State Dept. officials urged to stay away from 'de-escalation,' 'cease-fire' language
A small group of State Department officials involved in public messaging around the Israel-Hamas were advised today against using the phrases “de-escalation/cease-fire,” “end to violence/bloodshed” and “restoring calm.” The brief email was written to ensure State Department messaging is consistent and in line with that of both Secretary Blinken and President Biden, a U.S. official directly familiar with the email told NBC News.
The official said the guidance was forwarded and circulated beyond its intended recipients to a much larger group within the State Department. The email was first reported on by the Huffington Post.
A tweet from Blinken’s account was deleted the day after the Hamas attacks, and changed from saying he encouraged Turkey’s “advocacy for a cease-fire,” in a call with Foreign Minister Fidan to saying, “Israel has a right to defend itself, rescue any hostages, and protect its citizens.”
State Department spokesperson Matt Miller defended the decision to alter the tweet in a briefing Monday.
"After his call with Foreign Minister Fidan, we released a public readout that made clear that the Secretary, in his conversation, had reiterated what we have said publicly a number of times, which is: Hamas should cease its violent activities against Israel,” Miller said. “The tweet was unfortunately worded, did not capture that appropriately, so we pulled it down.”
Video shows Hamas rocket launches and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza
'Free Palestine' and pro-Israel protesters flood Times Square
Hundreds of protesters assembled in New York City’s Times Square this afternoon. One side chanted "Free Palestine" and held signs calling for negotiations to prevent more civilian casualties in Gaza. Across the street, a smaller pro-Israel rally waved Israeli flags.
Hundreds of police officers and traffic separated the crowds as they marched down West 42nd Street. Buses and cars honked in support of both.
“The U.S. government has done nothing but destruction to the Middle East,” one speaker at the pro-Palestinian rally said before the crowd loudly booed Biden.
Rana Atari, a 39-year-old New Jersey resident who has family in the Palestinian territory, called on the world to open its eyes and “end all this cruelty.”
Standing amid a sea of signs telling the U.S. to end aid to Israel, Awad Ahmad, 30, of Queens, called for an end to the war and the killing of innocent civilians.
“There are millions of Palestinians in Gaza who don’t have food, water or electricity, he said. “You can’t ignore that.”
“Our people are suffering and their lives is very hard,” said Mohamed Zano, 45, of Staten Island, draped in a Palestinian flag. “Please stop the war.” War is not the solution. Israel needs to sit at the table and negotiate.
On the opposite side of the rally, some pro-Israel protesters decried the brutality.
“They support Hamas and they should be ashamed of themselves. And they laugh in our face," said Idan Naor, 39, of Queens. "They are proud that they kill Jews.”
Another Jewish supporter from Queens said he’d never be the same after the invasion.
“I’m not the same person, my perception of life and society has changed,” said Al Dro, 48, although he wasn’t sure if it was for better or worse.
Two hours into the protests, the Palestinian supporters de-escalated the situation by marching up 42nd Street past Bryant Park.
Palestinian doctor in Gaza describes the current situation amid Israeli airstikes
Palestinian plastic surgeon Mohamed Ziara described the situation in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza amid airstrikes from Israel.
"I'm trying to deal with patients, we have maybe 10 times the capacity of the hospital, overloaded with patients," the 37-year-old said in a video sent to NBC News.
“Patients are in the corridors, the streets, they are evacuating them because there is no other beds,” he said. “Any other casualties come to the hospital, they stay in the emergency department.”
“We tried to live in Gaza, but there is no hope now," Ziara said.
Florida lawmaker urges DeSantis to expel college students, fire faculty who participate in pro-Hamas rallies
A Florida state representative urged Gov. Ron DeSantis in a letter today to use state laws to expel college students and fire faculty who espouse antisemitic views and participate in pro-Hamas rallies.
“Since Saturday, there have been celebrations of Jewish death across Florida. In Fort Lauderdale and Tampa and Jacksonville. On our state University campuses in Boca and Tampa and Tallahassee and Gainesville and Miami,” Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican, said.
The letter added, “Any student organization that has attempted to ‘justify the killing of Jews’ which is chartered by any state college or university, must be expelled immediately, and any public funds be cut off.”
Fine also wrote: “Any faculty member who has propagated, excused, or encouraged this genocide must be fired. … There is no excuse for inaction, no equivocation.”
Biden promises to do ‘everything possible’ to locate missing Americans
France declares terrorist alert after teacher is fatally stabbed
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne declared a terrorist alert and mobilized the country's security forces after a teacher was fatally stabbed and two other people were wounded in the northern city of Arras.
The 20-year-old suspect, who is a former student of the Lycee Gambetta high school, where the attack happened, has been arrested and had been on a state watch list of people posing a potential security risk, officials said.
"Based on our intelligence, there is a link unfortunately between what is happening in the Middle East," Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on on TF1 TV.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the attack as a “barbaric Islamic terrorism."
NYC councilwoman arrested after showing up at pro-Palestinian rally with gun
A New York City councilwoman was arrested and charged today with criminal possession of a firearm after images on social media showed her at a pro-Palestinian rally in Brooklyn yesterday with a gun appearing to protrude from her waistband, police said.
Inna Vernikov, 39, represents the 48th District in Brooklyn, according to a council website. Vernikov, a Ukrainian-born lawyer and Republican who serves as the minority whip, is a leading voice against antisemitism, according to the council website.
Vernikov could not be immediately reached for comment. She had repeatedly denounced pro-Palestinian rallies on her X account.
“It is unacceptable and unlawful for a civilian to ever bring a firearm to a rally or protest, and especially important for elected officials to model a respect for the law that is expected of all New Yorkers," New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement.
Photo: Israel delivers presentation at the U.N. on Hamas kidnappings
Israel used white phosphorus weapons in Gaza, human rights watchdog says
A human rights watchdog says that it's verified that Israel used white phosphorous weapons in Gaza, which can cause severe burns and are considered particularly dangerous for civilians due to their indiscriminate nature.
Yesterday, Human Rights Watch published a report saying that it verified the use of the munitions in Gaza and Lebanon through videos and interviews.
Amnesty International's weapons investigator agreed with Human Rights Watch's assessment in an emailed statement and said that his team had verified that white phosphorus munitions were spotted on Israeli planes that were conducting air attacks.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces called the accusation "unequivocally false."
In interviews with NBC News, a photographer said that he believed he witnessed and photographed an air attack using white phosphorus weapons. A surgeon told NBC News that she witnessed wounds that she said were consistent with white phosphorus injuries.
White phosphorus is allowed by international law in certain uses, such as for creating light or a smoke screen. But airdropping white phosphorus weapons is prohibited by international law, according to human rights groups, though Israel is not a signatory to that law.