Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir prompted strong condemnation from Arab nations and Palestinian militants Hamas on Wednesday with his latest visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City.

The firebrand politician was visiting the site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem after returning to the government last month following the resumption of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas condemned a visit on Wednesday by Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, calling it a "provocative and dangerous escalation".

In a statement, the Palestinian militant group called for Palestinians "and our youth in the West Bank to escalate their confrontation... in defense of our land and our sanctities, foremost among them the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque". The disputed site is sacred to both Jews and Muslims.

Gaza's civil defense agency said nine children were among 16 people killed in an Israeli strike on what it called a U.N. clinic in Jabalia Wednesday, which the army did not immediately confirm.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said there were also dozens of people wounded in the strike which "targeted an UNRWA building housing a medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp". The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was not immediately able to confirm the strike.

Since President Donald Trump took office, the U.S. government has used its immigration enforcement powers to crack down on international students and scholars at several American universities who had participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations or criticized Israel over its military action in Gaza.

Trump and other officials have accused protesters and others of being "pro-Hamas," referring to the Palestinian militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Many protesters have said they were speaking out against Israel's actions in the war.

Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Wednesday that overnight air strikes on Hodeida province killed four people in an attack they blamed on the United States.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory.

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed that strikes on Yemen's Houthis will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping, warning the rebels and their Iranian backers of "real pain" to come.

"The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

U.S. President Donald Trump may visit Saudi Arabia as soon as next month, he told reporters at the White House on Monday, in what could be his first overseas trip since his return to power.

"It could be next month, maybe a little bit later. And we're going to Qatar, also, and also we're going to possibly a couple of other countries. UAE is very important ... so we'll probably stop at UAE and Qatar," the Republican said.

The Israeli military on Monday issued sweeping evacuation orders covering most of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip.

Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and ground war earlier this month. At the beginning of March it cut off all supplies of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to the territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians to pressure Hamas to accept changes to the truce agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel's intensified military pressure on Hamas in Gaza has been effective, stressing the Palestinian group must lay down its arms.

"We are negotiating under fire... We can see cracks beginning to appear" in what the group demanded in its negotiations, Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting.