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Jerusalem, Masada and Dead Sea Tour

Type: 3 Day

Departure: Morning

Area: Masada & Dead Sea

Jerusalem 3 Day Tours Map

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Jewish Tour 3 Days

 per person

Sites On The Tour

Explore Israel's rich history and natural beauty on a 3-day Jewish tour. From the ancient city of Caesarea to the sacred Western Wall in Jerusalem, immerse yourself in iconic sites. Don't miss the chance to unwind on the Dead Sea's fabulous beaches.

About this activity

Departure days.

Sunday, Wednesday, Tuesday ,

Pickup included

Pickup and drop off from a close by hotel

What's Included

Check availability, cancelation policy, more around the area.

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Home / Tour / CHRISTIAN JERUSALEM: 3 DAYS

Bethlehem , Jerusalem , TOUR PACKAGES

Christian jerusalem: 3 days.

Tour Overview

3 days spending at the most biblical city in the world!

Spend 3 days visiting the most historical city in the world! Christian Jerusalem will show you the holiest place for more than half of the world’s population. We will visit Holy Sepulcher church, Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, walk in the Via Dolorosa, city of David, Betlehem and much more.

Tour itenerary

Jerusalem & bethlehem.

After pick up at major hotels in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem our day begins with a dramatic panoramic overview of the new and old city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, including the Temple Mount Esplanade of the old city.

We then enter the Old City of Jerusalem and walk along the Via Dolorosa (the Stations of the Cross) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of the crucifixion. We then head towards the renovated Jewish Quarter walking through the Cardo, a 1700 year-old ancient pathway constructed in Roman times.

We then leave Jerusalem and drive towards Bethlehem via the Nativity Circle and visit Bethlehem’s Manger Square, named after the manger Jesus was born in. Manger Square is home to the Church of the Nativity, one of the world’s oldest-standing churches still functioning to this day.

We will visit the main Basilica of the Nativity, designed in the typical Roman-style and constructed on the ruins of its predecessor in 565 AD, as well as the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, adjoining the Basilica of the Nativity.

Underneath the Church stands the Grotto of the Nativity, the cave in which Jesus was born, the exact spot of birth is marked by a 14-pointed star of silver set into the floor. We also visit the nearby Milk Grotto, where Mary nursed her son while the family was taking refuge before their flight into Egypt. A Franciscan Chapel is built above the Milk Grotto.

Our last stop in Bethlehem before returning to Jerusalem will be at a beautiful overview of the Shepherds’ Fields, and the special Church of the Shepherds’ Fields.

Walking In The Footsteps of Jesus

We will guide you through these interesting and exciting places, and also present you with some of the most breathtaking views of the city. Our tour begins in the Mount of Olives, where Jesus spent much of his time teaching his disciples. From the Mount of Olives we will take in a beautiful view of both the Old and New city of Jerusalem.

From there we go on to visit the site of Mary’s Ascension, as well as the Church of Patre Nostre, located on the site in which Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples. In the Cloister we will see plaques of the Lord’s Prayer, written in 123 different languages.

From there we walk down to the small Franciscan Church of Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem and the destruction he foresaw for the city.

We proceed to the Gardens of Gethsemane and the beautiful Church of All Nations, on the spot at which Jesus prayed his last prayer, and where he was caught and arrested by the Romans, following Judas’s betrayal. From there we overlook the Valley of Kidron to see the tombs of Absalom, Jeosphate and Zaccariah from 2nd temple period.

We enter the old city at the Lions Gate to visit the 12th century Crusader Church of St. Anne, the home of Mary and the pool of Bethesda described by Saint John in his Gospel.

Jerusalem walking tour – City of David and Underground Excavations

On our Jerusalem Walking Tour we will encounter some of the more recent archaeological finds in the Old City, from the 2nd Temple, Roman periods, and medieval times as well, bringing different periods of this ancient city to life.  We start the Jerusalem walking tour with a dramatic panoramic overview of Jerusalem, both new and old, from the top of the Mount of Olives, from where one can also see the Temple Mount Esplanade of the old city. From the Mount of Olives we travel by bus along the Kidron Valley to view the Garden of Gethsemane and the City Walls.

