Live: At least 75 killed in Israeli strikes on second day of Eid al-Adha

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) has urged Gulf states to give a fraction of the money mentioned in US President Donald Trump's 'mega deals' to Palestinian refugees struggling to survive in the occupied Palestinian territories and neighbouring countries.

Philippe Lazzarini told Middle East Eye that Unrwa, the largest humanitarian provider for approximately six million Palestinian refugees, is currently operating with a "negative cash flow," and the shortage of funds may force him to take "a difficult decision" as US funding remains suspended. 

"We are confronted with a very severe financial crisis, which, if it persists in the near future, will force me to take a difficult and painful decision," he told MEE's upcoming episode of Expert Witness podcast.

"Because if we have no resources, we cannot pay the staff. We might be confronted with a situation where the money is not available any more, even to process our salaries. And if that is the case, the agency will be forced to look at what services among the critical services are more critical than others."

Unrwa, whose staff members are mostly Palestinian refugees, has been at the receiving end of Israeli attacks since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. At least 310 of its employees have been killed by the Israeli army over the past 19 months and over 80 percent of its premises have been destroyed. 

Unrwa chief on Gulf deals with Trump: 'I wish a trickle of those trillions went to Palestinians'

The US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has said its aid distribution in the enclave has continued without incident, and that it has opened a second distribution site.

"Across the two sites, approximately 14,550 food boxes have been distributed so far. Each box feeds 5.5 people for 3.5 days, totaling 840,262 meals," the foundation said in a statement.

The GHF added that it was working to open four sites and said it has "plans to build additional sites across Gaza in the weeks ahead."

The UAE has summoned the Israeli ambassador in the country and noted to him its condemnations of "provocative practices by Israeli extremists" in Jerusalem, state news agency Wam reported on Wednesday.

Israeli forces shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian man while he slept in his home in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

Jassem al-Sadda was killed in the village of Jit, east of Qalqilya, according to medical workers who confirmed his death.

His family said soldiers opened fire on him without warning and prevented ambulance crews from reaching him.

A wave of grief and shock swept through the village as hundreds gathered at the family home to witness the aftermath of the raid, including the bloodstains that covered the floor of Sadda’s room.

His mother, Haifa al-Sadda, told Middle East Eye that at around 1am, dozens of soldiers stormed the house without knocking. They immediately broke down the door and entered.

Read more: Israeli forces kill Palestinian sleeping in his home in West Bank 

The United Nations and aid groups have spoken out after three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and dozens injured at an aid distribution point set up by an Israeli-US-backed initiative. 

There were chaotic scenes in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Tuesday as starving Palestinians rushed inside a facility holding aid, due to long delays conducting security checks on recipients. 

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described the scenes as “heartbreaking, to say the least”. 

“We and our partners have a detailed, principled, operationally sound plan - supported by member states - to get aid to a desperate population,” Dujarric told reporters. 

“We continue to stress that a meaningful scale-up of humanitarian operations is essential to stave off famine and meet the needs of all civilians, wherever they are.”

Dujarric added that aid needed to be distributed in a way that was independent and impartial.

Read more: UN and aid groups condemn US-Israeli initiative after deadly scenes in Gaza

The Palestinian Red Crescent said on Wednesday that it received the body of a man who, according to his cousin, was killed overnight by Israeli forces during a raid in the occupied West Bank village of Jit.

"Our teams received the body of a martyr from the Israeli forces at the entrance to the village of Jit near Qalqilya and are currently transferring it to the hospital," the medical organisation said in a statement.

It added that it had received "no information" on the circumstances of the man's death from Israeli forces, who frequently hold on to the bodies of Palestinians killed during army raids.

The victim's cousin, Ahmed al-Siddeh, identified him as 22-year-old Jassem al-Siddeh, and told AFP that the army came at dawn and shot him in his home.

Ahmed al-Siddeh said that Jassem "was not wanted and had no involvement in any activity".

Israeli attacks have killed at least 54,084 Palestinians and wounded 123,308 others since the start of the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry said the Israeli army has killed 3,924 Palestinians and wounded 11,267 others since violating the ceasefire agreement on 18 March.

 Gaza hospitals received 28 bodies, and 179 injured people arrived in the past 24-hour reporting period.

Hundreds of writers and cultural organisations have signed a letter calling Israel's war on Gaza genocidal and urging an immediate ceasefire.

The letter's 380 signatories include writers Ian McEwan, Zadie Smith, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, William Dalrymple, Elif Shafak, Irvine Welsh and Kate Moss.

"The use of the words ‘genocide’ or ‘acts of genocide’ to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organizations," the letter reads, adding that the UN Human Rights Council has "clearly identified" acts of genocide enacted by the Israeli military.

The letter was organised by writers Horatio Clare, Kapka Kassabova and Monique Roffey.

The signatories say: "This is not only about our common humanity and all human rights; this is about our moral fitness as the writers of our time, which diminishes with every day we refuse to speak out and denounce this crime."

Read more: Ian McEwan and Zadie Smith among hundreds of cultural figures denouncing Gaza 'genocide'

The UN on Wednesday condemned a US-backed aid system in Gaza after 47 people were injured during a chaotic food distribution.

The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis coupled with intense criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a shadowy group that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system in the territory.

"I believe it is a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities. We already have an aid distribution system that is fit for purpose," Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said on Wednesday during a visit to Japan.

At least 20 people have been killed in Gaza since dawn, Al Jazeera reports, citing medical sources.

Pope Leo appealed on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza, and called for complete respect of international humanitarian law.

"In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers who hold tightly to the bodies of their dead children," he said during his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square.

"To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting," said the pope, as he also called on Hamas to release the captives.

The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said its aid hubs will remain closed on Wednesday morning due to logistical arrangements needing to be made, after starving Palestinians overran one of the sites in search of supplies on Tuesday, Haaretz reported.

The foundation said it is working to resume distributions as soon as possible.

A member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews has resigned over what he described as the failure of its leaders to explicitly criticise “the Israeli government’s ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza”.

Speaking at a board meeting on Sunday, Daniel Grossman said he had lost confidence in the leadership of the board, a representative body made up of elected members from synagogues and Jewish organisations that describes itself as “the voice of the British Jewish Community”.

He said recent meetings between board leaders and Israeli ministers and officials, including foreign minister Gideon Saar, were “both untenable and morally bankrupt”.

Grossman, a deputy for the Union of Jewish Students who is studying at the University of Bristol, said board leaders had “both failed to act ethically and also to represent the increasing diversity of opinion” over Gaza within Jewish communities.

Read more: Board of Deputies member quits in protest over Gaza ‘genocidal assault’

Israel's continued war on the Gaza Strip has become unacceptable and must stop immediately, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.

"The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible and senseless terrorist act is taking on dramatic and unacceptable forms, which we call on Israel to stop immediately," Tajani told parliament.

One Palestinian was killed by Israeli drone fire in the town of Abasan, east of Khan Younis, Al Jazeera reported, citing medical sources.

At least 15 people have been killed across Gaza since dawn, the report said.