Live: Israel kills at least 58 Palestinians in 24 hours

The Israeli army has admitted that a group of illegal settlers crossed into southern Lebanon earlier this month, contradicting initial claims that they had only approached the border.

Israeli media, including The Times of Israel, reported the military confirmed the settlers had crossed the Blue Line before being dispersed by Israeli troops.

“This is a serious incident that is being investigated,” Israel’s Army Radio quoted military officials as saying.

The army also stated that such actions undermine its ability to “operate in the area and fulfil its mission.”

Illegal Israeli settlements have been widely condemned by the international community as violations of international law, with critics arguing that they obstruct Palestinian statehood. The admission of settlers crossing into Lebanese territory adds to growing concerns over Israel’s disregard for borders and international norms.

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour has called on the Security Council to take decisive action to halt Israel’s continued aggression in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

“Over a year ago, from this very chamber, we urged for a ceasefire that would reunite Palestinian and Israeli families in life, not in death,” Mansour said. He criticised the council’s inaction and called for the General Assembly to intervene under the “Uniting for Peace” framework to address the ongoing crisis.

Mansour cited Amnesty International’s findings of genocide in Gaza, emphasising the scale of atrocities committed by Israel. He also condemned Israel’s verbal attacks on Ireland, a nation that has openly criticised Israel’s actions.

“Israel continues genocide, starves and forcibly displaces people, colonises and annexes land. But it is Ireland which has crossed every red line for denouncing these crimes, for insisting on respect for international law and for human rights. You must be kidding,” he stated.

Mansour urged the UN to demonstrate moral leadership, declaring: “This is a time to show resolve, to be guided by moral clarity and to lead by example.”

Meta's policy of censorship is having a "devastating" impact on Palestinians, according to a new report by a prominent Arab media watchdog.

The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, also known as 7amleh, collected 20 first-hand testimonies from Palestinian influencers, journalists and media outlets who have experienced the tech conglomerate's discriminatory practices.

Since October 2023, with the start of Israel's assault on Gaza, Meta has been accused of censoring Palestinian content and groups on Facebook and Instagram, two of the social media platforms it owns.

The testimonies collected by 7amleh highlight the closure and shadow-banning of community pages, local media outlets and influencer accounts, leading to a steep decline in engagement.

According to 7amleh, more than 15 million posts in Hebrew inciting against Palestinians have been documented across social media platforms since October 2023.

Read more: Meta censorship is having a 'devastating' impact on Palestinian news sources

Israel has once again refused a United Nations request to deliver aid to the beleaguered northern Gaza, the UN secretary-general's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said.

“Yet again, the Israeli authorities denied a request from the United Nations to reach the besieged parts of the north today, [including] Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia and east of Jabalia,” Dujarric announced.

He noted that the UN's efforts to access northern Gaza have faced consistent obstruction, with the majority of requests being rejected outright. “Yesterday, we underscored how the vast majority of our efforts to reach north Gaza governorate since the Israeli siege began 10 weeks ago have been blocked,” he added.

The humanitarian situation in northern Gaza remains dire, with the area under a relentless blockade for over 70 days. Aid agencies warn that the continued denial of assistance exacerbates the suffering of civilians trapped without access to essential supplies, including food, water, and medicine.

Fourteen Palestinians, the majority women and children, were killed in two Israeli air strikes targeting residential homes in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

The attacks, which devastated two family homes, highlight the ongoing toll on civilians amid Israel’s relentless bombing campaign. Eyewitness accounts and local media report scenes of chaos and destruction, with emergency responders struggling to recover bodies from the rubble.

Gaza ceasefire mediators are pressuring Israel to release high-profile Palestinian detainees as part of the next stages of the agreement, according to a report by Israeli outlet Haaretz.

The report, which cites Palestinian sources familiar with the discussions, suggests that the issue is emerging as a key sticking point in ongoing negotiations.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted earlier that the talks have reached a critical phase, with disputes centring on the lists of captives and prisoners slated for release in the initial stages of the deal. Sullivan described the situation as delicate, with the specifics of who will be freed posing a significant obstacle to finalising the agreement.

Israel has long been criticised for its treatment of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are held without charge under the controversial practice of administrative detention. Advocates for Palestinian rights argue that the release of these individuals would be a necessary step toward addressing longstanding injustices in the conflict.

A group of 20 US members of Congress signed a letter urging the Biden administration to withhold offensive weaponry to Israel's military over its failure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza as its military continues its 14-month war in the enclave.

