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STORY: Aid trucks were seen lined up on the road in Egypt’s Rafah on Tuesday after Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the main border crossing. The United Nations and other international aid agencies said the closing of the two crossings into southern Gaza – Rafah and Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom – had virtually cut off the already-devastated enclave from outside aid. The seizure of the Rafah crossing, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinian civilians are holed up, came despite weeks of calls from the U.S. and others for Israel to hold off from a big offensive in Rafah. Fedaa Shallah, a displaced Palestinian woman from Gaza City said, “I don’t see that there is any place that is safe. There is bombing, shelling and we’ve had enough.” Doctor Mohammad Abu Skhil works in the emergency department of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah. "The closure of the Rafah Crossing will contribute further to the demise of the health situation in Gaza Strip, specifically in the city of Rafah because it is through the Rafah crossing that essential medical supplies needed for the healthcare in Gaza come in.” The crossing was also the only exit point for those needing to leave Gaza for medical treatment unavailable inside the enclave. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed to Israel and Hamas on Tuesday to spare no effort in arriving at a truce deal. “Make no mistake – a full-scale assault on Rafah would be a human catastrophe. Countless more civilian casualties. Countless more families forced to flee yet again – with nowhere safe to go.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said seizing the crossing was a significant step towards its aim of destroying Hamas' military capabilities. Hamas accused Israel of trying to undermine efforts to secure a ceasefire in the seven-month-long war... which started when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting about 250 others, according to Israeli tallies. Around 35,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes since, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Any truce would be the first pause in fighting since a week-long ceasefire in November.

STORY: JOE BIDEN: "This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust. It didn't end with the Holocaust either." U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that the threat of antisemitism is growing, in remarks honoring the 6 million Jews killed in the Nazi Holocaust eighty years ago. And his keynote address for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual commemoration of the genocide came seven months to the day after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 by Israeli tallies. "That hatred was brought to life on October 7, in 2023, on a sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust." The Hamas attack provoked an Israeli retaliation that has so far killed 35,000 residents of the Gaza Strip. And it stirred up dramatic protests on U.S. college campuses by students demanding an end to the Israeli assault. Some Jewish students have said the demonstrations have included harassment and antisemitic instances. That comes against a backdrop in already-rising threats. The FBI reported a 36% increase in anti-Jewish hate crime incidents between 2021 and 2022, the latest year for which data is available, as well as a jump in crimes against Black Americans and gay men. MIKE JOHNSON: “To every Jewish student listening to us, no matter where you are around the country. You have my word. The U.S. House of Representatives will do everything in our power to ensure that you are safe." Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have condemned pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses, painting them as Hamas sympathizers. In some cases, police have forcefully torn down student encampments and arrested hundreds. Those arrested include University of Texas at Austin freshman Arwyn Heilrayn. REPORTER: "What is your reaction to people saying that these demonstrations are reflecting some antisemitism on campuses?" HEILRAYN: “I would reflect back the voices of the Jewish protesters that have been standing side by side with us, that this is not antisemitic, that this is pro-Palestinian.” The police crackdowns prompted criticism that universities were clamping down on political speech. And Biden has tried to walk a careful line as his own Democratic Party has appeared divided over those sympathetic to Palestinians' plight and others who insist on Israel's right to defend itself. "We respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree. To protest peacefully, and make our voices heard. I understand, that's America. But there is no place on any campus in America, no place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech, or threats of violence of any kind." Biden sought to reassure Jewish Americans, who overwhelming vote for Democratic candidates, that he would stand with them. "To the Jewish community, I want you to know, I see your fear, your hurt and your pain. Let me reassure you, as your president, you are not alone." Biden also said his commitment to Israel was ironclad even amid disagreements with the country's government.