Today is
Tuesday May 21, 2024
(WASHINGTON) -- Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday criticized Donald Trump for the since-deleted video reposted to his social media site Truth Social referencing a "Unified Reich" if reelected, calling it "appalling," but "unsurprising" coming from the former president.
"Just yesterday, the former president of the United States, who praises dictators, who said there were 'very fine people on both sides' in Charlottesville -- let's not forget -- took to social media and highlighted language from Nazi Germany," Harris said as she addressed a convention of service employees in Philadelphia.
"This kind of rhetoric is unsurprising coming from the former president and it is appalling and we got to tell him who we are," the vice president said. "And once again, it shows our freedoms and our very democracy are at stake."
The phrase "Unified Reich" appeared in a social media video, the Trump campaign said was reposted by a staffer, that announced the former president's hypothetical victory in the 2024 election. Specifically, the words were part of a hypothetical news headline.
Under a big headline that said, "WHAT'S NEXT FOR AMERICA?" there was a smaller headline that appeared to read: "INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED DRIVEN BY THE CREATION OF A UNIFIED REICH."
The video was online for more than 18 hours before it was deleted on Tuesday. The Trump campaign told ABC News in a statement that it was a random online video reposted by a staffer who did not see the word.
The Biden-Harris campaign denounced the post as part of a "pattern of his praise for dictators and echoing antisemitic tropes."
Trump has denied ever reading "Mein Kampf" and his campaign previously said comparisons made by Trump's critics to Hitler or Mussolini are "ridiculous."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters President Joe Biden was "clearly tracking this" and indicated he would address the issue later Tuesday while campaigning in Boston.
"What I want to say more broadly is it is abhorrent, sickening and disgraceful for anyone to promote content associated with Germany's Nazi government under Adolf Hitler," Jean-Pierre said.
Biden himself, while leaving a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in New Hampshire where is speaking on the PACT Act, which expands health care and benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, was asked by reporters for his reaction to the video but said, "it would take too long."
Republican lawmakers dodge the issue
Senate Republicans on Tuesday largely avoided commenting on the video.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., was one of few Senate Republicans who was outrightly critical of the post. He said he had not seen the video but had heard about it.
"If that's the case, it is a very serious mistake to make. It does not send the right message about what the rest of us believe in terms of freedom and I would hope that it would have been either an oversight or it would be corrected," Rounds told ABC News. "To use that term in this day and age is simply inappropriate and it's got to be corrected."
But most Republicans I spoke to today dodged commenting on it. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's most ardent supporters, deflected entirely when asked to react to the video.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's most ardent supporters, deflected entirely when asked to react to the video.
"I don't know, see I don't follow -- in case you haven't noticed, the world is falling apart. Have you all not noticed that?" Graham said before walking away from press cameras.
Others said they hadn't seen it or weren't aware of its contents.
"I don't know anything about that," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told ABC News.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, an outspoken critic of Trump, said he hasn't seen the video.
Democrats call it 'petrifying'
Senate Democrats, however, were quick to admonish the video.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it's "hard to believe" these things are accidental, as he referenced several other comments from Trump over the last several years that he said mirrored Nazism.
"Is this just an accident? Does he have some passion for that era? I can't understand why it has nothing to do with America and its future," Durbin told ABC News.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called the comments "petrifying" and said blaming the post on a campaign staffer is not enough.
"Campaign staffers speak for the individual whose campaign it is and he has to completely denounce and disown it or he in fact is responsible for it. It is part and parcel of the Trump appeal to the White Supremacist antisemitism Islamophobia in this country that is rising now not just in speech but also in incidence of hate crime," Blumenthal said.
ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(TOPEKA, Kan.) -- Kansas physicians are legally challenging a new state law that would require them to ask and publicly report patients' reasons for seeking abortion care as well as other personal information.
A lawsuit claims the law "directly interferes with Kansans' bodily autonomy and their fundamental right to make their own decisions about health care," according the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing the physicians.
The new law is lawmakers' latest attempt to regulate the procedure after Kansas voters, defying expectations, voted to protect abortion rights by upholding a state constitutional right to abortion -- with an overwhelming majority -- in a 2022 ballot initiative.
Abortion care is allowed in Kansas up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.
The new legal challenge has been added to an ongoing lawsuit against the state attorney general and district attorneys over other abortion restrictions in the state, including state-mandated abortion counseling they claim is medically inaccurate; a law requiring physicians tell patients the "false and dangerous" claim that it is possible to reverse medication abortions; and a state-required 24-hour waiting period before patients can access care, according to the CRR.
Anti-abortion lawmakers in the state House and Senate bypassed a veto from Gov. Laura Kelly, advancing House Bill 2749 into law without her signature.
"There is no valid medical reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature if they have been a victim of abuse, rape, or incest prior to obtaining an abortion. There is no valid medical reason to force a woman to disclose to the legislature why she is seeking an abortion," Kelly said in a letter to the legislature.
"I refuse to sign legislation that goes against the will of the majority of Kansans who spoke loudly on Aug. 2, 2022: Kansans don't want politicians involved in their private medical decisions," Kelly wrote.
Kansas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group that requested the legislation be introduced, and the state attorney general did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
What's in the new law?
The law requires physicians to collect personal information about patients receiving abortion care and provide them to the state in a public report twice a year.
While the report of abortions will not include the names of patients who sought or received the care, it requires other personal information including their age, marital status, state or country of residence, race and highest level of education.
Under the new law, physicians are required to ask patients seeking abortion care what the most important factor was in determining why they sought care, except in cases of medical emergencies.
A list of factors for physicians to read patients include: "Having a baby would interfere with the patient's education, employment or career; the patient cannot provide for the child; the patient already has enough, or too many, children; the patient's husband or partner is abusive to such patient or such patient's children," according to the law.
Other reasons include rape, incest, risk to the health of the mother and that the child would have a disability.
The law requires "the reporting of the reasons for each abortion performed at a medical care facility or by a healthcare provider in the state," according to the law.
Medical facilities will have to keep written records of all "lawfully terminated" pregnancies and submit a written report twice a year to the secretary of health and environment, the law said. The reports must also include sworn statements by physicians who perform abortions.
The reports will have to include the medical diagnosis and condition that would result in a "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function or the medical diagnosis and condition that necessitated performance of an abortion to preserve the life of the patient," according to the law.
Other information physicians will need to fill out in the report include method of abortion care, whether the patient has received financial assistance from a nonprofit that supports pregnant women in the last 30 days, whether the patient has experienced domestic violence in the last 12 months and if the patient is living in a safe, stable and affordable place, according to the law.
The identities of physicians and medical facilities who fill out the report are to remain confidential unless the secretary of health and environment finds reasonable cause that the law was violated, is requesting disciplinary action and reveals the information to the state board of healing arts or a state attorney general.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- The number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) around the world is increasing and is a "major concern" for health officials, according to a new report published Tuesday from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The report found four curable STIs -- chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis -- are responsible for more than 1 million infections daily among adults between ages 15 and 49. Cases of syphilis, in particular, have been rising rapidly.
The number of new syphilis cases among adults between ages 15 and 49 increased from 7.1 million in 2020 to 8 million in 2022, according to the report.
There have also been increases in the rate of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a baby is born with the infection after the mother passed it on during pregnancy. Between 2020 and 2022, the rate per 100,000 live births per year rose from 425 to 523.
The global trends mirror those seen in the United States. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released earlier his year found the total number of syphilis cases increased more than 17% to 207,255 between 2021 and 2022, reaching the greatest number of cases reported since 1950.
The report also found that cases of antibiotic resistant gonorrhea are increasing, which was labeled another "concern." As of 2023, nine countries reported elevated levels -- from 5% to 40% -- of resistance to ceftriaxone, which is considered a last line treatment for gonorrhea.
Data points to a lack of screening for the rise in STIs as well as other issues including a lack access to care. Additionally, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic likely delayed screening for many.
"The rising incidence of syphilis raises major concerns," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. "Fortunately, there has been important progress on a number of other fronts including in accelerating access to critical health commodities including diagnostics and treatment."
"We have the tools required to end these epidemics as public health threats by 2030, but we now need to ensure that, in the context of an increasingly complex world, countries do all they can to achieve the ambitious targets they set themselves," the statement continued.
Not all trends showed an upward trajectory, in 2022, the number of people newly infected with HIV globally fell to 1.3 million from 1.5 million, according to the report. However, the WHO notes that certain populations -- men who have sex with men; people who inject drugs; sex workers; transgender people; and those currently in prisons and other closed settings – continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV.
In a press release, the WHO noted there have been gains in expanding STIs, HIV and hepatitis services and several countries have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis.
