Live: Thousands return home as Lebanon ceasefire takes hold

More than one-third of American-Jewish teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 agree with the statement, "I sympathise with Hamas" - more than a year into Israel's war on Gaza, according to a new poll released by an Israeli government ministry.

The survey released by Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism found that 36.7 percent of American-Jewish teens either "agreed" or "strongly agreed" to the statement, "I sympathise with Hamas", Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The number contrasted sharply with the seven percent of Jewish teens living outside of the US who agreed with that statement.

An even greater percentage of American-Jewish teens, 41.3 percent, agreed with the statement that Israel was "committing genocide" in Gaza. Only 10 percent of Jewish teens living outside the US agreed with that statement.

A majority, 66 percent, said that they sympathise with the Palestinian people as a whole.

Read more: One-third of Jewish-American teens say they 'sympathise' with Hamas, Israeli government poll shows

World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus voiced alarm over a drone strike on Kamal Adwan hospital, one of the only two partially functioning hospitals in the besiged northern Gaza.

“WHO is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of 80 patients, including eight in the intensive care unit, and staff inside the hospital,” Tedros stated.  

He added that the attack damaged the hospital’s electricity generator, leaving the oxygen system nonfunctional and jeopardizing patient care.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 226 health workers have been killed and 199 wounded in Lebanon since 7 October 2023, during Israel's ongoing war on Gaza.

A WHO representative in Lebanon, Abdinasir Abubakar, said, “Almost 70 percent of all the deaths actually have occurred after September. September, October, November – these three months were the deadliest actually for the healthcare.”  

The WHO also documented 187 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel in Lebanon during this period.

At least 62 people were killed and 111 wounded in Israeli air strikes across Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

This brings the total casualties since October 2023 to 3,645 deaths and 15,355 injuries, the ministry announced on Friday.

The New York Times, citing regional and American officials, reports that discussions are underway about a potential agreement between Israel and Lebanon.  

• The proposed deal reportedly includes a 60-day truce, during which Israel would withdraw from Lebanon

• Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River as part of the arrangement

• While implementation details remain unresolved, officials expressed cautious optimism about reaching a settlement

• Israel appears more inclined toward a ceasefire in Lebanon than in Gaza, believing it could facilitate the return of displaced populations to northern areas

A British charity associated with former prime minister Tony Blair displays a map on its website including the occupied Golan Heights, West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of Israel.

The UK branch of Israel's Jewish National Fund (JNF), which lists Blair as an honorary patron, has in the past been heavily criticised for its activities, which have included donating £1m to "Israel's largest militia".

Now the British organisation, which has charitable status, risks being drawn into a fresh scandal over a map on its official website.

As of 3pm on Friday, the website, viewed by Middle East Eye, displays a donation campaign for JNF UK's activities in the Negev, a desert region in southern Israel.

The website reads: "Israel’s centre is prosperous but crowded. Its peripheries have enough space for millions of new homes, but the infrastructure is lacking."

Read more: Blair patron of charity that shows Gaza and West Bank as part of Israel

A record 281 humanitarian aid workers have been killed globally since January, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha). This unprecedented figure is primarily attributed to Israel's ongoing war on Gaza.

Most victims were local staff working for non-governmental organisations, UN agencies, and the Red Cross. The toll surpasses last year’s total of 280 aid workers killed.  

The UN database reveals that 178 of these fatalities occurred in Palestinian territories this year alone, underscoring the escalating risks faced by humanitarian personnel in conflict zones and the scale of Israel's war on Palestinians.

An Israeli attack on the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza has killed two people and injured several others, according to reports on Friday.

Earlier, three people were killed in a strike on Gaza City, while two more lost their lives in an assault west of Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, are now fugitives under international law, after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for them on Thursday.

All 124 state parties to the Rome Statute, including all EU members, are now under a legal obligation to arrest the pair.

The fact that they belong to a state that is not party to the treaty, however, may be used to invoke immunity, experts told Middle East Eye. 

The arrest warrants are part of a war-crimes investigation on the situation in Palestine, launched in 2021 by the former ICC prosecutor. 

Israel is not a member of the ICC, but the State of Palestine was granted membership in 2015. Accordingly, the court can investigate Israeli individuals for crimes committed in occupied Palestine, which includes the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

Read more: Are Netanyahu and Gallant immune from arrest under international law?

Israeli forces have carried out multiple air strikes across the Gaza Strip throughout the day. Medical sources informed Al Jazeera that at least 38 people have been killed since the morning hours.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned of “clear threats” from Israel and said that Iraq has taken both “internal and external steps” to address the situation.

“The prime minister has directed the armed forces to take actions against those who launch attacks using Iraqi territory,” Hussein said, adding that the region is “under fire”.

Unifil has said that two rockets that struck the peacekeeping mission's base in southern Lebanon and injured four Italian soldiers were “likely launched by Hezbollah or affiliated groups".

“Today’s attack comes amid heavy shelling and ground skirmishes in the Shama [Chamaa] and Naqoura areas in recent days, heightening tensions in the region,” it said in a statement.

“Unifil strongly urges combating parties to avoid fighting next to its positions. Inviolability of UN premises and personnel must be respected at all times,” it added.

The British government has said it will comply with its obligations under domestic and international law after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister.

On Thursday, the government refused to confirm whether Netanyahu would be arrested if he set foot on British soil.

On Friday afternoon, however, PA Media reported Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson as saying: "The UK will always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law."

He added: "I’m not going to get ahead of the process or provide commentary on individual cases." 

As a member state of the ICC, Britain would be obligated to arrest Netanyahu if he entered the country, legal experts and commentators have told Middle East Eye.

In 2001, Tony Blair's Labour government passed the ICC Act, which enforces compliance with the court. 

There is a domestic legal process through which Britain's independent courts determine whether to endorse the warrant in accordance with the 2001 act.

The prime minister's spokesperson appeared to refer to this process in his statement. However, by saying Britain would comply with international law, he appeared to signal that the UK backs the ICC.

This is consistent with the Labour government's previous statements in support of the ICC.

In July, Britain dropped its previous objection to an arrest warrant being issued, which was filed by the previous Conservative government. 

The Labour government said: "This is a matter for the court to decide on." 

READ MORE: UK suggests it would comply with ICC warrant and arrest Netanyahu

Former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked has been banned from entering Australia over fears of "incitement".

Shaked, a former MP for the far-right Yamina party, was scheduled to appear at a conference hosted by the pro-Israel Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (Aijac).

However, the Australian Department of Home Affairs told the former Israeli justice minister on Thursday that she had been denied a visa to travel to the country under the Migration Act.

The act allows the government to deny entry to individuals likely to "vilify Australians" or "incite discord" within the local community.

Speaking to Israeli media, Shaked claimed that her ban was due to her vocal opposition to a Palestinian state.

READ MORE: Former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked denied entry to Australia over 'incitement'

The Israeli military has issued new forced expulsion orders for residents of Beirut's southern suburbs.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents around three buildings marked on a map attached to the announcement to flee, as they will shortly be targeted with bombardment.