News Wrap: Top UN court says Israel's rule over Palestinian territories 'unlawful'

In our news wrap Friday, the top U.N. court says Israel’s rule over occupied Palestinian territories is “unlawful,” Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an Iranian-made drone that hit Tel-Aviv, the government of Bangladesh announced a nationwide curfew as student protests escalate and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy urged Britain’s new government to let his forces strike deeper into Russia.

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Amna Nawaz: In the day’s other headlines: The U.N.’s top court says that Israel’s rule over the Palestinian-occupied territories is — quote — “unlawful.”

In a sweeping condemnation, the International Court of Justice in The Hague set Israel’s policies impede Palestinians’ right to self-determination and violate international law. The 15-judge panel pointed to the building and expanding of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas that Israel captured in the 1967 War, and called on them to be withdrawn.

Nawaf Salam, Presiding Judge, International Court of Justice (through interpreter): The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying violates fundamental principles of international law. Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible.

Amna Nawaz: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted swiftly online, writing — quote — “The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land. No absurd opinion in The Hague can deny this historical truth.”

Meanwhile, in Israel, an Iranian-made drone rumbled downtown Tel Aviv early this morning, killing one man and injuring at least 10 others. Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, making it the group’s first lethal strike into Israel. Footage circulated overnight of the explosion. By dawn, police swarmed the scene to survey the damage.

The Israeli military said they’re investigating how the drone bypassed the country’s air defense system.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Spokesperson, Israeli Defense Forces (through interpreter): We are in a multifront war. We work on all fronts and defend the country every day. Some of these fronts are close and others are far away. In this event, we are talking about an error. There was a detection. We are investigating all the chains, but it is known there was no interception.

Amna Nawaz: All this as Israeli bombs continue to fall in Gaza. Families mourned today after 12 people were killed in airstrikes on two refugee camps in Central Gaza.

The government of Bangladesh has announced a nationwide curfew, as deadly student protests escalate. Earlier today, security forces used live rounds and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Security on the streets of DACA remains tight, amid ongoing skirmishes between police and demonstrators.

A day earlier, local media said that 22 students were killed. Protesters are calling for changes to a system that reserves 30 percent of top government posts for relatives of the country’s war for independence. They insist the jobs be based on merit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Britain’s new government to let his forces strike deeper into Russian territory. The U.K., United States and others have placed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons in Russia. Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street today and delivered a rare address to a U.K. Cabinet meeting.

He was the first foreign leader to do so since Bill Clinton in 1997. Zelenskyy said he was grateful for Britain’s leadership, but that more needs to be done.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President: Right now, we are missing the main answer to this question, and that is our long-range capability. By defending Ukraine against the Russian advance on Kharkiv in May, June, we have proven that we can stop any Russian attempt to expand the war.

Amna Nawaz: In the meantime, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Ukraine is on its way to being able to — quote — “stand on its own feet militarily.” Those comments come amid concerns that a Donald Trump victory in November’s presidential election could impact America’s commitment to Ukraine’s war effort.

Hundreds of mourners said their final goodbyes to Corey Comperatore today, the firefighter who was killed during the attempted assassination of former President Trump last weekend. A fire engine carrying Comperatore’s flag-draped casket led a procession to the Pennsylvania church where he was a long time congregant.

Officials say Comperatore lost his life while shielding his wife and daughter from the gunfire. The 50-year-old worked as a project and tooling engineer. Last Saturday was the first time he attended a Trump event.

Allen Weisselberg was released from Rikers Island today. The retired chief financial officer for the Trump Organization served 100 days of a five-month sentence for perjury. He was released early due to good behavior. Weisselberg was convicted during the 2023 civil fraud trial against the former president’s real estate company.

His release comes after Peter Navarro made an appearance at the Republican National Convention just hours after walking out of prison himself. The former Trump White House adviser served a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.

And on Wall Street today, stocks ended lower after that global tech glitch added even more uncertainty to the markets. The Dow Jones industrial average lost nearly 400 points, but still above the 40,000-point level. The Nasdaq gave back more than 140 points, closing out a rough week for tech stocks, and the S&P 500 also ended in negative territory.