To drive rates down, the report outlines some recommendations including accelerating efforts to decriminalizes and destigmatize those affected by STIs and other infections as well as strengthening the focus on primary prevention, diagnosis and treatment to raise awareness of STIs and infections.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- Special counsel Jack Smith appears to have suspected additional efforts by former President Donald Trump to obstruct the government's investigation of his handling of classified documents, a newly unsealed court filing revealed Tuesday.
The opinion was released as an exhibit in filings responding to Trump's efforts to have the case dismissed, ahead of two hearings Wednesday related to Trump aide Walt Nauta's efforts to dismiss the related charges against him.
Trump pleaded not guilty last June to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials after leaving the White House, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation's defense capabilities, and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to get the documents back. Nauta also pleaded not guilty to related charges.
In March of 2023, prosecutors pushed for a federal judge to compel testimony from one of Trump's attorneys, Evan Corcoran, by presenting a previously undisclosed theory of steps they believed Trump and his associates had taken to obstruct their investigation, alleging that after Trump was informed by his attorney of a government subpoena for video footage from his Mar-a-Lago club, he then instructed aides to return several boxes they had previously removed from a storage room in the club's basement -- without being caught on camera.
According to the newly unsealed opinion, D.C. District Judge Beryl Howell wrote that after Corcoran informed Trump of the subpoena for video footage on June 24, 2022, it set into motion a scramble by Nauta to change his travel plans and fly from Bedminster, New Jersey, to Palm Beach, Florida.
"The government urged that this scramble to Mar-a-Lago in the wake of the June 24, 2022 phone call reflects the former president's realization that the removal of the boxes from the storage room before [redacted] search was captured on camera -- and his attempts to ensure that any subsequent movement of the boxes back to the storage room could occur off camera," Howell wrote.
"This theory draws support from the curious absence of any video footage showing the return of the remaining boxes to the storage room, which necessarily occurred at some point between June 3, 2022 -- when the room had approximately [redacted] boxes, according to FBI agents and [redacted] -- and the execution of the search warrant on August 8, 2022 -- when agents counted 73 boxes," wrote the judge.
The government previously alleged that Nauta took the trip to inquire about how long camera footage was stored. It was on that same trip, according to the indictment, that Nauta and Mar-a-Lago maintenance worker Carlos De Oliveira allegedly conspired in an attempt to delete surveillance footage.
Howell ultimately agreed the government had made a "likely" showing that Trump ordered his associates to "avoid the surveillance cameras he then understood to have been deputized by the government," ordering Corcoran to testify about a June 24, 2022, phone call with the former president that occurred the same day the Trump Organization was subpoenaed for the footage.
The district judge also confirmed that, "remarkably," after the FBI's August search, Trump's attorneys on two separate instances found additional classified records at Mar-a-Lago, including four documents with classification markings in Trump's own bedroom in December 2022.
The new filings, consisting of hundreds of pages, also include new photos of Nauta allegedly moving boxes that the government contends contained the classified materials Trump was seeking to hang onto despite a subpoena from the FBI.
The filing was just one among multiple exhibits ordered unsealed Tuesday by the district judge overseeing Trump's case, Aileen Cannon, who has set up a controversial process opposed by Smith that has enabled Trump's attorneys to make public evidence in the case that would typically remain under seal.
Some legal experts have criticized Cannon over a series of recent rulings that have benefited Trump's strategy to have the case delayed until after the 2024 election, including her order two weeks ago that put an indefinite hold on her scheduling a date for the trial.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(PHOENIX) -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, several allies of former President Donald Trump and alleged fake electors pleaded not guilty in Maricopa County court Tuesday for their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona.
Former Trump lawyer Christina Bobb, Arizona state Sen. Anthony Kern, former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, and her husband Michael Ward were also among those arraigned today.
Giuliani appeared virtually after being served with notice of his indictment after his 80th birthday party on Friday night – and after boasting on social media that he had avoided being served.
The judge granted the prosecution's motion for Giuliani's release conditions to require the former mayor to show up in person in Arizona to be booked within 30 days, as well as a $10,000 secured appearance bond, after the state detailed to the court how Giuliani has "shown no intent to comply with legal process" after avoiding accepting service of the indictment.
Prosecutors notably asked for a cash bond, but the judge allowed Giuliani to provide a secured one.
Giuliani responded over Zoom to prosecutors, who described him as "uncooperative" and saying he was aware of the indictment, by saying, "I haven't been hiding from anyone." He blamed the difficultly for accepting service because of the threats he's faced. Giuliani called the indictment a "complete embarrassment."
At one point the judge cut Giuliani off as started going into a meandering story about the history of alleged threats that have been made against him. "I don't want to have to mute you," the judge said.
Outside of court, Nicholas Klingerman, a prosecutor for the Arizona Attorney General's office, described the multiple attempts they made to serve Giuliani, saying the former mayor was "mocking the justice system in Arizona."
Asked about Giuliani's comments during the hearing that the case is "politically motivated," Klingerman said, "the indictment speaks for itself."
"I think it's fairly clear from the indictment what the allegations are," Klingerman said.
Former Trump attorney John Eastman was the first ally of the former president to be arraigned in the case last week.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes last month announced charges against 11 named alleged fake electors and seven people whose names are redacted in the filing for their alleged role in efforts to subvert Joe Biden's 2020 victory in the state.
The charges include fraud, forgery and conspiracy.
Arizona is the third state to pursue election interference charges related to the 2020 election. In December, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced felony charges against six alleged "fake electors" in that state.
In Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel similarly charged 16 "alternate electors" in July for conspiracy to commit forgery, among other charges.
Three such "fake electors" in Georgia were among the 18 co-defendants charged, along with Trump, in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in that state.
All defendants charged in all three probes have pleaded not guilty, with Georgia defendants Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell and Scott Hall subsequently taking plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify in that case. In Michigan, the attorney general dropped all charges against defendant Jim Renner in exchange for his cooperation.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(LONDON) -- A plan by an International Criminal Court prosecutor to apply for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders is "absurd," casting a "terrible stain" on the court, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
"We are supplying now nearly half of the water of Gaza. We supplied only 7% before the war. This is completely opposite of what he's saying. He's saying we're starving people?" Netanyahu said on ABC News' Good Morning America on Tuesday. "We have supplied half million tons of food and medicine with 20,000 trucks. This guy is out to demonize Israel. He's doing a hit job."
A prosecutor with the ICC on Monday said he would file applications for arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, alleging that they "bear criminal responsibility" for "war crimes and crimes against humanity" in Gaza.
Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan said he would seek warrants for both Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. Khan laid out a list of allegations against Netanyahu and Gallant, including starvation of civilians, willfully causing great suffering and other "inhumane acts."
"We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to State policy," Khan said in a statement. "These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day."
Netanyahu said on Monday that his country didn't have a "deliberate starvation policy" and the charges detailed by the ICC prosecutor were "fallacious."
"In fact, we have the opposite policy, to allow maximum humanitarian aid to get people out of harm's way," He said, "while Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm's way at gun point."
World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain recently said that "full-blown famine" is occurring in northern Gaza.
President Joe Biden called the prosecutor's decision to seek arrest warrants for the Israeli leaders "outrageous."
"And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence -- none -- between Israel and Hamas," Biden said Monday.
The prosecutor's statement came as Israel continued weighing a potential full-scale invasion into Rafah, a southern Gazan city where many Palestinians have sought refuge during Israel's war with Hamas.
"The battle in Rafah is critical. It is not only the remaining [Hamas] battalions there but their escape and supply pipelines," Netanyahu said last week while speaking to troops after taking an aerial tour of the Gaza Strip. "This battle, of which you are an integral part, is a battle that will decide many things in this campaign."
Netanyahu early this month met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for more than two hours in the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Blinken during that meeting "reiterated the United States' clear position on Rafah," Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesperson, said at the time.
U.S. officials have in the weeks since that meeting been in "close communication" with Israeli leaders, letting them know that the U.S. opposes a major military operation in the city, Miller said on Monday.
"We don't think that would be productive to Israel's security either in the short term or the long term," Miller said, "and we think it would have a dramatic impact on the lives of the Palestinian people there and on the ability to get humanitarian assistance in."
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. About 1,200 people were killed on Oct. 7 in the Hamas cross-border attack on southern Israel, according to Israel.
ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Monday asked what would happen when the war was over.
Netanyahu said Hamas would have to be destroyed first, then Israel could "demilitarize" Gaza. After that, there would have to be a civilian administration put in place, he said.
"There is peace and stability and prosperity only through victory," Netanyahu said. "The road to peace goes through victory over Hamas."
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Here's how the news is developing:
May 21, 4:25 PM
Judge will keep original instructions on Cohen's guilty plea
The defense returned to the question of Michael Cohen's 2018 guilty plea and AMI's non-prosecution agreement with the federal government.
