Israel-Hamas war: Evacuations begin in Gaza; Biden says there should be a humanitarian ‘pause’ in Israel-Hamas war

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Tel Aviv, Israel and Amman, Jordan in the coming days.

The department said the secretary will reiterate U.S. support for Israel and discuss efforts to safeguard U.S. citizens, secure the release of hostages, increase aid entering Gaza and preventing the conflict from spreading.

Blinken is also expected to discuss in Jordan resuming essential services and "ensuring that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza." The department said he will also talk about efforts to "reduce regional tensions, and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to working with partners to set the conditions necessary for a durable and sustainable peace in the Middle East, to include the establishment of a Palestinian state."

— Christine Wang

U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday he thinks there should be a humanitarian "pause" in the Israel-Hamas war in order to get "prisoners" out.

Biden was speaking at a fundraiser for his 2024 reelection campaign when a protester interrupted him, calling for a ceasefire.

"I think we need a pause," Biden said in response. "A pause means give time to get the prisoners out."

Israeli ground troops have advanced to Gaza City in heavy fighting with militants following Hamas' killing of roughly 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.

—Associated Press

President Joe Biden cheered regional partners for their help paving the way for some wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals, including some U.S. citizens, to escape Gaza.

"I personally spent a lot of time speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and President Sissi of Egypt and others, to make sure that we could open this access for people to get out," Biden said during a visit Wednesday to Northfield, Minn. "I want to thank our partners, in particular Qatar, who worked so closely with us to support negotiations to facilitate the departure of these citizens."

Biden said more work needs to be done to "significantly step up the flow of critical humanitarian assistance into Gaza."

Biden reiterated that he backs Israel's right to defend itself "in a manner that is consistent with international humanitarian law." But he also acknowledged the suffering endured by Palestinians during the Israeli operations.

"We've all seen the devastating images from Gaza," Biden noted. "Palestinian children crying out for lost parents ... writing on their hands and legs to be indemnified if the worst happens."

— Associated Press

The Biden administration announced a "first-ever U.S. national strategy to counter Islamophobia" as tensions from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas intensify in Gaza.

"Today's announcement is the latest step as part of President Biden's directive last year to establish an interagency group to increase and better coordinate U.S. government efforts to counter Islamophobia, Antisemitism and related forms of bias and discrimination within the United States," White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre wrote in a statement.

"There is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period," she added.

— Amanda Macias

The White House said that President Joe Biden discussed ways to expedite critical humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza with the King of Jordan.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that additional trucks carrying aid arrived in Gaza but that the assistance so far is "still not enough."

"We know, we need to do more. We're continuing to work with our partners in the region to do that," Kirby told reporters on Air Force One.

— Amanda Macias

Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, visited with civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza.

"Philippe is the most senior official to be allowed into Gaza since the war began," United Nations Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a daily press briefing.

"He said the staff told him that fuel is very much needed for Gaza and that, more than ever, a humanitarian pause is also needed," Dujarric said.

Dujarric added that UNRWA has lost 70 colleagues since the hostilities began on Oct. 7.

— Amanda Macias

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas is expected to play a big role in how voters approach the Iowa Republican caucuses on Jan. 15.

More than half of Iowa Republicans ranked the Israel-Hamas war as "extremely important" to them, according to the new NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll.

Read the full story on NBC News here.

— Amanda Macias

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the Biden administration has no plans to put U.S. troops on the ground in Israel.

"No plans or intentions to put U.S. troops on the ground," Kirby told reporters on Air Force One en route to Minneapolis.

He added that the U.S. was discussing its future force posture plans with allies in the region for when the conflict in Gaza ends.

— Amanda Macias

The White House confirmed that U.S. citizens are alongside foreign nationals who are expected to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.

"A handful of Americans are expected to leave Gaza today," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Air Force One en route to Minneapolis. He added that more Americans are expected to leave in the coming days. Kirby said the Biden administration is hopeful that all Americans will be able to depart Gaza.

Kirby had previously told reporters that Hamas had been blocking foreign nationals from transiting through the border crossing.

— Amanda Macias

Delta Air Lines extended its cancellation of flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport through Nov. 21 because of the ongoing conflict in the region. 

Last month, the airline said it would suspend its nonstop flights to and from Tel Aviv through at least the end of October.

Delta said in a statement Wednesday it has also canceled all remaining service between Tel Aviv and Atlanta and Boston.

— Melodie Warner

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud at the Pentagon.

The two are expected to discuss a number of issues facing the bilateral relationship including the ongoing situation in Gaza.

Minister bin Salman and his Saudi Arabian delegation met with President Joe Biden's top national security adviser at the White House earlier in the week.

