Live: Lawyers present genocide risk case against Israel at ICJ

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for shooting down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the northern al-Jawf governorate.

The Reaper drones, known for their ability to fly at altitudes of up to 15,240 metres and remain airborne for up to 24 hours, have been regularly used by US military and intelligence agencies over Yemen.

The downing of the drone comes shortly after US air strikes targeted Hodeidah, killing at least six people, according to the de facto ruling administration in Sanaa.

Since mid-March, US air strikes against the Houthis have killed at least 79 people, as part of a campaign aimed at stooping Yemen from standing in solidarity with Gaza. 

At least three people have died following an Israeli air strike on Gaza's Shujaiya district, with reports indicating that more individuals are trapped under rubble.

Gaza’s Ministry of Health has warned that a severe lack of food and clean water is worsening the health crisis in the besieged enclave.

The ministry says at least 60,000 children are at risk of serious complications from malnutrition, as Israel’s blockade continues to choke the flow of food and medical supplies.

With crossings shut and aid severely restricted, doctors are sounding the alarm over worsening hunger and dehydration, particularly among infants.

Aid agencies have repeatedly urged for immediate humanitarian access, but deliveries remain sporadic with Israel using aid as a weapon of war.

A senior Hezbollah official has told Reuters the group is willing to discuss its weapons with Lebanon’s president - on one condition: Israel must withdraw from southern Lebanon and halt its attacks.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, backed by the US, has pledged to bring all weapons under state control. Three political sources say he plans to open talks with Hezbollah soon.

Debate over Hezbollah’s arms has intensified since last year’s war with Israel and the fall of its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad. The 2024 conflict dealt a heavy blow to the group, killing top leaders, thousands of fighters, and crippling its rocket stockpile.

The Hezbollah official said any discussion on disarmament must be part of a national defence strategy - one that depends on Israel pulling out from five strategic hilltops in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces have surrounded the home of slain Palestinian fighter Barakat Mansour in Deir Ibzi, near Ramallah, ahead of its planned demolition, local media report.

According to The Times of Israel, the army had already surveyed the house for destruction. Mansour was killed in March 2024 after a five-hour battle in which he killed an Israeli commando and wounded several others.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli forces blew up the home of Palestinian prisoner Zaid al-Junaidi in Hebron.

Israel routinely demolishes the family homes of Palestinians who fight against the Israeli occupation, a policy widely condemned as collective punishment.

A new Pew Research Center poll reveals mixed views on Donald Trump’s stance on Israel, with only 31 percent of Americans believing he favours Israel too much, while 37 percent remain uncertain about his approach to Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Despite Trump’s staunch backing of Israel’s war on Gaza, just 3 percent think he leans too far toward Palestinians, while 29 percent say he maintains the right balance.

On Trump’s push to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza, only 20 percent believe he is very or extremely likely to take control of the territory, while 38 percent say such a move is unlikely.

Overall, 62 percent oppose any US takeover of Gaza, underscoring widespread scepticism over Trump’s Middle East policies.

The Israeli military "executed" a Palestinian-American teenager as he picked green almonds in a village in the occupied West Bank, bereaved family and members of the Palestinian community in New Jersey told reporters on Tuesday.

Amer Mohammed Saada Rabee, 14, who was born in Saddlebrook, New Jersey, and lived between the occupied West Bank and the US, was killed on Sunday when Israeli forces fired at him and two other minors in the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya.

Amer, a US citizen, was shot 11 times and died from his injuries, while the two other boys - one of whom is also a US citizen - sustained several bullet wounds but managed to survive.

Both boys - one with minor and the other with severe injuries - were taken to a Ramallah hospital.

At a sombre press conference held at the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) in Clifton, New Jersey, on Tuesday, organisers said the community had once again fallen victim to "senseless violence" from the Israeli state with the full consent and support of the US government.

Read more: 'They executed him': Palestinian Americans outraged over killing of teen in West Bank

The Trump administration has blocked more than $1bn in funding for Cornell University and $790m for Northwestern University, citing civil rights investigations, Reuters reports.

A US official, speaking anonymously, said the suspended funds cover grants from multiple federal departments, including health, education and defence.

This crackdown follows a warning to 60 universities over what the Trump administration claims is antisemitism on university campuses. However critics argue that in reality the administration working alongside pro-Israeli and Zionist groups is seeking to silence pro-Palestinian voices. 

Last week, the government began reviewing $9bn in grants to Harvard, and last month, it scrapped $400m for Columbia - ground zero for last year’s pro-Palestine protests.

Trump has accused student demonstrators of being antisemitic and backing Hamas. But protesters, including Jewish activists, argue the administration is conflating criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza with hate speech.

The Palestinian foreign ministry is urging stronger global action to protect Unrwa's work after Israeli authorities closed six of the agency’s schools in occupied East Jerusalem.

Hundreds of students have lost access to education, the ministry said, calling the move a direct attack on their future. Officials also accused Israel of trying to force its curriculum on Palestinian pupils, disrupting their schooling.

“This decision deprives hundreds of students of their right to education, undermines their future, and attempts to impose the Israeli curriculum on them, harming the educational process,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry condemned the closures as a breach of UN protections, stressing that Jerusalem remains part of Palestinian territory under international law.