Defense attorney Emil Bove called it a "critical issue" the jury could infer Trump's guilt based on his association with Cohen and AMI executive David Pecker.
Prosecutor Josh Steinglass called the curative language the defense suggested "outrageous," and Judge Merchan said he would stick to what he told the jury during the evidentiary phase of the trial: That the guilty plea of Cohen and the non-prosecution agreement of AMI could be used to judge witness credibility -- but could not be used as an inference of the defendant's guilt.
May 21, 4:18 PM
Defense seeks clarification on effect of 'Access Hollywood' tape
Defense lawyers asked Judge Merchan to include an instruction for jurors that clarifies how prominent Republicans and members of the public reacted to the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape.
Witnesses like Trump aides Hope Hicks and Madeleine Westerhout testified about the effect of the video, which led prominent Republicans like John McCain withdrawing their endorsement of Trump and the Republican National Committee considering finding a new candidate.
Prosecutors pushed back on the defense request, describing it as "confusing" and "unnecessary."
"The nature of the reaction by the Republican Party by other prominent Republican senators by other members of the public -- the fact that was the reaction -- had an impact on the listener being the defendant," prosecutor Josh Steinglass argued.
Prosecutors have argued that the immense public backlash to the Access Hollywood motivated Trump to kill the Stormy Daniels story in the days before the election.
Judge Merchan said he would review the relevant portions of the transcript before making a decision, but said he was inclined to agree with the state, suggesting the proposed instruction would be denied.
May 21, 4:09 PM
Attorneys hash out additional jury instructions
Following a break, Judge Merchan told the parties that he had worked through his own notes and asked the lawyers for each side to weigh in on what he might have missed.
The defense sought an instruction about former President Trump regarding bias.
"We don't think that this is necessary, this charge," prosecutor Josh Steinglass said in response. "I don't think instructing the jury that they shouldn't hold bias against the defendant is necessary -- voir dire has satisfied this problem, I think."
The defense also sought an instruction that hush money payments are not inherently illegal. Prosecutors opposed it, arguing the request amounts to the judge making the defense argument for them.
Defense attorney Emil Bove also asked for an instruction that "hush money is not illegal."
"What the defense is asking," Colangelo responded, "is for you to make their argument for them."
The judge agreed with Colangelo, saying that including that language would be "taking it too far."
"I don't think it's necessary," Merchan said.
May 21, 3:56 PM
Defense argues Cohen's tax crime isn't relevant
Defense attorney Emil Bove argued that the jury should not consider Michael Cohen's tax crimes as one of the crimes Trump advanced by allegedly falsifying business records when he repaid Cohen for the Stormy Daniels hush payment.
Bove argued that Cohen was unaware of the alleged tax crimes when then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg "grossed up" his reimbursement to accommodate for taxes on the payment.
Cohen testified he did not think of the tax law at the time, telling jurors, "I just wanted to get my money back."
May 21, 3:51 PM
I won't 'change the law,' judge tells defense regarding jury charge
Defense attorney Emil Bove tried to make the argument that this particular case is unusual because Trump is not a typical defendant.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo responded that's precisely why the standard language should be used.
"No one is above the law," he said.
Judge Merchan settled the matter and ruled against the defense.
"I understand what you mean when you say it's an important case," he said. "But what you're asking me to do is to change the law, and I'm not going to do that."
May 21, 3:44 PM
Parties argue about Trump's presence at 2015 meeting
Discussing the August 2015 meeting in Trump Tower where prosecutors say Trump, Michael Cohen and then-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker agreed to the criminal conspiracy, defense attorney Emil Bove argued Trump's "mere presence" at a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower with David Pecker and Michael Cohen where the alleged conspiracy was hatched "could very much be part of the defense here."
Bove said "there's nothing criminal about that at all," despite prosecutors arguing it's where the catch-and-kill scheme originated.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo argued there is no way the jury could interpret the meeting as a "high minded conversation about democracy."
May 21, 3:28 PM
Merchan rules state doesn't have to prove 2 separate intents
The defense failed to convince Judge Merchan to add a layer of intent that prosecutors have to prove.
Merchan told the parties he was "concerned about" a proposed addition by defense attorneys related to Trump's intent to defraud.
The defense proposed including an instruction that the state "must establish beyond a reasonable doubt two separate intents" for Trump to commit crimes -- for both falsifying records and the other crime Trump furthered with the falsification.
"This proposed language is just inconsistent with the text of the statute," defense attorney Matthew Colangelo argued.
Merchan said he was inclined to use the standard instruction, excluding the proposed defense addition.
"That second level of intent ... is incorporated by reference to the first," Merchan said.
May 21, 3:15 PM
Judge reserves decision on 'accomplice liability'
The debate over jury instructions turned to the definition of "accomplice liability."
Prosecutors argued that jury should be told that Trump can be convicted because he caused false leger entries to be created by Trump Organization employees Jeff McConney and Deb Tarasoff.
Prosecutors said it's a necessary instruction because the defense argued in opening statements that Trump himself did not enter accounting records.
Merchan reserved his decision about "accessorial liability" but said he was inclined to strike the proposed language related to the issue from the final charge.
As the lawyers continue their debate, Trump is flipping through a three-inch stack of papers, some of which appear to be press clippings.
May 21, 3:05 PM
Judge rejects defense request related to 'intent'
Judge Merchan turned to what he called "the most challenging issue facing us all": how to pronounce "eleemosynary," which he said means "relating to charity." The quip got a laugh from both sides.
Merchan moved to delete the word from the jury instructions, and neither side objected.
The judge moved on to discussing the definition of "intent" as it relates to Trump's conduct.
Defense attorney Emil Bove requested that the jury instruction place "more emphasis" on the elements needed to prove Trump had an intent to defraud when he allegedly falsified documents.
"I am going to stick with the standard language," Merchan replied, shooting down the request.
May 21, 3:00 PM
Judge mulls how Cohen's guilty plea should be described
Judge Merchan heard arguments over how former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's 2018 guilty plea on charges related to the Stormy Daniels payment should be described to the jury -- whether Cohen "participated" in crimes or was "convicted" of crimes.
The judge said echoed a defense concern that Cohen's convictions could be used to infer that Trump, by proxy, should also be found guilty.
"It seems like to me right now we are really playing with fire and getting close to that," Merchan said.
In general, Merchan reminded the parties, "Where there are standard pattern jury instructions, I don't deviate"
May 21, 2:50 PM
Judge considers whether Daniels payment was campaign expense
The defense is arguing a candidate's expenses arising from controversies are not necessarily campaign expenses.
Merchan suggests the language should be as follows: "If the payment would have been made, even in the absence of the candidacy, the payment should not be treated as a contribution."
Prosecutors have argued the payment to Stormy Daniels should have been labeled a campaign expenditure because it was meant to protect Trump's electoral prospects in 2016
Merchan reserves his decision on the issue but suggests he would include both proposed sentences from the parties.
May 21, 2:43 PM
Judge says he wants jury instructions 'as easy as possible'
Defense attorney Emil Bove argued that Judge Merchan should tell the jury it must find Trump acted willfully in order to convict.
The district attorney's office argued the jury must find Trump acted unlawfully, not necessarily criminally.
Trump was alert and attentive at the start of this afternoon's session, whispering to his attorney Todd Blanche. Now his eyes are closed.
Judge Merchan, ticking through each of the proposed edits to the jury instructions, appears to be focused on making sure the instructions are clear and understandable for the jury.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for the jury,” he said.
May 21, 2:37 PM
Judge declines to tell jury about lack of contribution limits
Judge Merchan declined to add a sentence to the jury charge that there was no limit on Trump's personal contributions to his political campaign in 2015 and 2016.
Defense attorney Emil Bove argued that the line would have told the jury that Trump “could have paid this out of his personal expenses without issue.”
But prosecutors argued that the line was “extraneous” because Trump made the Stormy Daniels payment reimbursement from the Trump Organization, not out of his personal funds.
“It has nothing to do with the case,” Colangelo said.
May 21, 2:30 PM
Defense argues prosecutors have failed to show criminality
Defense attorney Emil Bove began the conference by arguing for a jury instruction describing the alleged conspiracy as civil, not criminal.
According to Bove, prosecutors have failed to show that the alleged conspiracy had a criminal object.
“It’s only a crime if it has a criminal object,” Bove said. "To be a criminal conspiracy, there must be a criminal object.”
May 21, 2:24 PM
Parties are back in court for pre-charge conference
Judge Merchan is back on the bench, and the parties -- including Trump -- are seated at the counsel tables for the pre-charge conference that will help determine the jury instructions.
Trump, seated next to attorney Susan Necheles, has a pile of papers in front of him.
