Israel-Hamas war live updates: Biden says Al-Shifa and other hospitals ‘must be protected,’ calls for ‘less intrusive action’

Israel’s military released video Monday from what it said was a children’s hospital that its forces moved into over the weekend. The video showed weapons it said were found inside, as well as rooms in the basement where it believes the militants were holding some of the around 240 hostages they abducted during the initial attack.

“Hamas uses hospitals as an instrument of war,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s chief spokesman, standing in a room of the Rantisi Children’s Hospital decorated with a colorful children’s drawing of a tree, with explosive vests, grenades and RPGs displayed on the floor.

He showed another area that he said could have been used to hold hostages. It included what appeared to be a hastily installed toilet and air vent, a baby bottle and a motorcycle. He said forensic experts were examining the scenes.

— Associated Press

After an Oval Office event at the White House today, NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell asked President Joe Biden about Israeli strikes on hospitals in Gaza.

Biden responded, “Hospitals must be protected.”

Biden also called for “less intrusive action” by Israeli forces.

Fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants has encircled the sprawling Al-Shifa medical facility, prompting thousands to flee.

Shifa hospital has been without electricity and water for three days, and gunfire and bombings outside the compound have made the situation more difficult.

“Well, as we know, I have not been reluctant expressing my concerns with what’s going on,” Biden said in the Oval Office. “My hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals and we remain in contact with the Israelis.”

“Also there is an effort to get this pause to deal with the release of prisoners and that’s being negotiated … So I remain somewhat hopeful, but hospitals must be protected.” 

Shifa hospital has been without electricity and water for three days and “is not functioning as a hospital anymore,” said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday. He said there has been gunfire and bombings outside the compound.

Patients there include dozens of babies at risk of dying because of a lack of electricity, health officials at the facility said.

— NBC News, Associated Press

Images published on Monday depicted troops on the ground amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, flares descending over Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and children waiting to fill containers with water in the southern Gaza Strip.

The situation at Gaza’s largest hospital, the al-Shifa medical facility, is on the cusp of collapse, the head of neurosurgery at the hospital told NBC News on Monday.

Dr. Nidal Abu Hadrous said that roughly 2,000 people are currently inside the hospital, including 600 patients and staff that can now only supply “nursing” services, following fuel and medical supply depletions. Bombardment and shooting are preventing people from evacuating al-Shifa, while the hospital is running out of food, Abu Hadrous said.

He added that 36 babies have had to be removed from incubators in the neonatal unit and would likely die. Three other infants died over the weekend.

On Saturday, Israeli military denied that al-Shifa was under siege and said it would help evacuate babies from the hospital. However, medical professionals inside the hospital told NBC Sunday that no one had left as far as they were aware.

The IDF say Hamas refused to allow in 300 liters of fuel that the Israeli military attempted to deliver to al-Shifa. Hamas denied the account and said the volume of fuel is not enough to keep hospital generators online for more than 30 minutes.

Both al-Shifa and the Gaza Strip’s second-largest medical facility, al-Quds, are no longer able to function in a hospital capacity.

It comes as the besieged Gaza Strip remains deprived of fuel to power medical equipment and desalinate water. A total of 20 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer operational, according to U.N. estimates.

“Personally, we are collapsing,” Abu Hadrous told NBC News. “I’m not sure how many days more we will be able to survive … I don’t believe in humanity anymore. I don’t believe in all these special committees and organizations anymore. Nobody is taking care of us.”

Earlier in the day, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said al-Quds is blockaded amid ongoing shelling and fire, and that an evacuation convoy headed for the facility had to turn away.

“The medical team, patients, and their families; remain besieged in the Hospital with no food, water, or electricity,” the PRCS said on social media.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Civilians line up for flour in front of Al Salam Flour Plant, which has difficulty in finding fuel to keep the generators running, after the flour ran out in the markets as the Israeli attacks on Gaza continue on the 38th day in Deir Al Balah, Gaza on Nov. 13.

The EU crisis management and aid chief has called for the implementation of humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war, and for the delivery of fuel to the Gaza Strip, where the situation is “catastrophic and only getting worse by the hour.”

Speaking to reporters on the day of an EU foreign affairs summit, Janez Lenarcic said more humanitarian aid needs to be brought in and distributed into the Gaza enclave, “wherever there are people who need humanitarian assistance, and for that it is urgent to define and respect humanitarian pauses.”

The U.N. has previously estimated that roughly 500 trucks of supplies would enter the Gaza Strip daily prior to the conflict.

“Fuel needs to get in,” Lenarcic added,” As you can see, more than half of the hospitals stopped [working].”

Calls for fuel have mounted as hospital equipment in medical facilities has stopped working, preventing treatment. Twenty out of 36 hospitals in the region, including the strip’s two largest such facilities, are no longer working.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Israeli military has opened a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time, covering the main road of Salah al-Din toward the area south of the Wadi Gaza wetlands, where Palestinian people have been previously instructed to take shelter.

