December 23, 2023 Israel-Hamas war

Our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war has moved here.

A chemical tanker operating in the Indian Ocean Saturday was struck by an Iranian attack drone, a US defense official says. 

“The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was struck at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran,” the official said in a statement. 

The official added: “There were no casualties and a fire on board the tanker has been extinguished.” 

A one-way drone is designed to impact its target rather than return to its origin.

“No US Navy vessels were in the vicinity,” the official said, adding that Naval Forces Central Command is communicating with the struck vessel which is making its way toward India.

The Indian Coast Guard posted on social media that there are 21 crew members on board and that “the vessel has started making (its) way toward Mumbai.” 

Context: The strike comes after a series of attacks on shipping interests in the Red Sea by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels operating in Yemen, which have occurred since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

On Saturday, US Central Command reported more such incidents in a statement on social media. A crude oil tanker was hit by “a one-way attack drone” Saturday. There were no injuries, Central Command said. A separate chemical tanker operating in the southern Red Sea reported a “near miss” Saturday from a one-way drone, the command said.

Two “anti-ship ballistic missiles” were also fired into the southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen but did not hit any vessels, according to the statement. 

It also said the USS Laboon, a Navy destroyer, shot down four aerial drones that were heading toward it. 

While the incidents originating from Yemen have been regular, Saturday’s strike in the Indian Ocean may mark a new escalation in tensions. 

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday, as Israel's military says it has expanded its ground operation against Hamas in the southern and northern Gaza Strip.

In the enclave, at least 18 people were killed in fresh Israeli strikes in central Gaza on Saturday, hospital officials said.

Catch up here:

Expanding ground operation: Israel's troops have expanded their ground operation in the southern and northern Gaza Strip and engaged in fierce battles over the weekend, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a news conference Saturday. Hagari said ground forces have destroyed and seized weapons and underground infrastructure from Hamas. The director of affairs for the main United Nations agency in Gaza has criticized the IDF's call for further evacuations in the enclave, saying tens of thousands of residents in central and southern Gaza — many of whom have already been displaced — have "nowhere to go."

US and Israeli leaders discuss "phasing" of war: Biden and Netanyahu discussed “objectives and phasing” of the Israel-Hamas war during their call, according to the White House. Biden told reporters on Saturday that he had a long conversation with Netanyahu, and he did not press for a ceasefire. Netanyahu said he expressed his appreciation for the US position at the United Nations Security Council.

Israel claims to kill Hamas official: The Israel Defense Forces and Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, claim they killed Hamas official Hassan Atrash on Friday in southern Gaza. Atrash was in charge of trade, manufacturing and supply of weapons for Hamas, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, from the IDF. 

Aid into Gaza: On the heels of a United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for humanitarian pauses between Israel and Hamas and increased aid to Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said 93 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave on Saturday. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Friday that measuring the success of the aid operation to Gaza through the number of trucks entering the enclave is a mistake because of the "massive obstacles" presented by Israel's ground offensive to distributing the aid once it reaches Gaza.

Criticism of UN resolution: The Security Council's call for pauses will be "nearly meaningless" to the lives of civilians in Gaza, Doctors Without Borders said in a statement slamming the compromise resolution. Meanwhile, a senior adviser to the Israeli prime minister criticized Guterres for calling for a ceasefire, saying in an interview with CNN Saturday that Guterres was “offering a lifeline to Hamas.”

Natalie Sanandaji collapsed under a tree on October 7, too exhausted to keep running 4 hours after fleeing Hamas militants at the Nova music festival.

A pickup truck approached her, and Sanandaji said she was ready to accept her fate.

But the man in the truck was from a nearby village, and he drove her to safety — making a total of 10 trips to the site to rescue over 100 others.

Sanandaji never got his name, but the native New Yorker tracked him down and returned to thank him.

Moshe Sati, a father of four, and Sanandaji had a long embrace when they finally met, and he fought back tears.

"I feel so lucky that I made it out, that I got out alive. I feel that it's my duty to be that voice for all of those who weren't as lucky as me," she said.