We drive to Mount Zion to visit the tomb of King David, located in the ground floor of the remains of an old Byzantine Church. The upper floor of the same building holds the place traditionally seen as the Hall of the Last Supper.

We enter the Old City’s Jewish Quarter via the Zion Gate, walking through the Cardo, an ancient pathway constructed in Roman times. In the Jewish Quarter will shall visit four different Sephardic Synagogues dated from the 16th Century. 

We will then get to know several other exhilarating excavations from the City of David – this is the area that was captured and constructed by King David some three thousand years ago. Here we will get a sense of the geographical significance of the ancient city of Jerusalem, as well as acquaintance ourselves with the significant water system that was constructed back then.

Entry fees not included

Things Not to Miss

• See beautiful landscapes
• Experience authentic Bedouin hospitality
• Taste traditional local food
• Visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World
• Ride in a 4x4 in Wadi Rum - Jeep Safari

included / excluded

• Transfer from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv hotels and transfer back
• Jordanian English-speaking tour guide in Petra site
• Transfers are in new model air-conditioned vehicles in Jordan
• Entrance fees in Petra
• Lunch at a local restaurant in Petra
• Night in a Bedouin camp in Petra including dinner and breakfast
• Meeting and assisting on the Israeli side of the border
• Riding on donkeys, horses, and carriages in Petra site ( available for an extra charge)
• Border Taxes

Tour location

Price includes accommodation per person in a double room on B&B basis

Single supplement $50per person.

Passport Compulsory

The tour is consist of several day tours therfore the SEQUENCE OF THE DAYS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE according to the day the tour starts

Go back to browse our most popular Israel day tours .

+972-54-8680030

054-868-0030.

 Egged Tours

Best 3 day Tours from Jerusalem

Find the best 3 day adventures and trips starting from Jerusalem. Choose from 435 tours - we've found the most popular time to visit is in August with the most number of tour departures.

24 trips from Jerusalem with 435 reviews

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Petra and Wadi Rum 3-Day Tour from Jerusalem

The tour was great. Be aware though the political situation makes the border crossings time-consuming and aggravating. Great drivers and tour guides and food and lodging. If only the Jordanians and the Israelis would communicate better with each other

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From Jerusalem: Petra, Wadi Rum & Highlights of Jordan 3 Day Tour

As is often the case with remarkable journeys, there never seems to be sufficient time. Highly recommended

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It was great to see the locations and to get a sense of the historical and cultural importance of the sights we went to. Illuminating and educational

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Christian Jerusalem, 3 days

Great 3 day tour. Thanks!

Jerusalem, Masada & Dead Sea, 3 Days

We went on a day tour to Masada and Dead Sea Erez was our excellent tour guide. Extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the sites. We were three and we had a great time

Petra & Wadi Rum Experience 3D/2N (from Jerusalem)

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Christian Israel in 4 days (2+Travelers, 5* Hotel)

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• Coach / Bus

Christian Israel in 4 days (Single, 3* Hotel)

Jerusalem and Dead Sea 4-Day Journey

Fantastic! Everything was perfect and all the staff was very friendly, helpful and nice.

From Jerusalem: Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman & Highlights of Jordan 4 Day Tour

Christian Jerusalem & Masada, 3 Days

Im Grunde genommen, war alles sehr gut. Meine Freude wurde nur dadurch getrübt, dass ich mich extra einer 3-tägigen-Tour angeschlossen hatte, da ich allein unterwegs war. . Enttäuschend war dann für mich, dass ich am späteren Nachmittag und abends immer ganz alleine war. Wichtig für mich, wäre es deswegen gewesen, dass ich ich bereits im VORAUS weiß: a.) Ich werde nur tagsüber mit der Gruppe zusammen sein. b.) Die Gruppe wird sich auch täglich ändern. . Bin ein sehr kontaktliebender, sozialer Mensch und fühlte mich schon etwas alleine...

