The Israeli military is accusing a severely wounded journalist for the Qatar-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera of being a Hamas commander, without providing evidence.

Al Jazeera said Tuesday that two of its journalists, cameraman Ahmad Matar and reporter Ismail Abu Omar, were wounded in an Israeli strike and that Abu Omar had his right foot amputated as a result.

The Israeli military claimed on Wednesday that Abu Omar is a deputy company commander in Hamas' eastern battalion in the southern city of Khan Younis. It sent a screengrab from a video Abu Omar allegedly took of himself in southern Israel on Oct 7, as Hamas was staging its deadly assault.

Several journalists crossed into Israel along with Hamas during the attack and some reported live as the fighting was taking place.

Al Jazeera did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment late Wednesday.

Israel has previously accused other journalists of having ties to Hamas.

As of Wednesday, the war has seen at least 85 journalists and media workers killed, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. They put the number at 78 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese.

MACRON TELLS NETANYAHU THAT FRANCE OPPOSES AN ISRAELI GROUND INVASION OF RAFAH

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, during which Macron expressed France's “firm opposition to an Israeli offensive in Rafah.”

The city on Gaza's southern border with Egypt is sheltering some 1.4 million displaced people — over half the Gaza Strip's population — who are crammed into tent camps and overflowing apartments and shelters.

According to a statement from the president's office, Macron told Netanyahu that an offensive into Rafah could “only lead to a humanitarian disaster of a new magnitude,” with any forced displacement of a population potentially being a violation of international humanitarian law and increasing the risk of a regional escalation.

He also stressed the urgency of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, including opening the Israeli port of Ashdod and establishing a direct land route from Jordan.

However, Macron reiterated French support for Israel's security and Paris' solidarity with the Israeli people following the “terrorist attack” on Oct 7.

Macron said the release of all the Israeli hostages, including three French nationals, was a priority for his government.

ISRAELI MILITARY CONFIRMS SOLDIER KILLED IN ROCKET ATTACK FROM LEBANON

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military confirmed that a female soldier was killed in a rocket attack from Lebanon on Wednesday that wounded several others in the town of Safed.

Staff Sgt Omer Sarah Benjo was killed by the attack from Lebanon that struck a military base in northern Israel, the army said.

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which supports Hamas, have traded fire along the border nearly every day since the start of the war in Gaza, raising the risk of a wider conflict. Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for the rocket attack.

Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon in response, killing four people, including a Syrian woman and her two Lebanese children, and wounding at least nine, Lebanese security officials and local media said.

The UN children's agency, UNICEF, said in a statement that “two innocent children lost their lives due to an air strike attack” in Lebanon on Wednesday, adding, “We urgently call for the protection of children in times of war and at all times.”

UK FOREIGN SECRETARY WANTS A GUARANTEE ABOUT UNRWA EMPLOYEES BEFORE RESTORING FUNDING

SOFIA, Bulgaria — British Foreign Secretary David Cameron says the UK will only restore funding to the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees if there is an “absolute guarantee” it won't employ staff willing to attack Israel.

The UK joined the US and several other donor nations countries in suspending funding to UNRWA after Israel alleged a dozen of its employees took part in Hamas' Oct 7 attack, which ignited the current war in Gaza. The UN is investigating the claims.

During a visit to Bulgaria, Cameron said that Britain was seeking “an absolute guarantee that this can't happen again”.

He said Britain had paused its funding while “reviews are taking place.”

“We need them to take place quickly, because many UNRWA staff do an absolutely vital job inside Gaza, where they're the only network for distributing aid to make sure that we get aid to people that need it very, very badly,” he said.

NETANYAHU SAYS HAMAS HASN'T OFFERED A NEW PROPSAL IN HOSTAGE RELEASE TALKS

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas has not offered any new proposal during talks in Cairo meant to free Israeli hostages and bring about a cease-fire.

Netanyahu's remarks in a statement Wednesday came after local media reported that the Israeli leader had told an Israeli delegation not to return to the talks.

In the statement, Netanyahu said Israel “wouldn't surrender to Hamas' delusional demands,” and said a change in Hamas' positions would allow the talks to move forward.

Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until “total victory” over Hamas and the return of all the roughly 100 hostages. Hamas has said it will not release all the captives until Israel ends its offensive, withdraws from Gaza and releases a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including top militants. Netanyahu has rejected those demands.

TOP PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT PUSHES TO PREVENT IMMINENT' ISRAELI ATTACK ON GAZA'S RAFAH

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Palestinian foreign minister said Wednesday efforts were underway to prevent an “imminent” Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip and at the same time accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to extend the war for his political benefit.

The West Bank diplomat, Riyad al-Maliki, urged the international community to “stand firm” and “act responsibly” to end the war. He also said there's “collective responsibility” to prevent the war from either dragging on or expanding to the West Bank or neighbouring states like Lebanon.

“We are looking at ways how to prevent that attack on Rafah,” Al-Maliki said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos. “Netanyahu is ... determined that he wants to continue the war for his personal career."

Al-Maliki also said the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank is responsible for the Palestinian "people both in the West Bank and Gaza.”

Kombos said Cyprus is working closely with the PA to increase humanitarian aid reaching Gaza.

The European Union island nation is also pushing to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, some 250 km (156 miles) away so that more aid could flow to Gaza in a constant stream.