— Amanda Macias

Jordan has recalled its ambassador to Israel as its expression of condemnation over the ongoing war in Gaza, NBC News reported.

Ayman Safadi, who serves as Jordan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said in a statement that the return of the ambassador was contingent on Israel halting the war and ending "the humanitarian crises it had caused."

The statement added that Israel's ambassador to Jordan, who has been away from the country, would only be allowed to return on the same terms, according to the NBC News report.

— Melodie Warner

NBC's Jay Gray reports on the evacuation of people trapped in the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing for the first time since Israel imposed a siege on the Palestinian enclave after the Hamas attack.

A 21-year-old Cornell University junior was charged Tuesday for making online threats to Jewish students at the Ivy League school, NBC News reported.

Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of New York said Patrick Dai, a junior at Cornell, allegedly threatened to "shoot up" a campus building. In another post, he said he would "stab" or "slit the throat" of Jewish men, and rape or throw off a cliff Jewish women he encounters on campus, according to the prosecutors.

Dai faces a charge of posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications and was slated to make an initial appearance in Syracuse federal court Wednesday. If convicted, he would face a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The threats alarmed students on the university's campus in Ithaca, New York, and put more national attention on the reported rise in antisemitism in the U.S. since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

— Melodie Warner

Israel's military is expanding its operations in the Gaza Strip, but has avoided calling it a "ground invasion" despite sending tanks into the territory. A key reason for the ambiguity in what appear to be smaller land operations, rather than a full-scale land assault, is to throw off the enemy, analysts say.

"They seem to want to keep Hamas guessing if this is really it or just a short, sharp strike op," a former British army intelligence officer, who spoke anonymously due to professional restrictions, told CNBC.

Another reason is optics. Israeli strategists are wary of triggering a major response from its enemies Iran and Hezbollah, the well-armed Iranian-backed militant organization in Lebanon on Israel's northern border, says Ryan Bohl, a senior Middle East and North Africa analyst at Rane.

Read the full report here.

— Natasha Turak

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has canceled and is redirecting all of its cruises to Israel and the surrounding region through 2024 due to the escalating conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The company said in a statement it will continue to closely monitor and evaluate future sailings and adjust as needed.

Before the war broke out, some 7% of Norwegian's cruising capacity in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 4% of capacity for the full year 2024 involved stops in the Middle East, Norwegian noted.

— Robert Hum

Some U.S. nationals will be able to depart the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing and enter Egypt on Wednesday, an U.S. official told NBC News.

Fewer than 10 such civilians are expected to make the journey on Wednesday, with more Americans set to depart on Thursday, the official added. It was not immediately clear if the tally included holders of dual citizenship. The State Department has said that as many as 600 Americans are stuck in Gaza.

This is the first time that U.S. and foreign nationals are able to leave the embattled and besieged Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Roughly 500 foreign passport holders will be allowed to cross into Egypt, according to NBC News.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The World Health Organization welcomed Egypt's decision to accept 81 injured and sick civilians from the Gaza Strip for treatment, it said in a statement.

WHO is cooperating with both the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to assist in providing care.

The organization said that the first point of referral for civilian patients from the Gaza Strip would be the al-Arish hospital in Arish, northern Egypt. The facility "has fully equipped resuscitation and intensive care facilities, and a range of surgical teams to manage severe injuries, including major trauma and burns."

Onward referrals to secondary hospitals are also in place, and there are currently 65 ambulances waiting to attend the injured.

On Wednesday, civilians began to cross into Egypt for the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, leaving behind the heavily bombarded and besieged Gaza Strip. Electricity and fuel shortages in the region have greatly crippled the local healthcare system, the Gaza health ministry and WHO have previously said.

"Thousands more people inside the Gaza Strip continue to need access to urgent and essential health services amid shortages of medicines, health supplies and other aid such as fuel, water and food," WHO said Wednesday.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Injured civilians have entered Egypt from the Gaza Strip for the first time since the terror attacks carried out by Palestinian militant group Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7, NBC News reports.

The number of those who have traversed the crossing was not immediately clear.

More than 500 foreign nationals are expected to enter the Rafah crossing, the secretary-general of the Red Crescent in North Sinai told NBC News. It is the first time foreign passport holders have been allowed to leave the territory since the start start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The blockaded and bombarded Gaza Strip has been receiving humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing in recent week.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Ambulances from Egypt pass through the Rafah border crossing to transport seriously wounded Palestinian people.

-Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that his country is caught in a "difficult" and "long war" against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

In a social media update, he said, "We are in a difficult war. This will be a long war. We have so many important achievements but also painful losses. We know that every soldier of ours is an entire world. The entire people of Israel embrace you, the families, from the depth of our heart."

