Civilians caught in crossfire as Israel targets Rafah after militants launch rocket attack

Amna Nawaz:

The top United Nations humanitarian official says the delivery of food, water, and other aid to Gaza is not nearly enough, and not arriving quickly enough for the almost two million people in need.

Geoff Bennett:

Arab and Muslim nations are calling for a U.N. Security Council vote tomorrow demanding a cease-fire.

Meantime, Israel pressed its offensive in Southern Gaza and its pursuit of top Hamas leaders there, as the war marked two months today since the terror attacks of October 7.

One of the last places left in Gaza where civilians were told they'd be safe last night went up in flames. Israel bombarded Rafah after claiming militants launched a barrage of rockets from the so-called safe zone, families, children, seeking refuge in apartment buildings caught in the crossfire.

By daybreak, those who survived were still clearing through the rubble.

Mohammad Abu Areida, Gaza Strip Resident (through interpreter):

It was a direct hit. People were walking on the street. There was no warning. We didn't see anything except for that strike on our homes.

Geoff Bennett:

After waves of displacement, these Gazans are now crammed into a tiny sliver of land along the Egyptian border. The U.N. says the population in Rafah has jumped from 280,000 to 470,000, with more expected to come.

In a rare invocation, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Security Council to demand a cease-fire, on the grounds of international peace and security. The U.S., however, would likely block any such move.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli officials today to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: We continue to recognize the extraordinary difficulty of this task, as Israel is dealing with a terrorist adversary that intentionally embeds itself with civilians. But, again, Israel has an obligation to do everything possible to put a premium on protecting civilians and maximizing humanitarian assistance.

Geoff Bennett:

Israel's military released new video claiming to show another weapons depot hidden in civilian areas. And this IDF video shows dozens of men stripped and detained by Israeli troops in Northern Gaza. It's unclear whether or not any of them are affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

Speaking with soldiers today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a threat, this time to militant groups in Lebanon.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister (through interpreter):

If Hezbollah chooses to start an all-out war, then it will single-handedly turn Beirut and South Lebanon, not far from here, into Gaza.

Geoff Bennett:

As Israel's campaign against Hamas lurches forward, conditions are getting more dire in every pocket of the Gaza Strip.

In Jabalia, to the north, panic, as the sound of shelling reverberates through the streets. In Maghazi in Central Gaza, young men dig through the wreckage of an airstrike, concrete mixed with human remains.

Abdelrahman Abo Hamda, Gaza Strip Resident (through interpreter):

They bombed the area without warning. The smell was absolutely horrible. Looking at the dead people was a very hard scene. This is a crime.

Geoff Bennett:

And, in Khan Yunis, where fighting is among the fiercest, hospitals understaffed and overwhelmed are flooded with the most vulnerable.

Today, World Health Organization officials said the health infrastructure in Gaza is — quote — "on its knees."

Back in Rafah, trucks carrying humanitarian aid roll through the border crossing each day, but the flow is not nearly enough. Negotiations to open a second access point are showing signs of promise, the U.N.'s aid chief said today, which would be a massive logistical boost.

Martin Griffiths, U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator: If we get that, well, it would be the first miracle we've seen for some weeks. It doesn't mean to say that it will solve the security problems that, of course, I have spoken about, but it would change the nature of humanitarian access.

Geoff Bennett:

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, Israelis gathered downtown for a solemn first night of Hanukkah, the menorah, behind a row of candles, one for each hostage captured by Hamas and other armed groups two months ago.