shelters in the north and in Gaza City, where the bulk of the Israeli airstrikes have taken place.

Biden, interrupted by protester calling for cease-fire, backs pause

At a campaign event in Minnesota yesterday, Biden was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Just as Biden was explaining how the deadly rally by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia, inspired him to run for office again, he was interrupted.

“Mr. President, you care about Jewish people. As a rabbi, I need you to call for a cease-fire right now,” said a woman who later identified herself to NBC News as Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg. Rosenberg is part of the activist group Jewish Voice for Peace.

The crowd tried to drown her out, but Biden addressed Rosenberg: “I think we need a pause.”

Read the full story here.

Crowds gather at the Rafah border to cross into Egypt

Max Butterworth

Hundreds of more people with foreign passports, including Americans, were expected to make it out of Gaza today. Crowds were gathering this morning at the border crossing as they wait for permission to leave.

Catch up with NBC News’ latest coverage of the Israel-Hamas war