May 21, 2:17 PM
'This next couple hours is very important,' Trump says
Donald Trump, addressing the media ahead of this afternoon's pre-charge conference, told reporters, "This next couple of hours is very important."
Judge Juan Merchan is preparing to hear arguments from attorneys regarding the instructions the judge will provide jurors about the law and evidence in the case when the jury begins deliberating next week.
Trump declined to answer questions from the reporters about why he decided not to testify in the case, and whether he is nervous about a possible conviction.
May 21, 10:35 AM
Judge will hold pre-charge conference this afternoon
Judge Merchan asked the parties to return to the courtroom at 2:15 p.m. ET. for the previously scheduled pre-charge conference.
It will provide an opportunity for the parties to weigh in on the instructions Merchan will provide the jury about the law and evidence in the case.
Trump and his entourage then filed out of the courtroom.
May 21, 10:23 AM
Judge adjourns proceedings until next Tuesday
Following the defense resting its case, Judge Juan Merchan told the parties that "summations will not be quick" and that they "will take at least a day." Jury instructions will then take at least an hour, he said.
"At the end of the day, I think the best thing we can do is to adjourn now until next Tuesday. At that time you will hear summations from the attorneys," Merchan said.
Merchan says that deliberations could begin as early as next Wednesday.
Merchan told the jury he opted to delay the summations because of this week's abbreviated schedule and his belief that "it's always ideal or best not to break up summations."
Trump's eyes were closed, his head titled back, as Merchan instructed the jury to return on Tuesday.
The jury then left the courtroom.
May 21, 10:15 AM
Defense rests its case following Costello testimony
"You still have a lot of animosity against Michael Cohen," prosecutor Susan Cohen Hoffinger asked Michael Cohen's then-legal adviser Robert Costello after displaying emails from 2018.
"I don't have animosity but --," Costello replied before being cut off.
"Yes or no," Hoffinger said.
Hoffinger then asked Costello bluntly if he was trying to "intimidate" Cohen regarding his 2018 congressional testimony.
"Intimidate Michael Cohen?" Costello asked incredulously.
"Yes, that's my question," Hoffinger repeated firmly.
"Ridiculous, no," Costello responded.
Hoffinger then concluded her cross-examination, which was followed by a brief redirect.
"Your honor, the defense rests," the defense team told Judge Merchan.
Former President Trump did not end up taking the stand in his own defense.
May 21, 10:06 AM
Jurors see Costello emails critical of Cohen
Seeking to painting a picture of the machinations behind what Michael Cohen called a "pressure campaign" to keep him in the Trump fold as investigators closed in on him, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger displayed an email from Michael Cohen's then-legal adviser Robert Costello to Costello's law partner in which Costello wrote that Cohen "continues to slow play us and the president -- is he totally nuts???"
"I am in a golf tournament tomorrow early and again on Sunday. What should I say to this a------ ? He is playing with the most powerful man on the planet," Costello wrote.
"That email certainly speaks for itself, does it not, Mr. Costello?" Hoffiner asked.
"Yes it does," Costello said.
Costello insisted that he was not working to advance Trump's interests and denied the suggestion that he "lost control" of Cohen.
May 21, 9:55 AM
Costello email discussed getting 'Cohen on the right page'
Prosecutors displayed an email from Michael Cohen's then-legal adviser Robert Costello to Costello's law partner Jeffrey Citron from Aug. 8, 2018, in which Costello shared a link to a Fox News story about Rudy Giuliani joining Trump's legal team.
"All the more reason for Cohen to hire me because of my connection to Giuliani, which I mentioned to him in our meeting," he wrote.
In another email, Costello said, "Our issue is to get Cohen on the right page without giving him the appearance that we are following instructions from Giuliani or the President. In my opinion this is the clear correct strategy."
Questioned on the witness stand about that email, Costello told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that he wanted "to get everybody on the same page because Michael Cohen had been complaining incessantly that Rudy Giuliani, was making statements in the press that Michael Cohen didn't approve of."
Costello told Hoffinger he has other emails clarifying that, "which I'd be delighted to tell you."
"That's all right," Hoffinger replied snarkily.
The gallery laughed, prompting a court officer to yell "Quiet!"
May 21, 9:43 AM
Costello's cross-examination already appearing tense
Only a few minutes into prosecutor Susan Hoffinger's cross-examination of Michael Cohen's former legal adviser Robert Costello, their exchanges are already sounding tense.
Hoffinger attempted to confirm that Costello boasted about his relationship with Rudy Giuliani, but Costello denied he did so during his first meeting with Cohen.
"You are quoting from an email that is much later," Costello said.
"I am not quoting from an email," Hoffinger replied.
Hoffinger then asked Costello about his relationship with Giuliani.
"He's been to your wedding?" Hoffinger asked.
"Yes he was," Costello said.
May 21, 9:35 AM
Costello retakes the stand
“Let’s get the witness please,” Judge Juan Merchan said after taking the bench.
Michael Cohen's one-time legal adviser Robert Costello entered the courtroom and took the witness stand to continue his cross-examination.
“Good Morning, Mr. Costello. Welcome back,” Judge Merchan said.
May 21, 9:28 AM
Trump, Don Jr. are in the courtroom
Former President Trump has arrived in the courtroom.
His son Don Jr., accompanying him to this trial for the first time, is seated in the front row of the gallery.
May 21, 9:21 AM
Trump, prosecutors arrive for proceedings
The prosecution team has entered the courtroom for today's proceedings.
Former President Trump has arrived at the courthouse.
May 21, 8:28 AM
Trump not expected to testify, sources say
Former President Trump is not expected to take the stand in his criminal hush money trial, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
It's possible that Trump could make a last-minute decision to testify, so sources caution that nothing is final until the defense rests its case.
Trump's lawyers have indicated publicly that Robert Costello, Michael Cohen's one-time legal adviser, is expected to be their last witness before they rest their case today.
May 21, 8:14 AM
Trump's son Don Jr. expected to attend trial
Former President Donald Trump is expected to be joined by his son Don Jr. in court today.
It would mark the first time Don Jr. has attended the trial.
As has been the case over the last several days in court, a number of Republican lawmakers are expected to attend today's proceedings in support of Trump.
May 21, 7:29 AM
Costello to resume testimony, defense expected to rest its case
A day after Judge Judge Juan Merchan threatened to remove him from the witness stand, former federal prosecutor Robert Costello will resume his testimony this morning as the second witness in Donald Trump's defense case.
Costello is expected to be the final defense witness before Trump's lawyers rest their case today.
Yesterday, Costello told jurors about his meetings and phone calls with Michael Cohen in 2018 after FBI agents raided his office and hotel room. Costello advised Cohen and helped pass messages to the Trump, according to Cohen, but never formally represented him as his lawyer.
"Michael Cohen said, numerous times, that President Trump knew nothing about those payments, that he did this on his own, and he repeated that numerous times," Costello testified about the hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels that sits at the center of the case.
Cohen told the jury that he lied to Costello about Trump's involvement in the scheme to use hush-money payments to hide information from voters.
Costello's reactions to Judge Merchan after taking the stand yesterday afternoon -- responding "jeez" to a sustained objection, rolling his eyes at the judge, and appearing to staring him down -- prompted Merchan to clear the courtroom before threatening to remove Costello from the witness stand.
While defense lawyers suggested yesterday that they would not call Trump to the witness stand, they will likely have to confirm a final decision about the defendant's testimony -- or lack thereof -- before they rest their case.
Judge Merchan has scheduled a charge conference at 2:15 p.m. ET to hear arguments over how to instruct the jury about the law in the case.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- A record-breaking number of travelers are expected to hit the road and take to the skies this Memorial Day weekend.
Whether you're headed to the beach or to check out a new city, here's what you need to know:
The skies: The busiest days to fly
AAA data predicts 3.51 million people will travel by plane over the holiday weekend. This is a 4.8% jump from last year and marks the busiest Memorial Day weekend at U.S. airports since 2005.
United Airlines forecasts 2024 will be its busiest Memorial Day weekend ever, with over three million passengers expected to fly between Thursday, May 23, and Tuesday, May 28. United said May 23 will be its most crowded day, with nearly 520,000 passengers.
Delta expects nearly three million customers to fly during the Memorial Day period, from May 23 to May 27. The airline said this is a 5% increase from last year.
The busiest days to fly will be May 23, Friday, May 24, and Memorial Day itself, Monday, May 27, according to Hopper data.
The most packed airports are expected to be Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Denver International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, Hopper said.
According to AAA, the top domestic destinations are: Orlando, Florida; Seattle; New York City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Denver; Anchorage, Alaska; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami; and Boston.
The roads: The best times to drive to avoid traffic
A record high of 38.4 million people are expected to travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA. This is a 4% increase from last year.
