Despite a six-week-long ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, at least 24 Palestinians have been killed in renewed Israeli air and drone strikes. The attacks, which began early Saturday, also left 87 others injured, according to local health authorities. Children are reported to be among the dead.

Witnesses said the first strike targeted a car in northern Gaza City, followed by successive attacks in Deir al-Balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp. In Gaza City’s Rimal area, a drone strike killed 11 people and injured 20 others. Rami Muhanna, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed that many of the wounded remain in critical condition.

In Deir al-Balah, a strike on a residential house left three people dead, including a woman. The blast was so powerful that nearby residents fled in panic. “This cannot be called a ceasefire,” said eyewitness Khalil Abu Hatab. “There is no safe place left.”

Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating ceasefire terms and has urged the United States to intervene immediately. The group claims the strikes are targeting civilians and called for stronger international action to halt the attacks.

International observers warn that the renewed violence could escalate tensions further amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

The United States has designated Saudi Arabia as one of its most important non-NATO military allies, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday during a White House dinner held in honour of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Al Jazeera.

Trump said the official designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally would elevate military cooperation between the two countries. The United States has granted this status to only 19 nations so far. He added that the decision had been kept confidential until the event at Saudi Arabia’s request.

The President also noted that the Crown Prince would play a role in a council being formed to establish peace in Gaza, adding that he himself would serve as its chairman, as previously stated.

Earlier, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the United States for the meeting. Discussions covered military cooperation, nuclear technology, artificial intelligence, and increased Saudi investments in the US. The Crown Prince announced plans to raise Saudi investments from 600 billion USD to 1 trillion USD.

Talks also included potential sales of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

Israel is set to put Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, the chief preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, on trial over alleged “incitement.” The 86-year-old cleric is scheduled to appear before the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Tuesday (18 November), according to a report by Anadolu Agency.

The court will review an indictment filed by the Israeli Public Prosecution, accusing Sabri of expressing condolences over the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh—killed in an Israeli strike in Iran in 2024—and offering prayers for Palestinians shot dead in the occupied West Bank in 2022.

In August 2024, Israeli police barred Sabri from entering Al-Aqsa for six months after he publicly mourned Haniyeh’s death. His legal team argues that the move is politically motivated and driven by right-wing groups seeking to target the prominent cleric.

They claim Sabri has long faced travel bans, restrictions on entering Al-Aqsa, and even demolition orders on his home—actions they describe as part of a broader pattern of political, religious, and ideological persecution.

Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, have previously acted against Sabri, frequently accusing him of delivering pro-Gaza sermons.

Al-Aqsa, Islam’s third-holiest site, sits in a location Jews refer to as the “Temple Mount,” believed to have housed two ancient Jewish temples. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Arab–Israeli war and unilaterally annexed the city in 1980—a move not recognized by the international community.