Jerusalem, Masada, Bethlehem & Jericho, 3 Days

Your tour guides are the greatest.

Christian Jerusalem, Bethlehem & Masada, 3 Days

Reviews of 3 day tours from jerusalem.

The entire tour was great. The guide was very knowledgeable, funny, kind and overall a good experience. The transportation was comfortable and convenient. Lastly, the scenery in Petra and Wadi Rum was absolutely beautiful.

Apart from the coach breaking down near Amman the tour was excellent. Abdullah especially.

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Jordan Classical Tour, 3 days

• Language Schedule
• Tour on Map
• Tour number: 81

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This Jordan 3-Day Tour from Tel Aviv/Jerusalem will take you on an incredible adventure: You'll visit Jerash , one of ten Decapolis Roman frontier cities and the site of well-preserved ancient ruins. Travel to Amman for a panoramic tour and overnight stay in the capital. Day two is devoted to the unforgettable  Petra , a 2,300-year-old city intricately carved out of red-colored cliffs. On your third day visit Madaba to see Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. At Mount Nebo, you'll stand where Moses looked down on the Promised Land. Finally, you'll enjoy more breathtaking views on the way back to Israel after a fulfilling Middle Eastern adventure!

Tour Overview

On the first day of this tour takes you across the Sheikh Hussein Bridge border crossing into Jordan where our first stop is Jerash, in the lush land of Gilad. Jerash was one of ten decapois (Roman eastern frontier city-states) and the Roman city’s colonnaded streets, temples and bathhouses have survived. After touring Jerash we continue through the stunning Jordanian landscape to Amman were we make a panoramic tour of this iconic capital before settling into our hotel for the night.

Enjoy an early breakfast before setting off to Wadi Musa; the nearest town to Petra. We approach Petra via a narrow gorge or “Siq” flanked by high rock cliffs. You can enter on foot or on horseback as merchants did thousands of years ago when Petra was a stop on an ancient trade route. Petra was built in the 3rd-2nd century BC by the Nabataeans who carved their city out of red-hued cliffs. You’ll see the Treasury, tombs and temples. Get an overview of Petra from the top of Al Madhbah, then return to Wadi Musa for an overnight stay.

We start off the day with a drive from Petra to Madaba, an ancient city and home to Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. We stop to take a look at the famous Byzantine-era mosaic Holy Land map and other points of interest then continue on to Mt. Nebo. It was here that Moses looked out over the Promised Land. At this elevated point we can see the Dead Sea, Jordan Valley and Jericho. After visiting a Byzantine church to see its magnificent mosaic floor we travel across the Allenby Bridge border crossing and on to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Highlights - Jordan 3-Day Tour

Availability, accommodations and prices.

• The price shown is per person in double room.
• A single supplement of 100 will apply for choosing 1 adult.
• High Season supplement will apply in Holidays and Summer Time.
• The hotels might be replaced with similar ones due to lack of availability.

• A single supplement of 145 will apply for choosing 1 adult.

• A single supplement of 240 will apply for choosing 1 adult.

Additional Information - Jordan 3-Day Tour

The tour includes:.

• Pick-up and drop-off service
• A fully qualified and licensed Jordanian tour guide
• 2 nights hotel accommodation on bed and breakfast basis
• Transfers from/ to Tel Aviv/ Jerusalem on departure and return
• Sightseeing in a modern air-conditioned touring vehicle
• Entrance fees 

The tour does not include:

• Food and drinks
• Traveler’s medical & baggage insurance
• Entry visa to Jordan (if required for restricted nationalities) 
• Border taxes & border shuttle transfers - approx. $50 per person, paid on tour, subject to change
• A valid passport is essential for this 3 day Jordan tour. Passport details are required for the tour reservation process.
• The sequence of the tour, hotels used, and sites visited may change due to unforeseen circumstances.
• The hotels listed above may change at our discretion or due to circumstances beyond our control. 
• The transfers between the hotel and the border in Israel are operated as transfers only with a driver - no guide/ escort.
• This Jordan 3 day tour operates with a minimum of 2 participants
• Booking is subject to  terms and conditions

Cancellation Policy

• 4% charge for notification up to 2 days or more before the start time of the tour.
• 100% charge for notification of a day or less before the start time of the tour.