Drivers heading out the door on May 23 or May 24 should leave before 11 a.m. or wait until the evening to avoid the worst traffic, according to transportation analytics company INRIX.
When you're driving home from vacation on May 26 or May 27, the worst time to be on the road is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., INRIX said.
The cities with the highest rental car demands are Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Boston and Las Vegas, according to Hertz.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(LONDON) -- One person is dead and dozens others injured after a Singapore Airlines flight encountered "severe" turbulence, the airline said in a social media post.
The Boeing 777-300ER departed London's Heathrow Airport on Monday with 221 passengers and 18 crew members on board, according the airline.
The flight, SQ 321, encountered turbulence about 90 minutes from its destination of Singapore and was diverted to Bangkok, the carrier said.
A 73-year-old man from Great Britain was killed, according to Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Seven people were critically injured, Kittikachorn added, while dozens suffered minor or moderate injuries.
"Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking so I started bracing for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling," Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student on the flight, told ABC News. "Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it; they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it."
Singapore Airlines confirmed one person had died and sent condolences to the family.
"Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased," the airline said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft."
The aircraft appeared to have encountered the turbulence in Thai airspace, somewhere over the Andaman Sea.
The flight, which had been scheduled to arrive at Singapore Changi Airport, instead touched down in Thailand at about 3:45 p.m. local time, the carrier said.
"We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them," Boeing said in a statement. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew."
ABC News' Joe Simonetti, Will Gretsky and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(WASHINGTON) -- The United States' top military leaders said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has opened "another front" in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, home to the country's second-largest city.
"Putin's forces have opened another front to seize sovereign Ukrainian territory, and the Kremlin's invaders are obliterating Ukrainian villages, killing innocent civilians and bombarding civilian infrastructure including dams and power plants," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters after a meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, an international working group coordinating defensive assistance for Kyiv.
Despite the Russian advance, the defense secretary said U.S. weapons shouldn't be used beyond Ukrainian territory.
"Our expectation is that they continue to use the weapons that we provided on targets inside of Ukraine," Austin said.
U.S. military assistance, another $60 billion of which was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April, is arriving as Ukraine faces a Russian offensive that could determine the "character" of the war, Can Kasapoğlu, a senior fellow and political-military affairs expert at the Hudson Institute, told ABC News.
Gen. C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday that Russia's new offensive "aim[s] to establish a shallow buffer zone along the Ukrainian border."
"Russia anticipates that this will divert Ukrainian focus and capabilities from other critical areas," he said.
Kharkiv was recaptured by Ukraine in a fall 2022 counteroffensive after Russia took the city in its initial invasion in February 2022.
Russia has not breached the Ukrainian front line, but Kasapoğlu said the front line is not stabilized, leaving doubt as to whether Ukraine can hold the city if Russia mounts an effort to take it.
"The Russians managed to secure many tactical gains" in the Kharkiv region and around the city of Kharkiv, Kasapoğlu said, and the Russians can be expected to "try to enhance these tactical footholds ... and gradually move forward to get Kharkiv city in artillery range."
"This may go beyond merely a subordinate effort or a distractive effort," Kasapoğlu continued.
If the offensive is a main effort, and the Russians can recapture Kharkiv after winning it once and then losing it, "the chances are really slim for Ukraine to launch a large-scale counteroffensive and retake territory from the Russians," Kasapoğlu said.
It could become clear "in the forthcoming weeks" whether Russia can "translate [its] tactical gains into strategic gains" and retake Kharkiv, Kasapoğlu said.
After completing its spring conscription, Russia has sufficient manpower, and the scope of the Kharkiv offensive is largely a function of whether Putin chooses to double down, Kasapoğlu said.
The United States' supplemental package included much-needed artillery, as well as munitions for air defense, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces need more.
The crisis in Kharkiv is "the world's fault," Zelenskyy told ABC News' James Longman Friday, adding: "We cannot afford to lose Kharkiv."
Air defenses, which Austin said the contact group discussed at length Monday, are crucial, Zelenskyy told Longman.
"All we need are two Patriot systems," he said.
The U.S. package includes munitions for the Patriots but not the systems themselves. The Germans have committed to providing one -- a move praised by Austin on Monday -- but the Pentagon chief said in April the system wouldn't be a "silver bullet" for Ukraine's defense.
Long-range ATACMS, a missile system the U.S. acknowledged it dispatched to Ukraine for the first time in April, could have made a difference in Ukraine's early defense of Kharkiv, according to Kasapoğlu.
This would have been the "ideal weapon" to counter a heavy buildup of Russian troops, Kasapoğlu said, but because the Russians were striking for the first time from their own territory -- and not from within Ukraine -- Ukraine was restricted from using them by allies' conditions.
Victoria Nuland, former undersecretary of state for political affairs, told ABC News' Martha Raddatz on This Week Sunday that American weapons should be available to Ukraine for Russian targets.
"I think if the attacks are coming directly from over the line in Russia, that those bases ought to be fair game, whether they are where missiles are being launched from or where the troops are being supplied from," she said.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(WASHINGTON) -- In court papers filed ahead of a June 3 trial, special counsel David Weiss’ office suggested they would call multiple women who had relationships with Hunter Biden to testify in his felony gun case, including his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, and the widow of his late brother Beau Biden, Hallie Biden.
The revelations emerged late Monday in a trial brief filed by the government. The 97-page document includes the law and evidence prosecutors plan to use to prove that Hunter Biden committed three felonies when he procured a firearm in 2018 while under the influence of drugs.
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty.
The filing does not name Buhle or Hallie Biden. But the descriptions make their identities clear.
“Witness 1 was previously married to the defendant,” prosecutors wrote in the filing. “They divorced in April 2017, but through 2018 she would check his vehicle from time to time because she did not want their children in a vehicle with drugs.”
Prosecutors described Witness 3 as a woman who "was in a romantic relationship with the defendant in October 2018, and before and after."
"Witness 3 will also establish that the defendant possessed the gun and she discarded it in an outdoor trash receptacle at the Janssen’s Market in Wilmington, Delaware after removing it from his vehicle," prosecutors wrote.
ABC News has previously reported that Hallie Biden found the Cobra 38SPL revolver and discarded it in a garbage bin.
A third unidentified woman prosecutors plan to call "was previously in a romantic relationship" with Biden and "observed the defendant using crack cocaine frequently—every 20 minutes except when he slept."
Prosecutors in Weiss’ office also indicated that they intend to draw heavily from passages in Hunter Biden’s 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things, in which Biden addressed his addiction. They also plan to enter into evidence several messages that demonstrate his addiction at the time of his gun purchase, on Oct. 12, 2018.
The trial is scheduled to begin on June 3 in Wilmington, Delaware, before Judge Maryellen Noreika.
Earlier on Monday, Hunter Biden appealed Noreika’s denial of his motion to dismiss the charges. A panel of federal appellate judges has already turned down a similar effort. Noreika has repeatedly blocked Biden’s efforts to delay the trial.
Prosecutors say Biden lied on a federal form about his drug use when he obtained a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018, after he later acknowledged in his memoir, Beautiful Things, that he was addicted to drugs around that time. He owned the firearm for 11 days and never fired it, his attorneys have said.
Biden was indicted by special counsel Weiss last September.
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- As the Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, renewed negotiations are underway to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, as Israeli forces continue to prepare for an apparent invasion of the southern Gazan town of Rafah.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
May 21, 3:30 PM
Israel returns seized Associated Press equipment after taking down Gaza live shot
After widespread condemnation, Israel has reversed course and returned equipment seized from The Associated Press. The equipment was seized and they took down their AP's live shot of northern Gaza from Israel Tuesday, citing a controversial new media law.
Israel had accused the AP of violating the new law by allowing Al Jazeera to access their live feed, according to the AP. Al Jazeera is one of the AP’s thousands of international clients.
"The Communications Ministry acted today to confiscate equipment that, despite repeated warnings, transmitted to Al-Gazira about the positions of our forces in the northern Gaza Strip while putting them at risk in accordance with security opinions and the government's decision," Israeli Minister of Communication Shlomo Karai said in a statement. "Since the Ministry of Defense wishes to examine the matter of the broadcasts from these locations in Sderot regarding the risk to our forces, I have now ordered to cancel the operation and return the equipment to the AP agency, until a different decision is made by the Ministry of Defense."
"The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment," said Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications at the AP earlier Tuesday. "The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law. We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world."
The AP refused a verbal order issued earlier to take down the transmission, and said it complies with Israeli military censorship rules.
In 2021, Israel destroyed the AP office inside Gaza, saying Hamas operated from the building, which the AP has denied. The office offered a live position from inside Gaza throughout many of the conflicts there.
