Live: Strike announced in Israel amid mounting anger at Netanyahu

The Israeli foreign minister has called for the "temporary evacuation" of Palestinians from parts of the occupied West Bank amid a major military operation launched there overnight. 

Israel Katz said the military was working "intensively" in refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm to "thwart Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures" he claims to exist there.

"We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents," Katz added. 

"This is a war for everything and we must win it."

The death toll from the ongoing Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank has risen to 11 after two more bodies were recovered from the Far'a refugee camp in Tubas, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS). 

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates from the Israeli war on Gaza, now in its 326th day: 

• The Israeli military has expanded its offensive on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip with a new large-scale assault in the occupied West Bank. 

• Troops raided Jenin, Turlkarm and Tubas overnight as drones bombed the three cities, killing at least nine Palestinians. 

• Meanwhile, fighter jets have escalated bombings in the Qizan Najjar village in southern Khan Younis, forcing dozens of families to flee their homes. 

• The Israeli military announced a soldier was killed in fighting in southern Gaza on Tuesday. 

Our live coverage from Gaza will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the day's key developments:

• Since 7 October Israel has killed at least 40,476 Palestinians, with more than 93,647 wounded and an estimated 10,000 missing, likely dead and buried under rubble

• Israeli forces have killed at least 41 Palestinians and wounded 113 others in the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry

• Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's call to build a synagogue in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem

• Hamas has condemned Israel's decision to organise tours to Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling it a "dangerous escalation" and warning that it could ignite a religious war in the region

• European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell plans to request that member states adopt a joint resolution to impose sanctions on Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir

• The Biden administration has issued its strongest criticism yet of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, accusing him of “sowing chaos” and “undermining Israel’s security”

• Chief rabbi of France Haim Korsia justified Israeli actions in Gaza during a French television interview and urged Israel to "finish the job"

• The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for a three-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to enable polio vaccinations

• The Israeli authorities are withholding 552 bodies of Palestinians according to detainee rights group Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS)

• Moody’s has issued a warning that a full-scale military conflict involving Hezbollah or Iran could have severe "credit consequences" for Israel

• Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in al-Maniya village, southeast of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported

As the fall semester begins across US campuses and Israel’s war on Gaza continues, universities have been proactive in their attempt to slow the momentum built by pro-Palestine student movements in the last academic year, doubling down on censoring criticism of Israel.

Simultaneously, Meta has increased pressure on accounts that feature pro-Palestine and anti-Israel content. In the past week, New York University and Columbia University students in New York City have faced pushback on both these fronts. 

Both Columbia and NYU were home to heated standoffs between the administrations and pro-Palestinian protestors throughout the entirety of the 2023-2024 school year, culminating with their respective Gaza solidarity encampments and their eventual sweeps by the New York Police Department. 

And online, both of the main pro-Palestine student organisations, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and NYU Palestine Solidarity Committee, have repeatedly been shadow-banned, flagged for review or temporarily suspended from Instagram since late 2023.

This week, on 25 August, Columbia SJP was permanently banned from Instagram with no reason provided and no opportunity to appeal. And only a couple of days later, NYU PSC’s account was suspended from Instagram as well.  

Read more: 'Extremely Concerning': Pro-Palestinian students at Columbia and NYU face censorship as semester begins

The Palestinian Authority's health ministry reported that one person was killed and three others were injured "as a result of the occupation’s aggression on Jenin."

The latest deaths follows an Israeli assault on Jenin. 

Chief rabbi of France Haim Korsia justified Israeli actions in Gaza during a French television interview and urged Israel to "finish the job".

Broadcast on BFM TV, Korsia expressed his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a potential arrest warrant at the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes in Gaza.

Korsia described the violence in Gaza as "acts of war" and defended Israel's actions, saying that they were necessary to "protect its nationals". He said that Israel's military response was justified in the context of defending its citizens against Hamas, which he said is responsible for the ongoing conflict.

