Live: Strike announced in Israel amid mounting anger at Netanyahu

Anwar El Ghazi has announced that he received a payout from Mainz after a German court ruled he was unfairly dismissed by the club over a social media post concerning Israel's war on Gaza.

The 29-year-old footballer received $1.68m in salary and bonuses from Mainz, with an additional $223,000 still owed in bonuses. Mainz had until midnight on 30 July to pay him in full to retain his services.

El Ghazi, who recently joined Cardiff City as a free agent following the court ruling, confirmed that he received the payment and will donate $560,000 to support children in Gaza.

In a statement, El Ghazi said, "My legal battle with Mainz has never been about the money for me."

He added, "I want to thank Mainz for two things. Firstly, for the substantial payoff, 500k of which will help fund projects for children in Gaza. Despite their attempts to avoid payment, they have contributed to making life a little more bearable for Gaza's children through me."

"Secondly, for trying to silence me, which only made my voice louder for the oppressed and voiceless in Gaza."

The US Central Command (Centcom) claimed that a missile system in a Yemeni armed group-controlled area was destroyed.

Centcom stated, "It was determined this system presented a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces, as well as merchant vessels in the region," in a post on X.

Since November, Yemen's Houthis have launched attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea, which they have said are connected to Israel's ongoing war on Gaza.

The group has declared these attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and said that they would stop once Israel stops its onslaught in Gaza. 

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said that the court has jurisdiction to investigate Israeli nationals and called on judges to urgently decide on arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

In court filings made public on Friday, prosecutor Karim Khan urged judges to avoid delays in issuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials and Hamas leaders, stating that "any unjustified delay in these proceedings detrimentally affects the rights of victims".

Khan reaffirmed that the ICC has authority over Israeli nationals who commit atrocity crimes in Palestinian territories and requested that the judges dismiss legal challenges brought by various governments and other parties.

He asserted, "It is settled law that the court has jurisdiction in this situation," rejecting legal arguments related to the Oslo Accords and Israel's claims that it is conducting its own investigations into alleged war crimes.

ICC prosecutors argue that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu, Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, military chief Mohammed al-Masri, and another political leader Ismail Haniyeh, are criminally responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated in Iran in late July, but the court has declined to comment on his death.

Israel claimed to have killed Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in a separate air strike, though Hamas has denied this.

Israel has killed at least 40,000 Palestinians in its ongoing war on Gaza, creating a devastating humanitarian crisis.

Dozens of UK-based doctors, nurses and medical professionals who worked in Gaza have called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to halt arms sales to Israel.

In an open letter coordinated by the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), the health workers warned Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy that continuing arms sales could put the UK in violation of international law and said ending them is "morally as well as legally right".

“It is difficult for many of us to recount the scenes we witnessed in Gaza, not least of all in the knowledge that many of the injuries we treated may have resulted from the use of weapons systems and components supplied from Britain," the letter read.

The letter also noted that “with only marginal exceptions, everyone in Gaza is sick, injured or both”.

Citing domestic British law, international humanitarian law (IHL) and Britain’s own Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, the signatories stressed that it was imperative to halt the sales.

Read more: Health workers urge Keir Starmer to end UK arms sales to Israel

The Syrian Ministry of Defence reported that seven civilians were wounded in Israeli air strikes targeting the countryside of Homs and the outskirts of Hama. The strikes also caused significant material damage.

Syrian media reports that air defences are responding to what appears to be an Israeli air strike in the Hama region.

Videos shared on social media seem to depict smoke billowing from a site near Hama. 

Any hope that Kamala Harris would condition or suspend arms and funding for Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza was killed by her speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Thursday.

In front of an excitable crowd chanting “USA, USA, USA”, Harris deployed familiar language: “I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself. Because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organisation called Hamas caused on October 7, including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.”

The references to sexual violence and the festival massacre have long been deployed as a way to legitimise Israel’s war on the whole of Gaza, which has continued for nearly a year now. 