-ABC News' Guy Davies
May 21, 12:31 PM
UNRWA suspends food distribution in Rafah
Food distributions in Rafah have been suspended due to lack of supplies and insecurity, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Only seven of the UNRWA's 24 health centers are operational, with the centers not receiving any medical supplies in the last 10 days due to Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossing closures and disruptions.
Due to Israel's ongoing military operation in eastern Rafah, the UNRWA distribution center and World Food Programme warehouse are inaccessible, according to the UNRWA.
"The current Israeli military operation in Rafah is directly impacting the ability of aid agencies to bring critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza. During this reporting period, the border crossing was only open for two days and only 48 trucks entered the Gaza Strip via Kerem Shalom and Rafah land crossings," according to the UNRWA.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
May 21, 12:11 PM
Israel seizes Associated Press equipment, takes down Gaza live shot
Israeli officials seized Associated Press equipment and took down their live shot showing the view of northern Gaza from Israel Tuesday, citing a controversial new media law, according to the AP.
Israel has accused the AP of violating the new law by allowing Al Jazeera to access their live feed, according to the AP. Al Jazeera is one of the AP’s thousands of international clients.
"The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment," said Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications at the AP. "The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law. We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world."
The AP refused a verbal order issued earlier to take down the transmission, and said it complies with Israeli military censorship rules.
In 2021, Israel destroyed the AP office inside Gaza, saying Hamas operated from the building, which the AP has denied. The office offered a live position from inside Gaza throughout many of the conflicts there.
-ABC News' Guy Davies
May 21, 10:09 AM
Netanyahu calls ICC arrest warrant 'absurd,' 'outrageous'
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against him "absurd" and "outrageous," saying it is not leaving him concerned about traveling.
Netanyahu also denied allegations of Israel using starvation as a weapon of war. Aid organizations have criticized Israel for months saying it has not allowed enough aid in, leading to a famine in Northern Gaza that is moving its way to the south, according to World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain.
Netanyahu also laid out his plan for Gaza after the war saying his No. 1 goal is to destroy Hamas "otherwise Gazans don't have a future," he said in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America."
"No. 2, demilitarize Gaza. And the one sustained demilitarization, I think, requires that Israel have the overall responsibility to fight resurgent terrorists," he said
"Three, ensure that Gaza will seek a civilian administration by Gazans who are not affiliated with Hamas and also don't seek the destruction of Israel," Netanyahu said.
"The last thing is we rebuild Gaza in a peaceful way, using the support of moderate Arab states and the international community," he added.
May 20, 6:15 PM
Biden: What's happening in Gaza 'is not genocide'
President Joe Biden said Monday that what Israel has carried out in Gaza during the war is "not genocide," while he denounced the application for arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.
"Let me be clear, we reject the ICC's application and arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas," Biden said, in part. "But let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that."
Biden made the comments during an event in the Rose Garden celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month where he fiercely defended Israel in the war against Hamas.
"We'll always stand with Israel and the threats against its security," he said.
The president also highlighted efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza "who are suffering greatly because of the war" and working toward a two-state solution.
May 20, 4:31 PM
Bodies of 4 hostages recovered last week found in tunnel in Jabaliya: IDF
The bodies of four Israeli hostages recovered last week were found in a tunnel in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday.
The bodies of Shani Louk, Amit Buskila, Ron Benjamin and Yitzchak Gelernter -- who were killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and taken into Gaza -- were recovered following a monthslong operation, the IDF said.
Israeli forces also "located intelligence materials and large quantities of weapons" during the night operation, the IDF said.
May 20, 3:01 PM
Rafah exodus surpasses 810,000: UNRWA
More than 810,000 people have fled Rafah in the past two weeks amid Israel's ongoing military operation in the southern Gaza city, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
"Every time families are displaced their lives are at serious risk. People are forced to leave everything behind looking for safety. But, there's no safe zone," UNRWA said on X Monday.
May 20, 2:39 PM
Congress considering sanctioning ICC: House speaker
Congress is considering sanctioning the International Criminal Court regarding the arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“In the absence of leadership from the White House, Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed," Johnson said in a statement. "If the ICC is allowed to threaten Israeli leaders, ours could be next."
The ICC has "no authority" over Israel or the U.S., Johnson noted.
-ABC News' Lauren Peller
May 20, 1:33 PM
Biden calls ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu outrageous
President Joe Biden called the application for arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders "outrageous."
"And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas," Biden said.
"We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security," Biden's statement said
May 20, 7:22 AM
ICC to seek arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Hamas leader
A prosecutor with the International Criminal Court on Monday said he would file applications for arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for "criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity" in Gaza.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti and Kevin Shalvey
May 19, 5:18 PM
IDF releases footage of young Israeli hostages it says were forced to film Hamas video under duress
Israel Defense Forces released Sunday raw video footage it says its troops recovered in Gaza that shows former Israeli hostages 8-year-old Ela Elyakim and her 15-year-old sister Dafna Elyakim being forced by Hamas terrorists to film repeatedly.
"The video, which is being released today for the first time was intended to be used by Hamas for psychological terror," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, said in a statement. "But Ela’s family asked us to share it with the world to expose Hamas's terror, to expose Hamas's cruelty, to expose Hamas's barbarism."
Hagari said the raw footage of the girls recording the video was recovered by IDF troops during Israel's ground operations in Gaza.
The Elyakim sisters were kidnapped on Oct. 7 from their father's house in Nahal Oz, according to the IDF. Their father was killed in the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, according to the IDF.
Ela and Dafana Elyakim were held hostage for 51 days before Hamas released them in a previous hostage deal, the IDF said.
Ela Elyakim told IDF officials that Hamas terrorists forced her to read from a script and made her change clothes multiple times as they refilmed the video over and over, according to Hagari.
"We will continue doing everything in our power to bring our hostages back home," said Hagari.
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
May 19, 5:18 PM
IDF releases footage of young Israeli hostages it says were forced to film Hamas video under duress
Israel Defense Forces released Sunday raw video footage it says its troops recovered in Gaza that shows former Israeli hostages 8-year-old Ela Elyakim and her 15-year-old sister Dafna Elyakim being forced by Hamas terrorists to film repeatedly.
"The video, which is being released today for the first time was intended to be used by Hamas for psychological terror," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, said in a statement. "But Ela’s family asked us to share it with the world to expose Hamas's terror, to expose Hamas's cruelty, to expose Hamas's barbarism."
Hagari said the raw footage of the girls recording the video was recovered by IDF troops during Israel's ground operations in Gaza.
The Elyakim sisters were kidnapped on Oct. 7 from their father's house in Nahal Oz, according to the IDF. Their father was killed in the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, according to the IDF.
Ela and Dafana Elyakim were held hostage for 51 days before Hamas released them in a previous hostage deal, the IDF said.
Ela Elyakim told IDF officials that Hamas terrorists forced her to read from a script and made her change clothes multiple times as they refilmed the video over and over, according to Hagari.
"We will continue doing everything in our power to bring our hostages back home," said Hagari.
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
May 18, 11:34 PM
GOP Rep. Stefanik to visit Knesset, denounce Biden over weapons pause
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York will be giving remarks in the Israeli Knesset on Sunday, according to her office. Stefanik will be the highest-ranking member of the House to visit Israel following the Oct. 7 attack.
Stefanik plans to slam President Joe Biden for recently halting some military aid to Israel, according to excerpts of her speech reviewed by ABC News.
"I have been clear at home, and I will be clear here: There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel," Stefanik will say during the address.
Biden announced the U.S. would withhold certain bomb deliveries to Israel over fear they could be used in Rafah, but the Biden administration informed Congress it's moving forward with more than $1 billion in new arms agreements with Israel.
The congresswoman will address the rise in antisemitism in the U.S., House Republicans' support for Israel and even mention her close ally, former President Donald Trump.
"I have been a leading proponent and partner to President Trump in his historic support for Israeli independence and security," Stefanik will say.
-ABC News' Lauren Peller
May 18, 6:14 PM
3 US medical workers remain in Gaza despite warning from US government
Three U.S. medical professionals remain in Gaza despite warnings from the U.S. State Department that the American government may not be able to get them out later.
Tamer Hassan, a registered nurse, Dr. Jomana Al-Hinti and Dr. Adam Hamawy were the only ones out of a group of 20 American medical professionals who stayed behind to help treat patients.
"They understand that the U.S. embassy may not be able to facilitate their departure in the same manner as we have just effected today," a person with knowledge of the situation told ABC News.
Hamawy released a statement Saturday explaining why he stayed behind.
"We worry that the European Hospital we currently are in will suffer a similar fate of Al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals, where humanitarian workers, patients, and civilians were massacred," he said.