When the journalist giving the interview pressed Korsia about the civilian casualties in Gaza, he responded: "It's an act of war that no country in the world would conduct like Israel is doing, and I have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in how Israel is conducting the fighting."

When asked if he was uncomfortable with Netanyahu's policy in Gaza, the rabbi replied: "I'm never uncomfortable with a policy that consists of defending one's citizens."

Read more: Chief rabbi of France calls for Israel to 'finish the job' in Gaza

The Biden administration has issued its strongest criticism yet of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, accusing him of “sowing chaos” and “undermining Israel’s security”.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller made this statement in response to Ben Gvir's recent comments supporting the establishment of a synagogue on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Miller said that such a move “would demonstrate blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem”.

He added, “The ongoing reckless statements and actions of this minister only sow chaos and exacerbate tensions at a time when Israel must stand united against threats from Iran and its proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah. They directly undermine Israel’s security.”

New York University (NYU) has changed its guidelines around hate speech and harassment to include the criticism of Zionism as a discriminatory act.

The new measure places anyone who identifies as a "Zionist" under the category of a protected class, which shields the group from being subject to "discriminatory comments".

Pro-Palestinian groups responded to the news with alarm, saying that the new guidelines effectively equate Zionism with Judaism and will have a chilling effect on the ability of students and faculty to be able to protest against Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

"For many Jewish people, Zionism is a part of their Jewish identity. Speech and conduct that would violate the NDAH (non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy) if targeting Jewish or Israeli people can also violate the NDAH if directed toward Zionists," read the new guidelines from NYU, which were released last Thursday. 

Read more: New York University adopts measures declaring 'Zionists' a protected class

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that predicting the likelihood of an Iranian retaliation against Israel is challenging, but Washington takes Tehran’s statements seriously.

“We believe they are still positioned and prepared to launch an attack if they choose to, which is why we have enhanced our force posture in the region,” he said.

“Our message to Iran remains consistent: one, don’t escalate. There’s no reason to provoke a potentially all-out regional war. And two, we will be ready to defend Israel if necessary.”

Kirby also mentioned that no party has “entirely withdrawn from the process” of negotiating a Gaza ceasefire, noting that discussions are now being handled by working groups in Doha.

European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell plans to request that member states adopt a joint resolution to impose sanctions on Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Borrell's request needs the approval of all 27 EU member states.

Borrell's request follows a public call he made two weeks ago, in response to remarks by Ben-Gvir and Smotrich regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Ben-Gvir had advocated for halting fuel and aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, while Smotrich had proposed starving all Palestinians in Gaza. 

Borell said in response to their remarks that "sanctions must be on our European Union agenda".

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in al-Maniya village, southeast of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The report cited Zayed Kawazba, head of the al-Maniya Village Council, who said that around 150 armed settlers assaulted the farmers and opened fire. It's unclear whether there were any casualties. 

The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza reported that emergency responders discovered four bodies following an Israeli bombing of an apartment in northern Gaza.

It said that a family home in the Tal al-Hawa area, west of Gaza City, was struck.

The movement to end US support for Israel's war on Gaza will continue to pressure presidential candidate Kamala Harris to change track on Gaza despite the Democratic Party making it clear there would be no shift in US policy to Israel, should she become commander-in-chief.

In her speech last week at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Harris offered a mix of platitudes "to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done" while confirming that her priority remained standing up for Israel's right to defend itself.

Accompanying Harris' support for Israel came the DNC's refusal to allow a Palestinian speaker to address the plenary, culminating in a media spectacle and several pro-Palestine Democratic Party insiders in tears. 

Though the refusal to allow a Palestinian speaker to address the convention drew condemnation from several quarters, including liberal Zionists, activists and scholars say the way the DNC sought to bury its role in Israel's war on Gaza underlined the extent to which Palestinian Americans were no more than placeholders in American democracy.

Read more: Anti-war activists refuse to accept Kamala Harris' pro-Israel policy

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that Israeli raids on areas and neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip have resulted in at least 40 Palestinians being killed since dawn on Tuesday.