The Google-translated message was communicated on social media by Avichay Adraee, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson for Arab media, and aimed especially at residents of the northern Gaza Strip and the Rafah area.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Israeli navy on Sunday struck and damaged a guesthouse of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, the agency said in a statement.

U.N. international staff in Rafah had left the building prior to the strike, and no casualties were reported. The guesthouse was “severely” impaired.

CNBC could not independently confirm the developments.

UNRWA says it shares coordinates of all of its facilities within the Gaza Strip with all parties to the conflict, adding it disclosed the coordinates of the staff guesthouse twice, including on Nov. 10.

“This recent attack is yet another indication that nowhere in Gaza is safe. Not the north, not the middle areas and not the south. The disregard for the protection of civilian infrastructure including UN facilities, hospitals, schools, shelters and places of worship is testament to the level of horror that civilians in Gaza are living every day,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.   

Roughly 780,000 displaced people are currently taking shelter in UN buildings and facilities, UNRWA estimates.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The Israel Air Force and ground troops have carried out 4,300 strikes to date, the Israel Defense Forces said in an operational update.

The attacks hit anti-tank missile launch posts, roughly 300 tunnel shafts belonging to the extensive Hamas underground network that spans the subterranean territories of the Gaza Strip, as well as 3,000 Hamas positions, including command and control centers.

CNBC could not independently verify the information.

The IDF maintains the aim of its war campaign in the Gaza Strip is to fully demilitarize Hamas and release the over 200 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who unexpectedly returned as foreign minister following a minor cabinet reshuffle on Monday, has emphasized the severity of the Israel-Hamas war and the U.K.’s role to play in it.

“We are facing a daunting set of international challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East,” he said in a statement. “At this time of profound global change, it has rarely been more important for this country to stand by our allies, strengthen our partnerships and make sure our voice is heard.”

His surprise appointment comes after his predecessor James Cleverly was named U.K. minister of the interior, replacing Suella Braverman. She drew criticism after repeatedly likening pro-Palestinian marches to “hate marches” and penning an op-ed to The Times in which she said the protests were “disturbingly reminiscent” of past scenes in Northern Ireland.

As prime minister, Cameron has previously met with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, while also urging a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip during the war of 2014.

— Ruxandra Iordache

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters Monday that a two-state-solution is the only way to achieve peace and security for people in both Israel and the Palestinian territories.

“Even if this appears to be in the far distance, the conversation about this, the political horizon of it, is now more important than ever to keep hope alive in this unbelievable situation at a time where many people are losing hope,” she told reporters, according to a CNBC translation.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Baerbock said they all had to “rack their brains” to take steps toward containing the “humanitarian catastrophic situation in Gaza” and the “nonstop endangerment of Israel through Hamas.”

Humanitarian breaks are crucial for addressing the suffering as water access and food packages are urgently needed, especially in Gaza, Baerbock said.

“The people in Israel and the Palestinian areas must be able to live in peace and safety, and we as Europeans are doing everything to ease the current suffering in the region,” she said.

 — Sophie Kiderlin

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for “immediate pauses” in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas to assist Palestinian civilians stranded in the besieged and resource-deprived Gaza enclave.

“I’m saying that in plural, not a single one, but several ones. Pauses,” he stressed Monday, while speaking to reporters in Brussels. “Immediate pauses and humanitarian corridors to be established in order to face the dire situation of the people in Gaza.”

Borrell chairs a summit of European foreign affairs ministers on Monday. On Sunday, he issued a statement condemning “the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas,” as well as urging the Palestinian militant group to release its hostages. Borrell also called on Israel “to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians.”

— Ruxandra Iordache

Fire exchanges have intensified between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah over the past day.

The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday reported they had identified 15 launches from Lebanon in the course of an hour, with seven of its soldiers wounded during the engagement.

Two further mortal launches were recorded crossing into Israel from Lebanese territory as early as Monday morning, this time producing no casualties, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on social media, according to a Google translation.

The Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar news outlet said Israeli artillery and other “enemy” forces shot at several sites in Lebanon, including the Aita al-Shaab town, Chihine municipality and the city of Naqoura.

CNBC could not independently verify developments on the ground.

— Ruxandra Iordache

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday reportedly fired controversial Interior Minister Suella Braverman, as he begins a reshuffle of his top cabinet.

Braverman drew widespread criticism last week after printing an op-ed in The Times newspaper that ignored guidance from Downing Street and accused London police of political bias in policing protests.

Braverman has repeatedly referred to pro-Palestine marches in London as “hate marches.” In the letter to The Times, she said that the protests were “disturbingly reminiscent” of past scenes in Northern Ireland — comments widely condemned as both incendiary and inaccurate.

A number of far-right groups clashed with police in London following her remarks, which were criticized as undermining confidence in police ahead of a substantial protest on Armistice Day on Saturday.

Read the full story.

— Elliot Smith

Clashes are continuing near al-Quds, the second-largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said on social media.

“Israeli tanks and military stationed near Al-Quds Hospital from all directions. Bombardment is ongoing; while the hospital preparations are underway to evacuate patients and their families, and medical personnel,” it said.

CNBC could not independently confirm the information.