No. Stays of 2 nights or more in Jordan do not require a visa. Note, tourists of certain nationalities must obtain a visa in advance, before commencement of the tour; this must be done independently. Please contact our office for more details.

Yes. The Jordanian authorities charge visa issuing and border fees: $140 for visa issuing and fees; $75 for travelers with valid visa stamps. Our expert guides will assist you with the border crossing process. 

The tour includes pick-up/drop-off service; entrance to attractions; accommodation on B/B basis and guided tour by a local guide.

The pick-up service for the tour is from several hotels in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. You can see a list of the hotel pick-up points during the booking process.

• 31 Aug 2024 - 16 Nov 2024
• 21 Dec 2024 - 01 Aug 2025

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Middle East Crisis Hamas Resists Israel’s Latest Cease-Fire Offer

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• Israeli military vehicles on the border with Gaza. Atef Safadi/EPA, via Shutterstock
• Demonstrators in Tel Aviv demanding the return of hostages on the day that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and President Isaac Herzog of Israel were meeting. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
• Displaced Palestinians next to a placard thanking pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses in the United States. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• A funeral for an Israeli soldier in Ashdod, Israel. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
• Walking past the rubble of a destroyed building in Rafah, Gaza, on Tuesday. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Follow live news updates on the crisis in the Middle East .

Hamas says its position is ‘negative’ on Israel’s offer but signals willingness to keep talking.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said on Wednesday that Hamas leaders could save Palestinian lives by accepting a proposed deal under which they would free 33 hostages in exchange for a six-week cease-fire and the liberation of many Palestinian prisoners.

“We are determined to get a cease-fire that brings the hostages home and to get it now, and the only reason that that wouldn’t be achieved is because of Hamas,” Mr. Blinken said at the start of a meeting in Tel Aviv with Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel. “There is a proposal on the table, and as we’ve said, no delays, no excuses. The time is now, and the time is now long past due to bring the hostages home to their families.”

But on Wednesday night, a spokesman for Hamas, Osama Hamdan, said in an interview on Lebanese television, “Our position on the current negotiating paper is negative.”

The Hamas press office later clarified Mr. Hamdan’s comments, saying that while Hamas’s leaders would not accept the current Israeli proposals without changes, they were willing to keep negotiating. “The negative position does not mean negotiations have stopped,” the press office said. “There is a back and forth issue.”

Mr. Blinken’s comments were part of a concerted campaign by President Biden and his top aides to press Hamas leaders to accept the six-week halt in fighting and possibly lay the foundation for a longer-term cease-fire.

Mr. Blinken made similar comments to reporters the previous evening outside a humanitarian aid warehouse in Zarqa, Jordan. Earlier this week, Mr. Biden urged the leaders of Qatar and Egypt to push Hamas to accept the terms, after Israel agreed to lower the required number of hostages released in the initial round to 33 from 40.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has said he supports the latest proposed deal, but at the same time he has vowed to carry out a major ground offensive in the city of Rafah “with or without a deal.” Israeli officials say their objective is to eliminate four battalions of Hamas fighters in Rafah.

Mr. Hamdan, the Hamas spokesman, said in his comments on Al Manar television, “If the enemy carries out the Rafah operation, negotiations will stop.”

Biden administration officials are opposed to a major ground assault in Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians have sought refuge during the war.

Mr. Blinken discussed the hostage and cease-fire deal on the table in a nearly three-hour meeting with Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday, according to a summary from the State Department. He also spoke about efforts to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza and the U.S. government’s “clear position” on Rafah, the summary said.

Israeli officials said a new crossing into northern Gaza, near the Erez kibbutz, had just opened to allow aid deliveries, and that 30 trucks with goods from Jordan had rolled through the crossing earlier on Wednesday. The opening was promised weeks ago, but the Israeli military said it had to build inspection facilities and pave roads on both sides of the border before the crossing could be used by aid trucks.

Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon.

— Edward Wong traveling in the Middle East with the U.S. secretary of state

Israel has softened some demands in cease-fire negotiations, officials say.

After a monthslong standoff, Israel is softening some of its demands in negotiations over a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held there.

As part of its latest proposal, Israel would allow displaced Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza, according to two Israeli officials, which is a sharp reversal on an issue that has been a sticking point in the talks.

For weeks, Israel has demanded that it be allowed to impose significant restrictions on Palestinians going back to the north because of worries that Hamas could take advantage of a large-scale return to strengthen itself. Now, Israel has consented to Palestinian civilians’ going back en masse during the first phase of an agreement, according to the officials, whose account was confirmed by a non-Israeli official familiar with the talks.

One of the Israeli officials said those returning to the north would be subject to no inspections or limitations, while the second said there would be nearly no restrictions, without elaborating. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of the proposal.

It was not clear whether Hamas would accept the most recent Israeli proposal, which is part of negotiations that the two sides are conducting indirectly through mediators from Egypt and Qatar. As of Wednesday afternoon, the group hadn’t officially issued a response.

The cease-fire talks were a focus of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken as he visited Israel on Wednesday. “There is a proposal on the table, and as we’ve said, no delays, no excuses,” Mr. Blinken said before meeting with President Isaac Herzog. He later discussed the talks and other issues in a nearly three-hour meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamas has long demanded that any deal include a permanent end to the war, which has forced most of Gaza’s more than two million people to flee their homes. The Israeli offer, according to one of the Israeli officials, doesn’t include language that refers explicitly to an end to the fighting.

Hanging over the negotiations is Israel’s threat to invade Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where roughly a million civilians are sheltering, along with what Israel says are thousands of Hamas fighters. But even as it vows to carry out its plan for a ground invasion there, in defiance of pleas from world leaders and humanitarian groups, it is showing some willingness to make concessions in talks to stop the fighting and free hostages.

On Monday, The New York Times reported that, as part of its proposal, Israel had reduced the number of hostages Hamas would need to release in the initial phase of a deal. For months, it had been insisting on the release of 40 hostages, but in the new offer, the Israeli government said it would agree to 33.

That change was prompted in part by the fact that Israel now believes that some of the 40 have died in captivity , one of the officials said.

As details of Israel’s latest offer have emerged, Mr. Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from his right-wing coalition partners to reject compromise. If they withdraw from the government over a deal, Israel could head to early elections, threatening Mr. Netanyahu’s political future.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hard-line member of the coalition, has said that if Mr. Netanyahu gives up on invading Rafah immediately, a government under his leadership doesn’t have “the right to exist.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Netanyahu said an invasion of Rafah would take place, without saying when.

“The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” he said in a meeting with the families of hostages, according to a statement from his office. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal — in order to achieve the total victory.”

If Israel and Hamas strike an agreement, it would be the first cease-fire since late November, when a short-lived pause in the fighting allowed for the release of more than 100 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas and its allies captured roughly 240 Israelis and foreigners in their attack on Oct. 7, which prompted Israel to go to war in Gaza. More than 130 hostages are believed to still be held in Gaza, but some are thought to have died.

Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting.

— Adam Rasgon reporting from Jerusalem

Israeli settlers attacked aid trucks headed to Gaza, Jordan says.

Israeli settlers attacked several aid trucks on the way from Jordan to Gaza around dawn on Wednesday, including some that were headed for the newly opened border crossing on the north edge of the Gaza Strip, Jordan’s foreign ministry said.

The ministry said that the settlers dumped some of the aid onto the street . It condemned the Israeli government’s failure to protect the aid as a violation of its legal obligation to safeguard the flow of food and other humanitarian necessities to the devastated Palestinian enclave, and said the attack undermined Israel’s claim that it was working to allow more aid into Gaza.

Asked about the attack, the Israeli military said in a statement that overnight, Israeli civilians had “caused damage” to aid on several trucks from Jordan “secured” by Israeli forces.