The effort from the lawmakers, led by Congressman Greg Casar, is in response to a letter sent by the Biden administration to the Israeli government warning Israel to increase humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza or risk a reassessment of US military support.

"We urge your Administration to adhere to and uphold US law by suspending offensive military transfers to Netanyahu and his government," the lawmakers wrote in their letter sent on Tuesday.

"Failure to do so not only risks our leverage in ceasefire negotiations, it undermines our country's own national security and weakens America's commitment to human rights as a cornerstone of our foreign policy."

Read more: Nearly two dozen US lawmakers urge Biden to withhold offensive weapons to Israel

Israeli forces have demolished multiple homes in Tayr Harfa, al-Jabeen and Shiheen in southern Lebanon’s Tyre region, in what observers have described as a violation of the ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli bulldozers also targeted neighbourhoods in Naqoura, a town south of Tyre, for the third consecutive day. The destruction has escalated tensions in the area, with Lebanese officials denouncing the demolitions as a clear breach of the agreement.

The ceasefire deal, which came into effect in late November, was intended to halt hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. 

Germany has significantly reduced its arms exports to Israel this year, approving just $168.6m worth of military equipment, according to data from the economy ministry. This marks a sharp decline from the $341.9m approved in 2023.

The reduction comes amid growing legal and public scrutiny, with human rights groups challenging the potential use of German-manufactured weapons in Gaza, where Israeli military actions have faced widespread condemnation. Critics argue that Berlin’s support for Israel’s arms industry has enabled war crimes in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's court testimony was abruptly postponed on Tuesday to facilitate his visit to the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the court disclosed on Wednesday.

The decision to cancel Tuesday’s hearing raised significant questions, prompting journalists, including those from Haaretz, to file a petition demanding transparency about the discussions held in a closed-door meeting between the judges and Netanyahu prior to the decision.

When the trial resumed on Wednesday, the court cited "political and security considerations" as the primary justification for the delay, though it did not elaborate on why Netanyahu’s presence in the Golan was deemed urgent. Additionally, the judges referenced "weather conditions expected in the [Golan Heights] later this week" as influencing their decision.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has intensified its operations in the Jenin refugee camp, engaging in armed confrontations with Palestinian resistance fighters over several days. The raids have left at least three Palestinians dead, including a senior commander from the Jenin Brigades and a child, further heightening tensions in the occupied West Bank.

Jenin has long been a bastion of resistance against Israel’s occupation, with fighters in the camp opposing both Israeli forces and the PA’s interventions. The PA claims its actions target “lawless elements” in the area, but critics view the operations as a crackdown on anti-occupation resistance, potentially serving Israeli interests.

The ongoing violence has drawn sharp criticism from local residents and observers, who accuse the PA of prioritising security coordination with Israel over the well-being and sovereignty of its people.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has denounced Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights, labelling it a breach of international law.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Baerbock criticised the Israeli government's recent decision to double the settler population in the occupied region, calling it a move that defies global legal standards.

Baerbock's remarks come amid heightened tensions following Israel's announcement that it plans to expand its hold on the strategically significant plateau, a territory it has occupied since 1967 despite international condemnation. Critics argue that such expansion further entrenches Israel's disregard for international resolutions and undermines prospects for peace.

Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has reported the killing of six Israeli soldiers during operations in northern Gaza, marking a significant escalation in the conflict, Al Jazeera Arabic is reporting.

According to the group, five soldiers were killed at close range near the Khulafa Mosque in Jabalia refugee camp. They stated that a sixth soldier was killed next to a Merkava tank in Beit Lahia. The Brigades claim to have seized the soldier’s weapon and subsequently hurled two grenades at the tank.

The incidents highlight the intensifying confrontations in Gaza, as resistance groups continue to challenge Israeli forces in a conflict that has already caused massive casualties and devastation. Israeli authorities have not commented on the Qassam Brigades' account of the events.

Mai Annan, a Palestinian woman from northern Gaza, is talking about what is happening to her home. 

“The screams of the women after the young men were executed, and they are pleading, ‘No, please no,’ this sound will never leave me,” she says, describing the actions of Israel’s military. 

“Those cries haunt me every night. I can’t sleep. I can’t forget the massacre we lived through.” 

Behind her, all we can see are piles of rubble. We are in a room in London, capital of a country that helps support and arm Israel, which has been waging war on Gaza since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October. 

Annan, who leads the Reviving Gaza mutual aid project in the north, is on a video screen, the ruins of northern Gaza behind her.

Read more: Rage and clarity as Palestinians detail devastation in northern Gaza