US President Joe Biden said humanitarian aid isn’t getting into Gaza fast enough and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said pauses in the conflict may be needed to organize help for civilians, as Israel extended its bombing campaign.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate cease fire in Gaza at the Security Council, saying that “clear violations” of international law are ongoing. Israel’s foreign minister canceled a planned meeting with Guterres after the comments.
The Israeli military said it struck Hamas divers who were trying to enter southern Israel by sea. Israel says the group has killed more than 1,400 people since the Oct. 7 attack, while authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say Israel’s bombardments have killed thousands. Israel also said it targeted Hezbollah positions near the Lebanese border, where militants earlier said they struck an Israeli post. In a separate incident, Israel responded with artillery to projectiles fired from Syria.
(All time stamps are Israeli time)
Israel Strikes Hamas Divers Trying to Enter From Sea (8:40 p.m.)
The Israeli military said its naval forces targeted Hamas divers trying to enter southern Israel by sea, and the air force hit the military compound in the Gaza Strip that they had left from. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by the US and European Union.
Macron Says Nothing Justifies Suffering of Civilians in Gaza (8:25 p.m.)
French president Emmanuel Macron said nothing can justify the suffering of civilians in Gaza and stressed that “a Palestinian life equals a French life which equals an Israeli life.” He spoke after talks with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Hours earlier, after meeting Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Macron called for an international coalition against Hamas on the lines of the one that fought Islamic State, and told the Israeli premier that France’s priority “is to defeat these terrorist groups with you.”
Israel Says It Returned Fire Across Lebanon, Syria Borders (8:20 p.m.)
The Israeli military said it responded with artillery after two projectiles were fired across the border from Syria, landing in an open area.
The military earlier said it struck Hezbollah positions on the border with Lebanon, after they launched rockets and mortar shells toward Israeli territory. Hezbollah said it struck struck an Israeli post near the border with guided missiles, according to the militant group’s Al-Manar television channel.
Biden Says Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Too Slow (8:10 p.m.)
Biden said humanitarian aid to Gaza isn’t getting in fast enough. He was speaking in response to a question at a White House event.
Biden held talks last week with Israeli and Egyptian leaders, and said afterwards that arrangements were in place to let some aid in. The United Nations said that three convoys with a total of 54 trucks reached Gaza in the three days through Monday.
Blinken Backs ‘Humanitarian Pauses’ for Gaza Aid (8:00 p.m.)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for humanitarian pauses in the fighting between Israel and Hamas so that people in the Gaza Strip can get aid, and said Israel must “take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.”
“It means food, water, medicine and other essential humanitarian assistance must be able to fall into Gaza and to the people who need it,” he said. “It means civilians must be able to get out of harm’s way. It means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes.”
Blinken also warned Iran that if its proxies attack Americans then the US will respond “decisively,” after a spate of drone and rocket attacks that targeted US forces in Iraq and Syria.
UN Chief Urges Cease-Fire, Israel Says He Should Quit (7:05 p.m.)
Guterres called on Israel and Hamas to halt their war, saying the parties were killing and injuring civilians in violation of international law. “The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, and those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he told the Security Council on Tuesday.
After the speech, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cancelled a proposed meeting with Guterres, and Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Ernan called on the UN chief to resign over his remarks.
Israel Says It Hit Hezbollah Targets Near Lebanon Border (6:40 p.m.)
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah positions on the border with Lebanon, after they launched rockets and mortar shells toward Israeli territory. Hezbollah said it struck struck an Israeli post near the border with guided missiles, according to the militant group’s Al-Manar television channel.
Israel Military Ready for Ground Operation, Chief of Staff Says (6:25 pm)
Israel’s military is ready for the planned ground operation against Hamas, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday. The military will decide together with the country’s political leaders on the timing of the war’s next stage, he said.
Israel Targets Hamas Operatives in Gaza (5:29 pm)
Israel killed a number of Hamas operatives, including the deputy commander of the battalion that took part in the Kibbutz Be’eri massacre on Oct. 7, Israel’s military said. Two other deputy battalion commanders were also killed, it said.
Hamas, meanwhile, said it launched missile attacks on Tel Aviv. Air raid sirens sounded in the city and in surrounding towns.
Egypt Says Israel Stopping Foreigners Leaving Gaza (4:57 p.m.)
The Rafah border crossing from Gaza to Egypt isn’t safe for individuals, Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt’s State Information Service, told reporters, saying that Israel is blocking foreign nationals from leaving the territory. Rashwan reiterated that Egypt’s side of the border crossing is open.