Details about the attack, including where it happened and how much aid was dumped or damaged, were not immediately released by the Israeli military or the Jordanian foreign ministry, though both said the trucks ultimately managed to reach Gaza.

Honenu, a right-wing legal aid group that often represents Israeli extremists accused of violent crimes against Palestinians, said that four people had been arrested for blocking aid trucks near Ma’ale Adumim, one of the largest Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The trucks were part of two convoys, one of which was headed for the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, the Jordanian foreign ministry said. The other convoy was the first to enter northern Gaza through the Erez crossing, according to the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, who called the attack “despicable” on social media and called for global condemnation and international sanctions against Israel.

Israel agreed to open the Erez crossing on Wednesday, after some of its closest allies, including the United States, pressured it to allow more aid into Gaza in the aftermath of the Israeli military’s killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers in April. For months beforehand, United Nations officials and aid organizations had been pleading with Israel to open the crossing to allow aid to move directly into northern Gaza, in hopes of averting famine.

Honenu said on Wednesday that it had provided legal counsel to the four arrested individuals, and that they had been released after being issued a restraining order requiring them to stay away from aid convoys and not participate in illicit gatherings.

Israeli civilians have repeatedly blocked the passage of aid trucks — sometimes as Israeli security forces stand by — with many demanding that no aid reach Palestinians in Gaza until hostages held in the enclave are released.

The U.S. secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, who has been on another wartime tour of the Middle East, was in Jordan on Tuesday at the warehouse where medical and food aid was being loaded onto the convoy heading to the Erez crossing. He praised Israel’s opening of the crossing as “real and important progress,” adding that “more still needs to be done.” On Wednesday, during a visit to Israel, Mr. Blinken included the Kerem Shalom crossing among his stops.

— Anushka Patil and Johnatan Reiss

Blinken’s visit to the Kerem Shalom crossing puts aid for Gaza front and center.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visited an inspection checkpoint at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in Israel on Wednesday, part of an effort to prioritize the issue of humanitarian aid for Gaza during his Middle East tour.

Under pressure from President Biden after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers , Israel announced last month that it would open more avenues for aid to enter Gaza . Israel has since expedited the flow of aid into Gaza amid intense international scrutiny, though humanitarian organizations say more is urgently needed to alleviate the severe hunger that is gripping the enclave.

Here’s a look at where things stand .

Border Crossings

Israel imposes stringent checks on incoming aid to keep out anything that might help Hamas, which it has pledged to eliminate. Since the start of the war, most of the aid for Gaza has been transiting through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Israel opened the crossing at Kerem Shalom in December after pressure from the United States to speed up the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, Israeli protesters have regularly gathered at the crossing, trying to block aid convoys from entering the enclave in the hopes of raising the pressure on Hamas to release the hostages.

The Rafah and Kerem Shalom checkpoints both touch southern Gaza. Aid officials pleaded with Israel for months to add additional entry points — especially in the north, where the risk of famine was deemed greatest by the United Nations.

Under pressure, Israel said last month that it would reopen the Erez border crossing into northern Gaza and that shipments bound for the enclave would be accepted at the Israeli port of Ashdod. On Wednesday, Israel said that the first aid trucks, 30 in total, had passed through the crossing after being inspected.

But the Erez crossing, which was primarily used for pedestrian traffic before the war, was badly damaged during the Hamas-led raid on Israel in October. As international officials and humanitarian agencies looked for signs that Israel was making good on its pledges, Israel said it would be opening another crossing into northern Gaza — not Erez.

Other Efforts

U.S. Army engineers also are working to construct a floating pier off the coast of Gaza. The pier — which Mr. Blinken said Tuesday would be operational in about one week — could help relief workers deliver as many as two million meals a day.

And the Jordanian military and government have in recent weeks increased the amount of aid arriving in overland convoys, which travel from Jordan through the West Bank and across part of Israel before reaching the southern Gaza border crossings. The Jordanian military carries out its own inspections. Government trucks are inspected by Israel.