Israel launched its campaign in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7, and has since bombarded and carried out ground operations in the enclosure, briefly deploying tanks and bulldozers alongside infantry.

A larger-scale operation is widely expected, but the urban environment of the densely populated Gaza Strip and the underground network of Hamas tunnels beneath cities in the enclosure may pose military challenges, analysts warn.

— Ruxandra Iordache

More than 500 foreign nationals are expected to enter the Rafah Crossing, as part of an evacuation effort from the embattled Gaza Strip, the secretary-general of the Red Crescent in North Sinai told NBC News.

Dr. Raed Abdel Nasser said that the first batch of foreign nationals entered the crossing — the only exit from the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel, which connects to Egypt — at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Those allowed to pass include carriers of foreign and dual nationalities, who are waiting for the completion of entry procedures.

The potential crossing of civilians is the result of an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which was mediated by Qatar in coordination with the U.S.

In the war so far, the Rafah Crossing has been used to bring in humanitarian aid to civilians trapped in the Gaza enclosure.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Iran's supreme leader has urged the international Arab community to boycott exports to Israel in response to its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

"What the Islamic governments must insist on is the immediate cessation of crimes in Gaza. They should immediately stop the bombing of Gaza and block the export of oil and food" to Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, according to Google-translated comments carried by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Iran and Israel have long had an inimical relationship, with Iran financially supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas. Tehran celebrated the Hamas terror attack of Oct. 7 against Israel, but denied involvement in the operation.

Israel has since repeatedly accused Iran of orchestrating attacks against it through Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Yemen's Houthi group, which Tehran has historically backed.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Dozens of people entered the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt on Wednesday. It appeared to be the first time foreign passport holders have been allowed to leave the besieged territory since the start of the Israel-Hamas war more than three weeks ago.

Early Wednesday, providers Paltel and Jawwal reported a "complete disruption" of communications and internet services in Gaza, the second major cut in five days. Humanitarian aid agencies have warned that such blackouts severely disrupt their work in an already dire situation in Gaza.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,525, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 122 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.

—Associated Press

Just a third of primary care facilities are still fully functioning in the embattled and resource-deprived Gaza Strip, a branch of the World Health Organization said on social media.

"The 66% of hospitals remaining open have substantially reduced services to cope with massive casualties," it said, noting that roughly 100 patients each day require health care outside of the enclosure, owing to a lack of suitable treatment options within the strip.

Human rights groups have previously decried the dire conditions of civilians in the Gaza Strip, which Israel has cut off from its own supplies as it pursues a retaliatory offensive against Hamas for the Palestinian militant group's terror attacks of Oct. 7.

The absence of fuel, electricity and medical equipment has crippled the local health system.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Rafah Crossing bridging the Gaza Strip and Egypt is likely to open on Wednesday and allow the evacuation of a first batch of foreign nationals, Britain's foreign minister said on social media.

"The Rafah crossing is likely to open today for a first group of foreign nationals," James Cleverly said. "UK teams are ready to assist British nationals as soon as they are able to leave. It's vital that lifesaving humanitarian aid can enter Gaza as quickly as possible."

The Rafah Crossing is the only exit out of the Gaza enclosure that is not controlled by Israel. It has so far been used for the transport of humanitarian aid into the besieged strip, rather than evacuation.

— Ruxandra Iordache

An Israeli spokesperson has warned against relying on immediate casualty numbers emerging from Palestinian territories, after an Israeli airstrike killed dozens and wounded hundreds in the Jabalia refugee camp, according to a local hospital.

In a CNN interview, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus advised caution and warned that casualty numbers were previously "greatly inflated" by Palestinian authorities in the case of a blast at the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza. He added that the figures are supplied by the Gaza health ministry, which Israel says is controlled by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"I have not seen confirmed numbers of any of the civilian casualties. I understand that there may be, but I would recommend caution when claiming they have been killed," he said.

Israel on Tuesday said it had struck the encampment and killed senior Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari.

"I'm not saying that there are no civilian casualties," Conricus said. "What I am saying is that we struck an important military objective."

He also warned that the northern part of the Gaza Strip is an "active combat zone" and that Hamas "uses civilians as their human shields."

In a separate post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Conricus said it was a "misnomer" to refer to the Jabalia site as a refugee camp.

"These are the permanent dwellings of Palestinians under Palestinian rule," he said.

Human rights groups have repeatedly called on Israel to minimize harm on civilians in its retaliatory campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Saudi Arabia has condemned "in the strongest terms possible the inhumane targeting by the Israeli occupation forces of the Jabalia refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip," its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia denounced "the repeated targeting by the Israeli occupation forces of densely populated civilian areas, and its continuing violation of international law and international humanitarian law."