The PRCS previously reported that al-Quds was no longer operational after fuel sources and aid supplies critical to keeping medical equipment online and providing patient treatment ran out.

Twenty out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer functioning on similar grounds, the U.N. estimates.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The U.S. on Sunday attacked two facilities in eastern Syria that Washington purports were being used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other groups.

“I just want to remind you that these strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the freedom of action and capabilities of these groups which are directly responsible for attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during a press briefing.

“We’ve seen a number of attacks against our forces here in in recent past and we have said, and we will continue to say that we will take all necessary measures to protect our troops.”

He separately also acknowledged “tit-for-tat” fire exchanges between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, stressing “no one wants to see another conflict break out in the north on Israel’s northern border.”

— Ruxandra Iordache

Dr. Marwan Abusada, a surgeon at al-Shifa Hospital, told NBC News on Sunday that a critical lack of resources means that three babies have died and a further 36 are at immediate risk.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is affiliated with Hamas, said earlier in the day that three babies had died at the medical facility.

It comes amid growing fears that the hospital could soon lose all power, leading critical health machinery, such as ventilators and incubators, to fail. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, on Sunday said that the medical facility had been lacking electricity and water for three days, “which has severely impacted our ability to provide essential care.”

The Israeli Defense Forces over the weekend denied that Al-Shifa was under siege and said they would help evacuate babies from the hospital. The military force also said it had opened safe routes from a number of health facilities in Gaza.

Abusada said he was not aware that anyone had left the hospital via the IDF evacuation route. A plastic surgeon at the hospital, Dr. Ahmed el-Mokhallalati, also told NBC that he was not aware of anyone departing.

— Katrina Bishop

Hamas on Sunday denied it has refused the offer of 300 liters of fuel from Israeli military intended for the use of the al-Shifa hospital, the largest medical facility of the Gaza Strip.

“The offer belittles the pain and suffering of the patients who are trapped inside without water, food, or electricity. This quantity is not enough to operate hospital generators for more than thirty minutes,” Hamas said, in comments reported by Reuters. The Palestinian militant group added that it was not associated with the management of al-Shifa.

In separate comments on Telegram, the Hamas government accused Israel of deliberately firing at departments of the al-Shifa hospital and injuring a worker who attempted to inspect an electric generator — which CNBC could not independently confirm.

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces said on social media that it attempted to hand deliver the 300 liters of fuel to al-Shifa for urgent medical purposes, but that the facility was forbidden by Hamas from accepting the supplies. The Israeli military has previously accused Hamas of storing fuel volumes and denying access to them for civilian use.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been slowly going offline, amid ongoing bombardment and the depletion of fuel to operate critical medical equipment. Twenty out of the enclave’s 36 hospitals are now no longer functioning, the U.N. said Friday.

The Israeli military justifies its attacks by saying there are Hamas military positions, personnel and infrastructure on site or nearby hospital units.

— Ruxandra Iordache

The U.N. is on Monday flying its flags at half mast to pay tribute to deaths of dozens of the agency’s colleagues killed in the conflict in the Gaza Strip. All U.N. offices will observe a minute of silence at 9:30 a.m. local time, wherever they are located.

Last week, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees announced that over 100 of its members had perished.

— Ruxandra Iordache

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, said Sunday that the situation at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza has grown increasingly dire and that a cease-fire is necessary to preserve civilian lives.

He said on social media that he had received updates from health care professionals at the hospital.

“It’s been 3 days without electricity, without water and with very poor internet which has severely impacted our ability to provide essential care,” said Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He added that the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly: “The hospital is not functioning as a hospital anymore.”

Hospitals are supposed to be protected by the standards of international humanitarian law, but speculations about Hamas’ operations within the Al-Shifa hospital have made it a primary target of Israeli attack.

Adhanom Ghebreyesus ended his social media post by demanding a cease-fire “NOW.”

— Rebecca Picciotto

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Saturday with Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to discuss “ongoing efforts to evacuate the critically wounded and urgently increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

“Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Al Thani also discussed efforts to ensure the safe passage of foreign nationals out of Gaza and the immediate and safe return of all hostages. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar,” Miller also said.

— Fred Imbert

The European Union on Sunday demanded an immediate pause in fighting so a humanitarian corridor can be properly established for aid deliveries and civilian evacuation.

“The E.U. is gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the E.U.’s statement read.

The E.U. reiterated its support for Israel to defend itself against Hamas and demanded the release of Hamas’ hostages. It also noted that according to international humanitarian law, hospitals must not become targets of attack.

In recent weeks, the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza has become a central point of combat due to the theory that Hamas is conducting significant operations within it. The hospital has experienced prolonged power outages, putting patients’ lives at risk.

“In this context, we urge Israel to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the protection of civilians,” the E.U. said.

— Rebecca Picciotto

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday Hamas’ attacks on Israel do not justify the collective punishment of Palestinians.

“You cannot use the horrific things that Hamas did as a reason for collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres told CNN in an interview, adding that 101 U.N. personnel have died so far in the Hamas-Israel war that erupted after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

— Reuters