Situation on the Ground

There are widespread food shortages in Gaza, and the United Nations has warned that a famine is looming . Aid groups and United Nations officials have accused Israel of systematically limiting aid delivery. Israel denies the assertion, blaming the shortages on logistical failures by aid groups, and has recently increased the number of trucks entering the strip.

In recent weeks, Israel’s efforts to increase the flow of aid have been acknowledged by the Biden administration and international aid officials. More aid trucks also appeared to be reaching Gaza, especially in the north.

On Wednesday, Mr. Blinken discussed how aid delivery has improved when he met with Mr. Netanyahu and “reiterated the importance of accelerating and sustaining that improvement,” according to the State Department.

— Cassandra Vinograd

‘Thank you, American universities’: Gazans express gratitude for campus protesters.

Thousands of miles away from the campus protests that have divided Americans, some displaced Palestinians are expressing solidarity with the antiwar demonstrators and gratitude for their efforts.

Messages of support were written on some tents in the southern city of Rafah, where roughly a million displaced people have sought shelter from the Israeli bombardment and ground fighting that Gazan health officials say have killed more than 34,000 people.

“Thank you, American universities,” read one message captured on video by the Reuters news agency. “Thank you, students in solidarity with Gaza your message has reached” us, read another nearby.

Tensions have risen at campuses across the United States, with police in riot gear arresting dozens of people at Columbia University on Tuesday night and officers across the country clashing with pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had erected encampments and seized academic buildings at other institutions. The protesters have been calling for universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel, and some have vowed not to back down.

The protests have come at a particularly fearful time in Rafah, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel vowing to launch a ground invasion of the city to root out Hamas battalions there despite glimmers of hope for a temporary cease-fire.

Palestinians “are very happy that there are still people standing with us,” said Mohammed al-Baradei, a 24-year-old recent graduate from the dentistry program at Al-Azhar University who spoke by phone from Rafah.

“The special thing is that this is happening in America and that people there are still aware and the awareness is growing every day for the Palestinian cause,” he added.

Akram al-Satri, a 47-year-old freelance journalist sheltering in Rafah, said Gazans were “watching with hope and gratitude the student movement in the United States.”

“For us this is a glimmer of hope on a national level,” he added in a voice message on Wednesday.

Bisan Owda, a 25-year-old Palestinian who has been documenting the war on social media, said in a video posted to her more than 4.5 million Instagram followers that the campus protests had brought her a new sense of possibility.

“I’ve lived my whole life in Gaza Strip and I’ve never felt hope like now,” said Ms. Owda.

Nader Ibrahim contributed reporting and video production from London.

— Hiba Yazbek reporting from Jerusalem

Colombia’s president says the country will sever ties with Israel, calling its government ‘genocidal.’

Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel over its prosecution of the war in Gaza, President Gustavo Petro announced in Bogotá on Wednesday, describing the Israeli government as “genocidal.”

His announcement came in a speech in Colombia’s capital city in front of cheering crowds that had gathered for International Workers’ Day.

“The times of genocide, of the extermination of an entire people cannot come before our eyes, before our passivity,” Mr. Petro said. “If Palestine dies, humanity dies.”

Colombia is the second South American nation to break off relations with Israel after Bolivia, which cut ties in November over its strikes in Gaza. On the day that Bolivia made its announcement, Colombia and Chile both said that they were recalling their ambassadors to Israel, and Honduras followed suit within days. Belize also cut diplomatic ties with Israel that month.

The Israeli government denounced Mr. Petro’s move on Wednesday.

“History will remember that Gustavo Petro chose to stand at the side of the most abominable monsters known to man, who burned babies, killed children, raped woman and abducted innocent civilians,” Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, wrote on X . “Israel and Colombia always enjoyed warm ties. Even an antisemitic and hateful president will not change that.’’

Mr. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist leader and a critic of U.S. drug policy toward his country, had threatened to cut ties with Israel in March if it did not comply with a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. And he called on other countries to do the same. In response to that threat, Mr. Katz wrote on X that Mr. Petro’s “support for Hamas murderers” who carried out massacres and committed sex crimes against Israelis was shameful.

