Israel Gaza War LIVE Update:Israeli strikes kill Hamas spokesman, family of six in Gaza overnight

Palestinian militant group Hamas said an Israeli air strike on Thursday killed one of its spokesmen in Gaza the Israeli military accused of spreading "psychological terror" through social media.
The military said that "overnight, (the army and air force) conducted a strike in northern Gaza," killing Abdul Latif al-Qanou.
It called Qanou "one of Hamas' key inciters", who used social media "for propaganda purposes, psychological terror," and for "inciting terrorist activities" against Israel. (AFP)

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthis said Thursday they targeted an Israeli airport and army site as well as a US warship, soon after Israel reported intercepting missiles launched from the Gulf country.

The Huthis "targeted Ben Gurion airport... with a ballistic missile... and a military target" south of Tel Aviv, their military spokesman Yahya Saree said, adding the rebels also "targeted hostile warships in the Red Sea, including the American aircraft carrier (USS Harry S.) Truman" in response to attacks blamed on the United States. (AFP)

The Israeli military said that it activated air raid sirens across multiple areas of the country on Thursday after the launch of a projectile from Yemen.
The sirens were heard in Jerusalem, where AFP journalists later reported the sound of several muted explosions. (AFP)

Ozturk was one of four students last March who wrote an op-ed in The Tufts Daily criticising the university's response to its community union Senate passing resolutions that demanded Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.

Under pressure from Israel's top court to improve conditions at a facility notorious for mistreating Palestinians seized in Gaza, the military transferred hundreds of detainees to newly opened camps. But abuses at these camps were just as bad, according to Israeli human rights organisations that interviewed dozens of current and former detainees and are now asking the same court to force the military to fix the problem once and for all.

What the detainees' testimonies show, rights groups say, is that instead of correcting alleged abuses against Palestinians held without charge or trial - including beatings, excessive handcuffing, and poor diet and health care -- Israel's military just shifted where they take place.

"What we've seen is the erosion of the basic standards for humane detention," said Jessica Montell, the director of Hamoked, one of the rights groups petitioning the Israeli government, according to the Associated Press.

Palestinians in Gaza have staged rare protests against Hamas amid ongoing war with Israel, expressing frustration over continued violence, displacement, and hardship. Demonstrators in towns like Beit Lahiya and Gaza City chanted anti-Hamas slogans, demanding an end to the war. Despite Hamas’ history of suppressing dissent, no significant crackdown on these protests was reported. The unrest follows Israel’s renewed offensive, which resumed after a ceasefire ended, leading to more casualties and worsening humanitarian conditions. Protesters are urging Hamas to make concessions to stop the bloodshed.

The Israel Defence Forces issued evacuation directives for specific areas of Gaza City on Wednesday, intensifying its military campaign against Hamas.
Israel has insisted on heightening military action until Hamas releases the remaining 59 captives, with 24 believed to be still alive. Additionally, Israel demands Hamas' complete disarmament and leadership exile. However, Hamas maintains its position that hostage release is contingent upon a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The conflict began following Hamas' October 7, 2023, incursion into Israel, during which Palestinian militants killed approximately 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, and captured 251 individuals. In response, Israel's military operation has resulted in over 50,000 fatalities, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has not differentiated between civilian and militant casualties.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused the opposition of fuelling "anarchy" in Israel, after thousands massed at anti-government protests in recent days.

Addressing the opposition during a speech in parliament, Netanyahu said: "You recycle the same worn-out and ridiculous slogans about 'the end of democracy'. Well, once and for all: democracy is not in danger, it is the power of the bureaucrats that is in danger". "Perhaps you could stop fuelling the sedition, hatred and anarchy in the streets?" he added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Wednesday that Israel would intensify its pressure on Hamas if the Palestinian militant group refused to release hostages still held in Gaza.

"The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release our hostages, the stronger the pressure we will exert," Netanyahu told parliament. "I say this to my colleagues in the Knesset, and I say it to Hamas as well: This includes the seizure of territories, along with other measures I will not elaborate here," he said.

