Israel shells, demolishes homes in Gaza, as Rafah crossing remains shuttered

This live blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. 

For more updates from around the region, join us again at 8 AM GMT.

Seven Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation late on Tuesday following an Israeli raid on the town of Aqaba, located north of the occupied West Bank city of Tubas. 

According to the Wafa news agency, emergency services treated the individuals, while a medical official said one person was wounded in the assault. 

Israeli forces also used sound grenades during the raid. 

Syrian authorities suspended flights to and from Aleppo airport in the country's north on Tuesday, as deadly clashes between government and Kurdish-led forces rocked the provincial capital.

Civil aviation officials announced "the suspension of flights to and from Aleppo airport for 24 hours and their diversion to Damascus airport", state news agency SANA reported.

Israeli forces on Tuesday evening raided the village of Madama, south of Nablus, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The news agency stated, citing sources, that Israeli troops also assaulted several Palestinians and raided shops. 

The village of Madama has faced several Israeli raids in recent months, which has affected the livelihoods of civilians and caused many to seek medical treatment following assaults. 

Both Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday stressed that the Gaza ceasefire agreement should be implemented in full, and that regional and international efforts ensuring this should be increased. 

According to reports, the remarks were made in a phone call between Egypt's minister of foreign affairs, Badr Abdel-Aty, and Qatari Prime Minister and minister of foreign affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. 

A Qatari ministry statement said the countries reviewed their cooperation efforts and discussed how to support and strengthen them. They also discussed the latest developments in the region, with a focus on Gaza. 

Israeli forces late on Tuesday shelled eastern parts of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, The New Arab's Arabic language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported. 

Israeli forces also demolished several residential areas east of Jabalia, with explosives used, reports added. 

The shelling marks the latest example of Israel's violation of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect in October. 

Birzeit University has condemned an Israeli raid on its campus which saw at least 11 students injured, including five by live rounds, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The university said the attack was a violation of the sanctity of university and educational institutions, and a breach of international norms on the protection of educational institutions.

The African Union's Political Affairs Peace and Security council called on Tuesday for the "immediate revocation" of Israel's recognition of Somaliland.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sara visited Somaliland on Tuesday on a trip that was denounced by Somalia, 10 days after Israel formally recognised the self-declared republic as an independent and sovereign state.

"The (AU) Council strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the unilateral recognition of the so-called 'Republic of Somaliland' by Israel," it said in a post on X after a ministerial meeting.

After more than 20 months of closure, the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been at the centre of political and humanitarian discussions.

Israeli and regional outlets reported that preparations were underway to reopen the Rafah crossing under frameworks linked to ceasefire understandings and post-war arrangements.

But the situation took a decisive turn on Tuesday morning when the Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after returning from the United States and assessing the security and political context, announced that the Rafah crossing would remain closed.

Netanyahu claimed that the closure will persist until the body of Israeli captive Ran Goili is recovered, emphasising that Israel considers the Rafah border one of its few remaining bargaining chips against Hamas.

For Gaza residents and officials, Netanyahu's announcement confirmed what many had feared: the crossing's fate is not determined by the Palestinians' humanitarian need, but merely by cold political calculations and Israeli security priorities.

Israel's recognition of Somaliland was a "moral" decision, its foreign minister said Tuesday as he made the first high-profile visit to the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa since the historic declaration.

"Israel is truly honoured to be the first UN member state to recognise the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. This is the moral thing to do," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said.

Israeli settlers opening fire in Bethlehem injured two Palestinians, while a further two were detained by Israeli forces, Wafa reports.

Dozens of settlers raided the village, shooting one Palestinian in the foot and the other in the hand, the head of the Rashaydeh village council, Jumaa Rashayde, told the agency. At the same time Zakaria Habes Rashaydeh, 21, and Muhammad Asaad Rashaydeh, 22 were detained. 

Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday condemned a visit by Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to Hargeisa, saying it was a violation of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ministry said that any official engagement without Somalia's consent was illegal and void and called on international bodies, including the United Nations and the African Union, to support its territorial integrity.

Gaza's Ministry of Health has said that its hospitals received the bodies of two Palestinians who had been killed, including a body that had been recovered, as well as 10 others who were injured.

Qatar said it is working to reopen the Rafah border crossing, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari saying that "we are working with mediator[s] to ensure we reach the second phase of Gaza ceasefire."

"We demanded that humanitarian aid is not used as a political blackmail," al-Ansari was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

Israeli forces have stormed Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank, wounding 11 students, including five who were shot with live ammunition, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Wafa reported that four other students suffered injuries from gas inhalation, while two others were injured after falling during the raid, with the university's public relations officer sayingthat 8,000 students were on campus at the time of the raid.

Israel's foreign minister arrived in Somaliland on Tuesday in the first high-profile visit by an Israeli official since the country recognised the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa, the Somaliland presidency said.

"A delegation led by the Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar landed at the Hargeisa town, he was received at the airport by senior government officials. He had meetings with the Somaliland top officials," the presidency said in a statement.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is visiting Somaliland, according to the Times of Israel, citing press in the breakaway state, as well as AFP and Reuters.

During his visit, which comes after Israel became the first country to recognise the territory, Sa'ar is set to meet the territory's leader, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.

A Palestinian man was killed by an Israeli drone, east of Khan Younis, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday condemned Israel's latest strikes on his country, saying they undermine efforts to prevent escalation.

Aoun's criticism came after Israel launched a series of strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday, saying it hit Hezbollah and Hamas targets.

The attacks began with strikes on four villages where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, though later bombing including a strike in the early hours of Tuesday, came without prior notice.

In a statement, Aoun said that "Israel's continued attacks aim to thwart all efforts made locally, regionally and internationally to stop the ongoing Israeli escalation, despite the response shown by Lebanon to these efforts at various levels".

An Israeli soldier from the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade was seriously injured in an operational accident in southern Gaza yesterday, according to The Times of Israel, which added that the soldier was evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

Israel has detained two Palestinian fishermen fishing off the coast of Gaza City, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa, which reported that the fishermen were fired upon by Israeli naval vessels before their detention.

An international media association on Tuesday criticised the Israeli government for maintaining its ban on unrestricted media access to Gaza, calling the move disappointing.

The government had told the Supreme Court in a submission late Sunday that the ban should remain in place, citing security risks in the Gaza Strip.

The submission was in response to a petition filed by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) - which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and Palestinian territories - seeking immediate and unrestricted access for foreign journalists to the Gaza Strip.

"The Foreign Press Association expresses its profound disappointment with the Israeli government's latest response to our appeal for full and free access to the Gaza Strip," the association said on Tuesday.

"Instead of presenting a plan for allowing journalists into Gaza independently and letting us work alongside our brave Palestinian colleagues, the government has decided once again to lock us out" despite the ceasefire in the territory, it added.

The FPA said it planned to submit a "robust response" to the court, and expressed hope the "judges will put an end to this charade".