"To my wife, daughters and son, I know it hurts that I am not coming home this weekend, and I am sorry. But I know that you are proud that I am upholding my oath to never leave anyone behind," he added.
The doctors who left Gaza "made their way to safety with assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem," a State Department spokesman said.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty, Nadine Shubailat and Zoe Magee
May 18, 2:36 PM
Gantz gives Netanyahu ultimatum: approve post-war plan or he will resign
Israeli cabinet minister Benny Gantz has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an ultimatum: approve a post-war plan by June 8, or he will resign, Gantz said at a press conference.
"While the Israeli soldiers show supreme bravery on the front, some of the men who sent them into battle behave with cowardice and irresponsibility," Gantz said.
A leader of the National Unity Party and a minister in the war cabinet, Gantz's resignation would not necessarily trigger the collapse of the government on its own, but would be politically significant.
The ultimatum come on the heels of a speech by defense minister Yoav Gallant, who is demanding a plan for the "day after" the war.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Dana Savir
May 18, 1:30 PM
Body of hostage found, returned to Israel
Israel announced that it has identified the body of a fourth hostage this week. Ron Benjamin, 53, was killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and taken into Gaza, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The bodies of three other hostages were also recovered in a tunnel in the same operation, according to the IDF.
Benjamin was a family man who loved cycling, the Hostages Families Forum said in a statement.
"He used to go out for a ride every Saturday, just as he did on that fateful Saturday when he was taken hostage from the Kibbutz Be’eri area while on a cycling trip," the statement said.
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
May 18, 8:53 AM
More than 630,000 fled Rafah since May 6, UN says
More than 630,000 people have fled Rafah since May 6 amid widening operations by Israel’s military, with many seeking refuge in Al-Mawasi and Deir al-Balah -- areas overcrowded with "dire conditions" -- according to the United Nations.
-ABC News' Emma Ogao
May 17, 3:00 PM
Gaza assistance through US maritime corridor not replacement for aid through land: USAID
Humanitarian assistance shipments delivered to Gaza through the U.S.’ maritime corridor should not replace aid coming into the enclave through land crossings where "barely 100 trucks of aid a day" entered over the last two weeks -- about a sixth of the level needed to stave off famine -- USAID Administrator Samantha Power said in a statement Friday.
"Every moment that a crossing is not open, that trucks are not moving, or where aid cannot safely be distributed, increases the terrible human costs of this conflict," Power said.
Supplies coming into Gaza through the temporary pier Friday include contributions from the U.S., United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
But, the statement doesn’t say how much aid is now being moved through the corridor at this point or how much of it is sitting in Cyprus waiting to be shipped -- so it’s still unclear if and when these deliveries might have a substantial impact.
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford and Anne Flaherty
May 17, 2:00 PM
1,400 buildings have been damaged, destroyed in Rafah this month
Almost 1,400 buildings have likely been damaged or destroyed in Rafah, Gaza, since May 4, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by two university researchers.
Data from the radar-enabled Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite operated by the European Space Agency was used to analyze the effects of fighting on the terrain and buildings of Gaza, according to Corey Scher, of the CUNY Graduate Center, and Jamon Van Den Hoek, of Oregon State University.
Between May 4 and May 8, the researchers found evidence that 895 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed in Rafah. From May 8 to May 16 they counted 487.
Since Oct. 5, the researchers have found evidence of likely damage or destruction to 18,176 of the 48,678 buildings in Rafah.
-ABC News' Chris Looft
May 17, 12:01 PM
IDF recovers bodies of 3 hostages in overnight operation
The bodies of three hostages have been recovered, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The bodies of Shani Louk, Yitzhak Gelanter and Amit Buskila were recovered in an operation by the Shin Bet, Israel's security agency.
The hostages had escaped from the Nova Music Festival and were killed in the area of Kibbutz Mefalsim and their bodies were taken to Gaza, according to the IDF.
"Our hearts go out to them, to the families, at this difficult time and we will leave no stone unturned, we will do everything in our power to find our hostages and bring them home," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the IDF, said. "We will not rest until we do."
May 17, 11:30 AM
75 launches detected from Lebanon into Israel Friday, IDF says
After Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Thursday, 75 launches were detected crossing from southern Lebanon into Israel on Friday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Dozens of the launches were intercepted and a launcher in the area of Yaroun was struck and dismantled, preventing more launches, according to the IDF.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
May 17, 7:02 AM
US CENTCOM says first trucks carrying aid have moved ashore via temporary pier
The United States Central Command (U.S. CENTCOM) has confirmed that the first trucks carrying humanitarian assistance have now moved ashore via the JLOTS temporary pier on Friday.
"Today at approximately 9 a.m. (Gaza time), trucks carrying humanitarian assistance began moving ashore via a temporary pier in Gaza," according to a U.S. CENTCOM statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. "No U.S. troops went ashore in Gaza. This is an ongoing, multinational effort to deliver additional aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza via a maritime corridor that is entirely humanitarian in nature, and will involve aid commodities donated by a number of countries and humanitarian organizations."
May 16, 4:05 PM
Thai nationals taken hostage by Hamas declared dead
Two Thai nationals who were taken during the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel have now been declared dead, according to the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters.
Officials now say Sonthaya Oakkharasri and Sudthisak Rinthalak were killed on the day of the invasion by Hamas and their bodies were taken back to Gaza, where they remain. Both were agricultural workers in the orchards near Kibbutz Be'eri, the Hostage Families Forum said.
"The horrific cruelty of Hamas was directed against anyone in their path without distinction of origin or nationality," Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said in a statement. "In front of our eyes stands the moral duty to bring them all back –- to bring all 132 hostages home as quickly as possible."
Thirty-nine Thai citizens were killed and 31 Thai citizens were kidnapped to Gaza in the attack on Oct. 7. Large numbers of Thai nationals have traditionally done agricultural work in Israel.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
May 16, 3:09 PM
Floating pier in place off coast of Gaza, aid coming ashore soon
The floating pier system -- the U.S. military's Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, capability -- is now in place off the coast of Gaza, the U.S. Central Command announced Thursday morning. Officials said they expect to begin transporting about 500 tons of assistance to shore "in coming days."
They said the expectation remains that between 90 and 150 truckloads a day of aid will flow into Gaza, but the officials called that characterization "an imperfect measure" and stressed it was more important to focus on the amount of tons of aid. There are currently 500 tons of aid waiting to be offloaded.
Security for U.S. forces and nongovernmental organizations participating in the JLOTS system is a top priority, officials said, adding the Israel Defense Forces will provide security at the point where the aid will arrive and be transferred to the U.N. and other NGOs.
But officials said the security for those working on bringing aid ashore could still be improved.
"The deconfliction measures are not where they need to be at, given the complexity of the environment," said Sonali Korde, assistant to the administrator of USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. "So those conversations are ongoing. They need to continue and they need to get to a place where humanitarian aid workers feel safe and secure and able to operate safely and I don't think we're there yet."
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
May 16, 11:22 AM
IDF confirms they sent more troops into Rafah
The Israel Defense Forces' Commando Brigade was deployed to southern Gaza’s Rafah overnight, joining the 162nd Division that has been operating in the eastern part of the city since earlier this month.
The move comes as the Israeli government is expected to approve widening the offensive there.
"Additional troops will join the ground operation in Rafah," Israel Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said Thursday, in remarks after completing an operational situation assessment at the Gaza border in Rafah.
"Several tunnels in the area have been destroyed by our troops and additional tunnels will be destroyed soon. This activity will intensify," he said.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Will Gretsky
May 16, 7:14 AM
Floating pier designed to increase aid to Gaza now in place
A floating pier designed to increase the amount of aid getting into Gaza -- known as a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) system -- was successfully anchored to the central Gazan shore on Thursday morning, according to IDF Spokesperson Nadav Shoshani.
The Israeli Navy will be securing an aid ship to JLOTS and Israeli soldiers from the 99th Division will be on the ground securing the port area, according to the IDF.
The United Nations, led by the World Food Programme, will be responsible for distributing the aid from JLOTS, the IDF said.
May 16, 6:53 AM
Putin and Xi discuss Ukraine, Israel and Hamas war
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held several hours of talks on Thursday in China, with Putin saying both Russia and China want political solutions to the “Ukrainian crisis” and Xi calling for a two-state solution to stop the war between Israel and Hamas.
Xi also took a moment to praise China's “everlasting friendship” with Russia.
President Putin was welcomed with pomp expected on his state visit to China, complete with red carpet, military band and hundreds of Chinese militaries standing at attention to welcome him to the Great Hall of the People.