The Israeli military said a lethal air strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip killed a senior Hamas commander on Tuesday. Dozens of other people were killed, while hundreds were wounded, a local hospital says.

Saudi Arabia has historically supported the cause of the Palestinian people, refusing to knot diplomatic ties with Israel as a result. Progress was being made on normalizing relations between the two countries — encouraged by the United States, which seeks coordination between two strong Middle East allies — prior to the Oct. 7 terror attacks perpetrated against Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Bolivia on Tuesday announced it has severed diplomatic ties with Israel as a result of civilian losses caused by its war campaign in the Gaza Strip, while Chile and Colombia have recalled their ambassadors to the Middle Eastern country for consultations.

The Bolivian decision took place after a Monday meeting with the Palestinian ambassador to the South American country, said Maria Nela Prada, minister of the Bolivian presidency, in an update.

In addition to dissolving diplomatic ties with Israel, she said Bolivia's government "demand the end of attacks in the Gaza Strip, which have so far led to thousands of civilian deaths, and the forced displacement of Palestinian people," according to a CNBC translation.

"The government of Bolivia's decision to cut diplomatic ties with Israel is a surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah's regime in Iran," Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "By taking this step, the Bolivian government is aligning itself with the Hamas terrorist organization."

It added, "In any case, since the change of government in Bolivia, relations between the countries have been devoid of content."

Bolivia interrupted diplomatic ties with Israel between 2009 and 2020 also because of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Overnight, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his Chilean counterpart Gabriel Boric Font both announced recalling their countries' ambassadors to Israel for consultations in separate social media posts translated by CNBC.

Several countries have called upon Israel to be proportionate in its military response in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli military says it is only targeting the forces and position of Hamas, after the Palestinian militant group's terror attacks of Oct. 7.

— Ruxandra Iordache

There are still doubts surrounding the opening of the Rafah border crossing for wounded people on Wednesday, according to NBC News.

The news outlet reports that there has been no confirmation from the Egyptian side and it would also need the approval of Israel.

That comes despite the media director on Palestinian side saying "The Rafah land crossing will be opened tomorrow, Wednesday, for a number of wounded to leave to complete their treatment in Egyptian hospitals."

The BBC reported late Tuesday that the U.K. Foreign Office had informed British nationals trapped in Gaza about "credible reports" that Rafah might open for limited exits.

— Matt Clinch

Palestinian telecommunications provider Paltel said all internet and communications services in the Gaza Strip have been interrupted, according to a statement on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

— Christine Wang

The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, issued an urgent call for "unrestricted" access to Gaza so that aid organizations can deliver life-saving supplies.

Calling the scale of the casualties "staggering," Tedros said that without access, "tragedy will continue unfolding before our eyes."

"The limited aid flow is a mere trickle of the growing needs," Tedros posted on X. "Without urgent, unrestricted access at scale, tragedy will continue unfolding before our eyes. The conflict started on 7 October, the first aid crossing was on 21 October. Since then, @WHO has only been able to transport enough supplies for approximately 370,000 people, including for traumatic wound and burn care, and treatment for serious chronic conditions."

Tedros called for an "immediate humanitarian pause:" "There's no time to waste. Every moment matters."

— Riya Bhattacharjee

President Joe Biden said on X that he is "not done pushing for more aid and will continue to support safe passage for Gaza civilians seeking safety."

"Yesterday saw the largest delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance into Gaza so far, and more trucks are being cleared to enter today. But many more are needed," Biden posted on Tuesday.

Human rights groups have been sounding the alarm about an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid heavy bombardment by Israeli troops, as Gaza health officials report more than 8,500 people have lost their lives since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7. Stark images of entire families stranded without food, water, sanitation and other basic necessities have emerged on social media and television networks across the world, sparking protests globally.

NBC News reported that although Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Biden, community leaders in swing states say that the president's handling of the war in Gaza risks losing their support.

"It literally may dissuade enough voters to sit back in the next election and watch Donald Trump control the presidency, watch the Republicans control the Congress and also know that conservatives will have control of the Supreme Court," said Wa'el Alzayat, the CEO of Emgage, a group that mobilizes American-Muslim voters.

Read the full report on NBC News.

— Riya Bhattacharjee

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday "emphasized the need to take feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians" during a telephone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the State Department said, amid the conflict with Hamas.

"The Secretary reiterated U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism consistent with international humanitarian law," spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

— Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced plans to travel to Israel on Friday to consult with Israeli officials about their ongoing war on Hamas.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Tuesday that Blinken would visit Israel "and then will make other stops in the region." He did not identify the other planned stops.

Blinken made an urgent trip to the Middle East earlier this month, visiting Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

— Associated Press

Dozens of deaths reported in Gaza refugee camp airstrike; Israel says it killed top Hamas commander