Meanwhile, Palestinians are raped in Israeli prisons, and Israeli politicians openly say this is justified. Harris, like most US leaders, had nothing to say about it.

Read more: Kamala Harris's speech killed any hope she would end the Gaza genocide

The Israeli army has ordered the forced removal of residents from large parts of Beit Lahia, located in the northern Gaza Strip, as part of its preparation for military operations. This move further restricts the areas where Gaza's residents can remain, given the ongoing scarcity of safe zones.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported intense Israeli shelling in Beit Lahia, which occurred simultaneously with the order to move. 

Iran's newly appointed foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, informed his French and British counterparts in phone conversations that Iran reserves the right to retaliate against Israel for the recent assassination of a Hamas official in Tehran, according to the official Irna news agency.

Iran holds Israel responsible for the 31 July assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, with Araghchi calling it "an unforgivable violation of Iran’s security and sovereignty" and stating that "punishing the aggressor is Iran’s right".

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Haniyeh's death.

The calls from France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy were originally made to congratulate Araghchi on his recent appointment.

Medical sources have told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces have killed 18 Palestinians in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip since this morning.

An Israeli soldier was killed and four others sustained serious injuries during combat in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli army.

The military said that the soldier died due to an explosive device during fighting in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood.

Earlier, the al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for inflicting casualties on Israeli forces near the Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City and Rafah, while Israeli helicopters evacuated the wounded soldiers.

Ireland will allow Israeli arms companies to sell weapons to the country amid concerns by Irish lawmakers over weapons sales from Israel because of the war in Gaza. 

Tender documents obtained by the Irish Times show that the Irish Defence Forces plan to obtain 14 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) worth €600,000 ($670,000) over 12 months. 

The documents noted the Defence Engineer Corps needed the UAVs for "surveillance, survey, inspection and search and rescue by day and night” as well as classified tasks. 

But earlier this year, Ireland's minister for defence, Micheal Martin, expressed "reservations" in the Irish parliament over the procurement of military equipment from Israel. 

Speaking within the context of Israel's invasion of Gaza, Martin expressed reservations over potential weapons sales from Israel but acknowledged that Ireland would not use Israeli arms to break international law. 

Read more: Israeli arms companies allowed to bid for Irish drones contract

Negotiations for an end to the ten-month-long war in Gaza have recently centred around two buffer zones controlled by Israel’s military. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that under a truce agreement, there would be no Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors.

The Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza, has existed for more than four decades, and has been maintained on the basis of two bilateral agreements between Cairo and Israel. 

The Netzarim Corridor, meanwhile, cuts through central Gaza, and was created in recent months by Israeli forces to monitor Palestinians. 

Palestinian groups have firmly rejected Israeli demands on maintaining a military presence in the two corridors, and believe that Netanyahu added these demands to derail negotiations. 

Middle East Eye breaks down what you need to know about the two zones. 

Read more: War on Gaza: What are the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors and why do they matter?

Wafa news agency is reporting that at least five Palestinians have been killed, and several others injured in Israeli strikes on the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

In Khan Younis, two Palestinians were killed in an air strike on the Qizan Aby Rishwan area in the south of the city. Another was killed in a strike targeting a home in the Al-Hawouz area of the Khan Younis refugee camp.

In Rafah, two Palestinian men were killed in another air strike, while Israeli forces destroyed several homes near the Al-Awda Mosque in central Rafah.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke on Friday to discuss the possibility of a retaliatory attack by Iran and the potential spread of polio in Gaza, the Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Iran's leaders pledged a retaliation following the Israeli assassination of Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.

“Secretary Austin informed the minister that the United States continues to monitor attack planning from Iran and its proxies and is well postured across the region to defend Israel and protect US personnel and facilities,” the statement read.

In a post on X, Austin said he "confirmed the United States commitment to Israel’s security and shared that the United States is well postured across the region to defend Israel and protect U.S. personnel and facilities."

I called Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant yesterday to discuss continued exchanges of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border and the risk of escalation from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and Iran-backed terrorist groups across the Middle East. I confirmed the United States…

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) August 23, 2024