“This is a flagrant violation of the immunity and privileges enjoyed by the United Nations and its affiliated headquarters and institutions, and a serious assault on international law and international resolutions that clearly affirm that Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territory, occupied since 1967, and the capital of the State of Palestine.”

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are some of the latest overnight developments on Israel's war on Gaza:

• UN chief Antonio Guterres described Gaza as “a killing field” as Israeli bombardment continues to wipe out Palestinian families, flattening homes, and leaving children buried in rubble.

• Israeli forces storm Unrwa schools in occupied East Jerusalem. They’ve ordered six facilities shut—another blow to Palestinians already reeling from relentless attacks.

• Journalist Ahmed Mansour succumbs to burns after Monday’s Israeli strike on a media tent near Nasser Hospital. He’s the third confirmed fatality from that attack. 

• Israel bombs Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and Baalbek, in violation of a ceasefire agreement while claiming that it’s hitting Hezbollah targets.

• Netanyahu blocked from sacking security chief—for now. Israel’s top court says the PM must wait at least 10 days before trying to oust Ronen Bar.

• US air strikes slaughter Yemeni civilians. Six dead, including three children and two women, after American bombs strike an apartment building.

Good evening Middle East Eye readers, 

our live blog will soon be closing for the day. Here is what happened today: 

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is holding talks with countries to discuss “the option of absorbing many Gazan residents,” following his visit to the White House where he met with US President Donald Trump
• The Gaza government media office said it “firmly” and “categorically” declines proposals brought forward by Israel with regards to a new aid delivery approach in the enclave
• The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) said that 800 boys and girls will most probably lose their school year as they are directly impacted by the closure of six schools in the occupied West Bank 
• A US State Department spokesperson said the US is aware of the killing of the Palestinian-American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces on Sunday, and stated that the US is seeking more information on the incident
• Several Israeli raids have been reported in different areas in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Wafa news agency
• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his talks with US president Donald Trump included “working constantly to free the hostages” and that his government is “determined to eliminate Hamas”
• UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said that the Gaza Strip has been abandoned without “a drop of aid” for more than a month, and the situation is proving dire for Palestinian residents in the enclave
• A Palestinian home in the Jenin refugee camp was blown up by Israeli troops, according to the Wafa news agency
• Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp has summoned the Israeli ambassador in the Netherlands over the situation in Gaza, the government said in a statement. It added that a meeting will be held on Wednesday. 

The Gaza government media office says it “firmly” and “categorically” declines proposals brought forward by Israel with regards to a new aid delivery approach in the enclave.

“These proposals include having Israeli occupation soldiers or private companies affiliated with the occupation directly distribute aid to Palestinian families,” reads a statement issued by the media office.

It added: “We consider it a blatant attempt to falsely legitimise its illegal occupation and to evade its responsibilities as an occupying power.”

Last week, the Israeli military agency which coordinates aid delivery (Cogat) met with United Nations agencies and proposed “a structured monitoring and aid entry mechanism” for Gaza.

“The mechanism is designed to support aid organizations, enhance oversight and accountability, and ensure that assistance reaches the civilian population in need, rather than being diverted and stolen by Hamas,” Cogat posted on X on Sunday.

Earlier, UN chief Antonio Guterres said the organisation “will not participate in any arrangement that does not fully respect the humanitarian principles” of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.

The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) said that 800 boys and girls will most probably lose their school year as they are directly impacted by the closure of six schools in the occupied West Bank.

“UNRWA schools are protected by the privileges and immunities of the United Nations,” Philippe Lazzarini wrote in a post on X.

“Today’s unauthorised entries and issuance of closure orders are a violation of these protections and represent a revocation of Israel’s obligations under international law.”

Lazzarini said Unrwa remains committed to “stay and deliver education and other basic services” to Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

A US State Department spokesperson said the US is aware of the killing of the Palestinian-American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces on Sunday.

The US is seeking more information about the nature of the killing, according to the spokesperson.

"We are certainly aware of that dynamic," he said. "There is an investigation that is going on. We are aware of the reports from the IDF that this was a counterterrorism act, we need to learn more about the nature of what happened on the ground."

Rabea, 14, was killed along with two other teenagers, who all held United States citizenship, when Israeli troops opened fire on a group of children near the town of Turmus Aya, northeast of the city of Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank.

They were wounded in the abdomen and the thigh and were transferred by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to a hospital for treatment.

The Israeli army described Rabea as a “terrorist” who was "throwing stones". He was pronounced dead after the Israeli officials arrested him and withheld his body, according to Wafa Palestinian news agency.

The incident comes amid an Israeli military operation that was launched in the occupied West Bank in January, which killed at least 99 people, some 17 of them were children, according to the United Nations.

Several Israeli raids have been reported in different areas in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Wafa news agency.

Israeli forces have stormed the city of Qalqilya, located in the northwest of the occupied West Bank, as well as the area of Khallet al-Amoud located east of Nablus.

Israel has been carrying out a military operation in the West Bank since January, which has forced thousands of Palestinians out of their homes and destroyed more than 600 homes.