May 15, 1:14 PM
Israel has amassed enough troops for full-scale incursion of Rafah: US officials
The U.S. has assessed that Israel has amassed enough troops on the edge of Rafah to move forward with a full-scale incursion into the city, but the U.S. is not sure if Israel has made a final decision to actually do so, according to two U.S. officials.
One official added that the U.S. does not have a timeline or estimate on when Israel could potentially move forward with operations.
The official stressed the U.S. continues to have the same concerns for civilian safety in Rafah.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Selina Wang
May 15, 1:06 PM
Gallant calls on Netanyahu to publicly reject Israeli civil or military governance of Gaza after Hamas
Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant publicly called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make the "tough" decision to declare what a non-Hamas government over the Gaza Strip will look like.
"I must reiterate, I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Israel must not establish civilian rule in Gaza," Gallant said.
Failure to do that would undermine the IDF achievements in the war, Gallant warned.
"Since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the Cabinet, and have received no response. The end of the military campaign must come together with political action," Gallant said.
"The 'day after Hamas,' will only be achieved with Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas’ rule," Gallant said.
-ABC News' Will Gretsky
May 15, 10:03 AM
Blinken calls continued closure of Rafah gate 'urgent problem'
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked how long the U.S. would standby while Israel continues to seal off the Rafah gate, cutting off Gaza from the world. Blinken told reporters it is an "urgent problem" that aid isn't getting into Rafah or Kerem Shalom. He also said the humanitarian situation is at risk of backsliding.
However, there’s no plan for the future, Blinken said.
Israel "cannot and says it does not want responsibility for Gaza. We cannot have Hamas controlling Gaza. We cannot have chaos and anarchy in Gaza. So there needs to be a clear, concrete plan. And we look to Israel to come forward with its ideas," Blinken said.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty
May 14, 7:02 PM
US moving forward with $1B in new weapons deals for Israel: Sources
The Biden administration notified Congress on Tuesday that it is moving forward with more than $1 billion in new weapons deals for Israel, according to sources familiar with the matter at the White House and on Capitol Hill.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Monday that the United States is continuing to send military assistance to Israel. The only shipment paused involves the 2,000-pound bombs, for fear they'd be used in a major invasion in Rafah, according to a U.S. official.
May 14, 12:52 PM
450,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah, UN says
About 450,000 Palestinians have been displaced from Rafah, fleeing to safety, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
"Inland in Rafah is now a ghost town. It’s hard to believe there were over one million people sheltering here just a week ago,” UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said. "People face constant exhaustion, hunger and fear. Nowhere is safe. An immediate ceasefire is the only hope."
The development comes as airstrikes continued to hit northern and southern Gaza Tuesday. The Israeli military said it had hit 120 targets in the last 24 hours.
May 14, 12:13 PM
International court to hold hearings over Israel's Rafah attacks
The International Court of Justice said it will hold hearings over Israel's attacks on Rafah during the war in Gaza, after South Africa sought new emergency measures as part of its ongoing case accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention in its offensive on Gaza.
Hearings will be held on Thursday and Friday in the Hague.
South Africa first brought the case before the ICJ in December alleging Israel violated its obligations in its offensive with regard to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
May 13, 4:16 PM
White House says world should be calling on Hamas to accept hostage proposal
National security adviser Jake Sullivan stressed the U.S. is working "urgently and relentlessly" to get a hostage deal in place, but did not have any major progress to share Monday.
Sullivan noted that he met with the families of American hostages this past Friday, and that "they know how hard the president is working on this."
On where the hostage negotiations stand currently, Sullivan turned to the architect of the Good Friday agreement in Ireland.
"Sen. [George] Mitchell said quite famously, "'Negotiations are 1,000 days of failure and one day of success.' And right now, we're in the former days rather than the latter day," he said.
"[T]here could be a cease-fire tomorrow if Hamas simply released women, wounded and elderly hostages, all innocents. Israel put a forward-leaning proposal on the table for a cease-fire and hostage deal. The world should be calling on Hamas to come back to the table and accept a deal," Sullivan said.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle
May 13, 4:06 PM
US aware of American doctors trapped in Gaza
The State Department on Monday said it was aware of reports that U.S. doctors were trapped in Gaza, and that it's been working with Israel to reopen the Rafah gate so U.S. citizens and other foreign nationals can leave.
"I can say that we're aware of these reports of U.S. citizen doctors and medical professionals currently unable to leave Gaza," principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said. "As I said before, we don't control this border crossing. And this is a incredibly complex situation that has very serious implications for the safety and security of U.S. citizens. But we're continuing to work around the clock with the government of Israel, with the government of Egypt, to work on this issue."
He added, "Rafah is a conduit for the safe departure of foreign nationals, which is why we continue to want to see it get opened as swiftly as possible."
The State Department said it does not have an estimate of Americans still trapped in Gaza, but that it's helped 1,800 U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to depart Gaza so far.
"Unfortunately, this is not a border crossing the United States controls but we are continuing to work around the clock with the government of Israel, with the government of Egypt on whatever we can do to make sure that Rafah gets open. … We need to see Rafah open as soon as possible," Patel said.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty
May 13, 2:23 PM
UN worker killed after vehicle struck in Gaza
A United Nations worker was killed and another injured after their vehicle was struck in Gaza on Monday, the organization said.
The staff members of the U.N. Department of Safety and Security were traveling to the European Hospital in Rafah when their U.N. vehicle was struck, the U.N. said.
Details on the incident were not immediately available. The U.N. said it is still gathering information.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a full investigation, his spokesperson said.
"Humanitarian workers must be protected," Guterres said on X. "I condemn all attacks on U.N. personnel and reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire & the release of all hostages."
More than 190 U.N. staff members have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Guterres.
May 13, 3:44 AM
Almost 360,000 people have fled Rafah, UN agency says
Almost 360,000 people have fled from the southern Gazan city of Rafah since Israel issued an evacuation order last week, the United Nations agency operating in Gaza said on Monday.
"There's nowhere to go," the U.N. Agency for Palestine Refugees said on social media. "There's NO safety without a cease-fire."
The agency had said Sunday that 300,000 people had evacuated the city as Israel weighs a full-scale invasion.
-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey
May 12, 5:39 PM
IDF say its opened new crossing for humanitarian aid into Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces has announced that it has opened a new crossing to bring humanitarian aid into the famine-stricken Gaza.
The military announced in a Sunday press release the opening of the "Western Erez crossing" between Israel and northern Gaza in coordination with the U.S.
According to the military, the new crossing is located west of the Erez crossing, closer to the seashore. The crossing was constructed by the Israeli military "as part of the effort to increase routes for aid to Gaza, particularly to the North of the strip."
Earlier Sunday, IDF said it launched a large-scale operation in the area of Jabaliya in the North, while intensifying its military operations in the Eastern portion of Rafah and the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing. It said that it had called on the civilian population to evacuate from Jabaliya to shelters in the west part of Gaza City.
-ABC News' Dragana Jovanovic
May 12, 2:27 PM
White House National Security Advisor speaks to Israeli counterpart, expresses concern over pending Rafah invasion
In a phone call Sunday with his Israeli counterpart, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed an "ironclad U.S. commitment" to Israel but also voiced the Biden administration's concerns about Israel's major military operations in Gaza, according to the White House.
During the call with Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Sullivan reiterated President Joe Biden's "longstanding concerns over the potential for a major military ground operation into Rafah, where over one million people have taken shelter," according to a readout of the call that was released by the White House.
"He [Sullivan] discussed alternative courses of action to ensure the defeat of Hamas everywhere in Gaza," the readout said. "Mr. Hanegbi confirmed that Israel is taking U.S. concerns into account."
The White House said Sullivan also expressed condolences on Israel's Memorial Day, the first since Hamas' surprise Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. The Hamas attack killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israel's Prime Minister's Office.
Sullivan and Hanegbi also reviewed discussions by officials on both sides of the war about alternatives for a Rafah invasion and agreed to plan an in-person meeting soon, according to the White House.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
May 12, 6:16 AM
300,000 have fled Rafah, UN agency says
More than 300,000 people have fled Rafah in the week since Israel issued a partial evacuation order, the United Nations agency operating in Gaza said on Sunday.
The U.N. Agency for Palestine Refugees called the evacuation "forced and inhumane."
"There is nowhere safe to go," the agency said on social media, repeating the phrase three times for emphasis.
The Israeli military late Saturday called again for civilians to evacuate from much of the eastern part of the city, which is in southern Gaza.
Israel Defense Forces entered Rafah last week, in what they called a "precise" operation ahead of potential invasion.
"Prior to our operations we urge civilians to temporarily move towards humanitarian areas and move away from the crossfire that Hamas puts them in," the Israel Defense Forces said on a post on Telegram. "Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza."
-ABC News' Dragana Jovanovic and Kevin Shalvey
Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.