Watch the report from CNN's Will Ripley:

Thousands of people gathered at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, organized by the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Orin Gantz, the mother of Eden Zecharya, whose body was recovered in Gaza by the Israel Defense Forces, said:

"For me and for Eden, it is too late. But there are living hostages who need to come back home. Every day is more dangerous for them to be there; there is no tomorrow in captivity."

Former Israeli Navy Commander Maj. Gen. Eli Marom also addressed the crowd, urging the immediate release of all hostages.

"No matter the price, Israel is strong enough to bear it. The Israeli government must initiate a hostage release deal immediately, and it should be on terms that Hamas cannot resist," Marom said.

There are 129 hostages still in Gaza, according to the prime minister’s office. Of those, 22 are known to be dead, and their bodies remain in Gaza along with the 107 living hostages.

 

Israel's troops have expanded their ground operation in the southern and northern Gaza Strip and engaged in fierce battles over the weekend, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a news conference Saturday.

Hagari said ground forces have destroyed and seized weapons and underground infrastructure from Hamas, including thousands of explosive devices, anti-tank missiles and rockets.

The IDF is basing its operations in part on information gained by detaining and interrogating many Hamas "terrorists," Hagari said.

He said returning the remaining hostages held in Gaza remains a key objective of the ground offensive.

"We are doing everything we can with great determination to bring back the hostages," Hagari told reporters.

Some background: Multiple top Israeli officials have indicated that the IDF will expand its operations on the ground in Gaza, and Israel has called on residents in new areas of the enclave to evacuate.

The director of affairs for the main United Nations agency in Gaza has criticized the IDF's call, saying tens of thousands of residents in central and southern Gaza — many of whom have already been displaced — have "nowhere to go."

US President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, according to the White House.

Biden and Netanyahu discussed “objectives and phasing” of the Israel-Hamas war during their call, according to a White House readout. 

“The leaders discussed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to include its objectives and phasing. The President emphasized the critical need to protect the civilian population including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting,” according to the statement.

The two world leaders also discussed the hostages that remain in Hamas captivity and the “importance” of securing their release.

Biden told reporters that he did not push for a ceasefire during the phone call.

“I did not ask for a ceasefire,” Biden said while leaving the White House Saturday afternoon. “I had a long talk with Netanyahu today, and it’s a private conversation.”

Biden, who was walking toward Marine One for a flight to Camp David, did not provide more details.

Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the US position at the United Nations Security Council, according to a statement from the Israeli leader on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The Prime Minister made it clear that Israel would continue the war until all of its goals have been achieved," the statement added.

This was the 17th conversation between the two leaders since October 7.

Some background: The United Nations Security Council on Friday approved a resolution that calls for humanitarian pauses between Israel and Hamas, increased aid to Gaza and the creation of conditions that will allow for a sustainable end to fighting, ending days of closed-door negotiations.

The US abstained from the vote. US Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced late Thursday that the US would support the measure after previously voting four times to delay a vote on the resolution.

Diplomats had been working behind closed doors to finalize the resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates. A US official familiar with the discussions said the draft had started with calling for an “urgent cessation” of hostilities. Neither the United States nor Israel currently supports a ceasefire, so the US countered with “a more passive formulation,” the official said, describing the language that ended up in the resolution.

The US has vetoed previous measures at the UN Security Council and voted against a call for a ceasefire in the larger UN General Assembly.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said 93 aid trucks have entered Gaza on Saturday. 

The Egyptian Red Crescent Society sent 70 aid trucks into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, according to a statement from PCRS. The trucks were filled with water, food, relief supplies and medical supplies, according to PRCS.

An additional 23 commercial trucks also entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, PRCS said. 

Before the war began on October 7, an average of 500 trucks used to enter Gaza every working day – those included commercial trucks along with aid trucks. 

The Israel Defense Forces and Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, claim they killed Hamas official Hassan Atrash on Friday in southern Gaza.

Atrash was in charge of trade, manufacturing and supply of weapons for Hamas, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, from the IDF. 

“He was involved in smuggling weapons from various countries into the Gaza Strip, and recently also took part in smuggling weapons into the West Bank,” the military said.

Atrash was killed by a strike from a fighter jet near the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, according to the post.