Palestinian militant group Hamas warned on Wednesday that hostages may be killed if Israel attempts to retrieve them by force and air strikes continue in the Gaza Strip.
The group said in a statement that it was "doing everything possible to keep the occupation's captives alive, but the random Zionist (Israeli) bombardment is endangering their lives," adding: "every time the occupation attempts to retrieve its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins".

Palestinians chanted against Hamas during an anti-war protest in the Gaza Strip, according to videos circulating online. It was a rare show of public anger against the militant group, which has long repressed dissent and still rules the territory 17 months into the war with Israel. The videos, which appeared to be authentic, showed hundreds of people taking part in an anti-war protest in the heavily destroyed northern town of Beit Lahiya on Tuesday.
People held signs saying "Stop the war," "We refuse to die," and "The blood of our children is not cheap."

Some could be heard chanting: "Hamas out!" Other videos appeared to show Hamas supporters dispersing the crowds.

A statement released by family elders from Beit Lahiya expressed support for the protests against Israel's offensive and its tightened blockade.

They also said the community fully supports armed resistance against Israel and rejects "any attempt to exploit legitimate popular demands by a fifth column," apparently referring to opponents of Hamas.

Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani says his country will provide medical treatment for two Palestinian women for injuries and illnesses from the conflict in Gaza, and one of them has arrived in Tokyo.

Nakatani said Wednesday that one patient is being treated at the Self Defense Forces Central Hospital. Another patient is to arrive within days, he said. Both women were previously being treated in Egypt. Nakatani did not give further details about the patients, their conditions or their expected length of stay in Japan.

The treatments, Nakatani said, are part of Japan's efforts to address the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and followed a request from the World Health Organization.

“(The women) are supposed to return to their original places after treatment, and their visit is not meant for settling in Japan,” Nakatani said.

Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Israel, sought to distance himself from his past controversial statements during his Senate confirmation hearing, pledging to uphold the president’s policies rather than his own. A vocal supporter of Israel, Huckabee has previously backed Israeli annexation of the West Bank and dismissed the concept of a Palestinian identity, views that have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and centrist Jewish groups. His nomination comes amid escalating tensions in Gaza following the collapse of a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Kevin Cabrera, Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Panama, also testified, focusing on U.S. concerns over Chinese influence in the Panama Canal.

Israeli police released Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal on Tuesday after detaining him for allegedly hurling rocks during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank. Activists claim Ballal was attacked by settlers and later beaten by soldiers before being left blindfolded and handcuffed overnight. His co-directors and rights groups say the incident is part of a broader rise in settler violence since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. Ballal's documentary No Other Land, which won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards, highlights the forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, near where he was detained.

Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian fighter, identified by Hamas as a member of its al-Qassam Brigades, in a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya. The Israeli military said the 19-year-old was planning an imminent attack and opened fire on officers before being killed. Palestinian sources said he was shot inside a shop. The raid, which involved shoulder-launched missiles and an explosive drone, also left two others wounded. Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the Gaza war, with over 900 Palestinians and 32 Israelis killed in clashes and military operations.

The Trump administration has intensified its response to student-led protests over the Israel-Gaza war, targeting Columbia University as a key battleground. Homeland Security officials are seeking to arrest Yunseo Chung, who has allegedly evaded detention. Her lawsuit argues that immigration enforcement is being weaponised to suppress political dissent. Meanwhile, Columbia has faced financial repercussions, losing $400 million in federal funding as the government pressures universities to curb demonstrations deemed hostile to Jewish students.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Tuesday, chanting slogans against Hamas and calling for an end to the ongoing conflict with Israel, witnesses reported. Protesters, mostly men, shouted “Hamas out” and “Hamas terrorists” as tensions escalated following the Israeli military’s renewed bombardment of Gaza after a nearly two-month truce. The rare public demonstration comes amid growing frustration over the war’s devastating toll on civilians.