Iran is accusing Israel of killing two senior commanders in a strike on its consulate in Damascus, Syria. Tehran promised a “decisive” response to the strike. The attack may be the most dangerous escalation outside of Gaza since the start of the Hamas-Israel war nearly six months ago.
The New York Times reported that four unnamed Israeli officials acknowledged that Israel carried out the attack. CNN cannot verify the report and has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
The military hasn’t commented publicly on the strike, but IDF spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, disputed that the building was a consulate. “According to our intelligence, this is no consulate and this is no embassy,” he said. “This is a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building in Damascus.”
The Quds Force is a unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for foreign operations.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter. The transaction would amount to the largest US foreign military sale to Israel since the country went to war with Hamas on October 7.
Here’s what else to know:
Israel’s treatment of detainees: The Israel Defense Forces told CNN on Monday that those detained in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza during a 14-day operation are being “treated in accordance with international law.” Al-Shifa medical workers have said that staff were forced to strip naked, and that one staff representative was left “half naked for three hours” before being allowed to talk.
Ambulances face hurdles in reaching Al-Shifa: Ambulances trying to reach Al-Shifafollowing the withdrawal of Israeli troops are finding it “almost impossible because of the damaged roads,” Gaza’s Civil Defense tells CNN. “Right now, we are putting out fires, retrieving bodies of martyrs and moving the injured. But unfortunately, the ambulances can’t reach the hospital because of the problems on the road,” Director of Operations Raed al-Dahshan told CNN.
The UN will also try to reach Al-Shifa: The United Nations is planning a mission to Al-Shifa Hospital as soon as it is “allowed to help people receive medical attention and to assess the facility,” the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Monday.
Hamas leader’s sister arrested in Israel: Sabah Abdel Salam Haniyeh, the sister of the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, has been arrested in Israel on suspicion of terror offenses. She is accused of “having contact with Hamas operatives” and “inciting and supporting acts of terrorism in Israel,” according to Israeli police.
US pushed for alternatives to Rafah ground offensive: Senior US and Israeli officials met virtually to discuss potential military operations in Rafah on Monday. The White House said there was no breakthrough, but that conversations will continue over the coming weeks.
In other news:
- US and Jordanian forces conducted joint humanitarian airdrops of food into northern Gaza, according to US Central Command.
- France is circulating a new draft resolution at the United Nations that calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all Israeli hostages.
This post has been updated with the New York Times report about the Damascus attack.
Source link: https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-04-01-24/index.html