Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 288?

The strike on Hodeidah in western Yemen was not unanimously approved by the political-security cabinet, as some cabinet ministers did not support the attack, KAN reported Saturday evening.

The United States criticized "the breadth" of the top UN court's opinion in which the International Court of Justice said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, with Washington saying it will complicate efforts to resolve the conflict.

"We have been clear that Israel's program of government support for settlements is both inconsistent with international law and obstructs the cause of peace," a US State Department spokesperson said on Saturday in an email.

"However, we are concerned that the breadth of the court's opinion will complicate efforts to resolve the conflict and bring about an urgently needed just and lasting peace, with two states living side-by-side in peace and security," the State Department added.

Israeli officials on Saturday evening responded to the confirmed IDF strike on the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, which struck Houthi military targets and energy infrastructures. 

The strike was conducted by IDF fighter jets and struck several targets in Hodeidah, including Houthi strategic points and energy infrastructure. 

Local residents told Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen that there were power outages in several sections of the city. 

The Israel Air Force (IAF) struck a launcher in the area of Deir Seryan in southern Lebanon, from which projectiles were launched toward northern Israel and the Golan Heights earlier on Saturday, the IDF stated on Saturday evening. 

An additional Hezbollah launcher was struck in the area of Aitaroun, the IDF noted.

IDF fighter jets struck Houthi military targets in the area of the Hodeidah Port in Yemen, the IDF confirmed Saturday evening. 

Israeli airstrikes reportedly targeted oil refining facilities in Yemen's Hodeidah, according to the Houthi-run Yemeni news outlet, Al-Masirah.

Israel's Defense Ministry reported that discussions on approving the operational plans to strike in Yemen took place on Saturday morning under the lead of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other senior defense officials. 

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry stated on Saturday that the death toll in Gaza has reached 38,919 since the war started on October 7 of last year.

A further 89,622 have thus far been wounded in the conflict, the Gazan ministry added.

The number has not been independently verified, and the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its toll.

The Hamas-run ministry has also been repeatedly criticized for distorting casualty figures.

In May, departing from Hamas’s reported figures, the UN halved the number of women and children it had previously reported had been killed thus far in the war.

The National Security Council at the White House held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to discuss escalating measures against Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

This included considering sanctions on ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whom the Biden administration holds responsible for undermining security in Judea and Samaria, according to journalist Barak Ravid, citing three senior American officials.

The report indicates that the Biden administration is frustrated with the Israeli government's policies of expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank and weakening the Palestinian Authority, noting that some ministers are openly associated with extremist settler groups. 

The administration also believes that the settlements are inconsistent with international law.

The Israel Air Force (IAF) struck a structure used by terrorist organizations to build up military operations in the area of Deir al Balah in the Gaza Strip, the IDF reported on Saturday afternoon.

The IAF conducted the strikes following intelligence provided by the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). 

The "Elkahira" company operated in the structure since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War and was central to storing and transferring funds to terror organizations in Gaza, as well as carrying out terror activities, the IDF noted. 

This latest action followed the IDF's Thursday strike on the operative Tahsin Elandim, who operated in the "Elkahira" company. Tahsin transferred funds to terror organizations in Gaza, including to Hamas's military wing.