Israeli forces have prevented rescue teams from reaching Palestinians trapped under the rubble in besieged northern Gaza as residents describe “scenes of terror”.

    The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says Israel is “weaponising aid” by blocking UN workers from reaching besieged areas.

    An Israeli attack near Rafik Hariri Hospital in Beirut has killed four people, including a child, and wounded 32 others, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reports.

    In Gaza, at least 42,603 people have been killed and 99,795 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, and more than 200 were taken captive.

    Pro-Palestine protesters arrested after occupying US university building

    A pro-Palestine protest organiser says US police have arrested demonstrators at the University of Minnesota after a group of students occupied an administrative building at the school.

    The organiser said about 30 people occupied Morrill Hall, with a larger group gathered outside the building. They planned to stay until their demands – which include the university divesting from Israel and repealing its political neutrality agreement – are met.

    School officials warned people to stay away from the Morrill Hall area, accusing protesters of “causing property damage and restricting [the] entrance and exit from the building”.

    It is not known how many protesters were arrested, nor if any remain in Morrill Hall.

    A university spokesperson said he had no further updates when contacted by The Associated Press and did not immediately respond to a query asking to confirm the arrests.

    PEN America condemns Israeli censorship of film about Palestinian city

    PEN America has condemned the Israeli government’s banning of the sci-fi feature documentary film Lyd, which was meant to be shown at the al-Saraya Theater in Jaffa earlier this month.

    “We are particularly concerned about the Israeli government’s demand that al-Saraya Theater submit all future programming for approval by the Ministry of Communications,” PEN said in a statement.

    Israeli police stopped the theatre from showing the film after Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar said it slandered Israel and its soldiers, The Times of Israel reported earlier this month.

    Co-directed by Rami Younis, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and Sarah Ema Friedland, a Jewish-American media artist, Lyd tells the story of the Palestinian city south of Tel Aviv. It is also known as Lod in Israel.

    “The occupation can take many things, but one thing it can’t take is your ability to imagine,” Younis told Al Jazeera when the film premiered in London earlier this year.