“Israel will continue to protect its citizens and will not yield to any pressure or threats,” he added.

In February Mr. Petro suspended Colombia’s purchase of Israeli weapons in February after Israeli forces opened fire while a crowd was gathered near a convoy of trucks carrying desperately needed aid to Gaza City, part of a chaotic scene in which scores of people were killed and injured, according to Gazan health officials and the Israeli military.

“Asking for food, more than 100 Palestinians were killed by Netanyahu,” Mr. Petro wrote on X at the time, comparing the events to the Holocaust “even if the world powers do not like to acknowledge it.”

“The world must block Netanyahu,” he added.

— Genevieve Glatsky reporting from Bogotá, Colombia

Netanyahu’s pledge to invade Rafah could undermine efforts to reach a cease-fire deal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel once again pledged on Tuesday to launch a ground invasion into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, a move that could undermine efforts to negotiate a cease-fire agreement after seven months of war in the Palestinian enclave.

The United States, Qatar and several countries have been pushing to get a cease-fire deal, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visiting the region and expectations rising that Hamas and Israel might be edging closer to an agreement.

But with Hamas arguing that any agreement should include an end to the war, and with right-wing politicians in Israel threatening to leave the government coalition if the long-planned incursion into Rafah is delayed, Mr. Netanyahu made clear that Israel would reserve the right to keep fighting.

“The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,” he said in a meeting with the families of hostages held in Gaza, according to a statement from his office. “We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory.”

Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they plan to move into Rafah, but over the weekend, they made clear they were open to holding off if it meant they could secure the release of hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. One official also suggested that Israel was using the threat of an imminent military maneuver to press the armed group into a hostage deal.

In anticipation of an offensive, some families in Rafah have been moving north into areas of Gaza that had already been attacked by Israeli forces, but on Tuesday, the scale of the evacuation remained unclear. As of last week, more than one million Gazans, many of them previously displaced from other parts of the territory by Israeli bombardment, were still sheltering in the city in makeshift tents.

American officials and other allies have been pressing Israel to either avoid an assault on Rafah or develop specific plans to adequately minimize civilian casualties.

On Tuesday, Mr. Blinken met with officials in Jordan to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, and to press for peace and an increase in humanitarian aid. There was no immediate reaction from the State Department to Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain spoke to Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday, his office said in a statement. The British leader “continued to push for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow more aid in and hostages out” and said that Britain’s focus was on de-escalation, it said.

For weeks, cease-fire talks had been at a standstill. But Israeli officials have said that negotiators have reduced the number of hostages they want Hamas to release during the first phase of a truce, opening up the possibility that the stalled negotiations could be revived.

A senior Hamas official said on social media on Monday that the group was studying a new Israeli proposal.

A Hamas delegation met with officials in Egypt’s intelligence service on Monday, according to a senior Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive discussions between Hamas and Egypt.

Adam Rasgon contributed reporting.

— Damien Cave

A father in Rafah whose family survived an airstrike asks, ‘What should we do?’

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel repeats his vow to launch a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza and Israeli airstrikes continue to pummel the city, it is a particularly fearful time for displaced families sheltering there.

“What should we do? Where will we go?” said Mohammed Abu Youssef, who spoke on Wednesday in video shot by the Reuters news agency about how he and his children had narrowly survived an airstrike. “I am waiting for a tent so I can leave,” he added as he burst into tears.

Mr. Abu Youssef said his family had recently fled to Al-Shaboura neighborhood in Rafah, seeking safety. He suffered a head injury in the strike, he said, and his brother-in-law, who was sheltering with him, lost two children. Several other relatives were also wounded, he said.

Roughly a million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah from the Israeli bombardment and ground fighting that health officials say have killed more than 34,000 people across Gaza. Israel has said that the purpose of the planned invasion is to root out Hamas fighters there.

Mr. Abu Youssef said he was now left grappling with the uncertainty of again trying to find a place where his family could be safe. Some displaced families in Rafah have already been moving north into areas of Gaza that were combat zones earlier in the war.

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