In Gaza, another Israeli strike on a U.N. school being used to shelter displaced Palestinians has killed at least 18 people, including six UNRWA employees, making it the deadliest single day in UNRWA’s history. Wednesday’s bombing of central Gaza’s al-Jaouni school led to chaotic scenes, with survivors seen gathering scattered body parts. It’s the fifth time the same school has been hit by Israel since October 7. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry is demanding international protection against the “war of extermination and displacement on our people.”

On Wednesday, Hamas reiterated that it is prepared to implement the U.S.-proposed, U.N.-backed ceasefire plan announced by President Biden in June, without any new conditions.

Israel’s military has killed four more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as its deadly and wide-ranging incursion enters its third week. Since August 28, Israel has killed at least 50 people across the West Bank. In Tulkarm, residents were forced to abandon their homes, taking shelter in a mosque, as Israeli forces destroyed houses and businesses.

Qais Ambar: “They destroyed our houses. They displaced us. All the people in the camp left. My house was exploded. The army put explosives inside my house and exploded it. The bulldozer swept the house, and the rubble covered my neighbor’s house. They forced us to leave the houses.”

President Biden on Wednesday called Israel’s killing of 26-year-old U.S. activist and University of Washington graduate Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank “totally unacceptable.” This comes after Biden received backlash for his previous lukewarm remarks about her killing, which he dismissed as “apparently an accident.” Biden, however, has not called for an independent probe into the death. Turkey says it has opened its own investigation into the killing of the dual U.S.-Turkish citizen.

Russia’s military has launched a major counteroffensive to retake territory seized by Ukraine. On Wednesday, the head of Russia’s forces in Kursk said troops had liberated 10 settlements in the region. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has departed Ukraine after committing to keep sending aid to Kyiv. Blinken, however, did not greenlight the use of U.S.-made long-range missiles against Russia, as sought by Kyiv. This is Ukraine’s foreign minister.

Andrii Sybiha: “To defend our people, brave steps from all our partners are necessary. It’s important to lift all restrictions on the use of American and British weapons against lawful targets on Russian territory. We need decisiveness also in regards to shooting down Russian missiles and drones in Ukrainian airspace. The further Ukraine can strike, the closer a just peace will be.”

Moscow vowed an “appropriate response” if Ukraine used U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike deep inside Russia.

In India, authorities have declared a curfew and shut down internet access across the northeastern state of Manipur amid a surge in violence between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities. At least 11 people have been killed in recent fighting that includes weaponized drone attacks on civilians launched by suspected Kuki fighters. More than 200 people have been killed since the violence broke out last year; tens of thousands have fled the region. On Wednesday, student protesters marched to demand an end to the violence.

Priyanka Devi: “Should we choose war, or should we study? Which side should we choose? Governor, respected chief minister, respected president, etc., please provide the means to stop violence in our small state of Manipur.”

The U.N. reports 3.2 million children across Afghanistan face acute malnutrition nearly 23 years after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Nearly half of Afghan children are stunted, meaning they aren’t growing to their full potential due to hunger. The BBC recently profiled a hospital in eastern Nangarhar province, which said 700 children died in the past six months of hunger and largely preventable diseases.

In related news, Australia’s military says it will strip several senior commanders of distinguished service medals after a 2020 report revealed Australian Special Forces members committed war crimes during their operations in Afghanistan, unlawfully killing at least 39 prisoners and civilians. Australia’s defense minister says prosecutors are also considering charges.

In Venezuela, the government of Nicolás Maduro is threatening to cut ties with Spain after the Spanish congress voted Wednesday to recognize opposition leader and former presidential candidate Edmundo González as president-elect of Venezuela, days after he was granted asylum in Spain. But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who reportedly is meeting with González today, said he will not recognize González as Venezuela’s president.

This comes as Human Rights Watch warns Venezuelans who have fled the country, including during the post-election crackdown on protests, have few options for asylum or protection in neighboring countries, leading them to attempt to cross the treacherous Darién Gap. This is Human Rights Watch chief Tirana Hassan.

Tirana Hassan: “Cases of asylum seekers and migrants we spoke to at the border, they said that they had actually watched the security forces open fire and shoot and kill protesters. They had watched the colectivas searching for those who participated in the protests.”

Peru’s former authoritarian President Alberto Fujimori died Wednesday at the age of 86. Last year, a Peruvian court released Fujimori from prison on humanitarian grounds. Fujimori had been serving a 25-year sentence since 2009 for human rights abuses including kidnapping, bribery and ordering massacres by death squads.

Back in the U.S., the father of an 11-year-old Ohio boy who died in a traffic accident involving a driver from Haiti is demanding Trump, JD Vance and other Republican leaders stop using his son for political gain. Vance recently referenced 11-year-old Aiden Clark as part of the far-right’s online and verbal attacks on Ohio’s Haitian community. Nathan Clark addressed the Springfield City Commission Tuesday.

Nathan Clark: “They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio.”

A new report tracking nearly 1 million births in New Jersey found doctors are far more likely to submit Black birthing patients for cesarean sections over white patients with similar medical histories. The study, published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, found unplanned C-sections on Black patients are more likely to happen when hospital surgery rooms were empty, suggesting a financial motivation since surgical births result in higher medical bills.

Harvard has revealed that the percentage of incoming students who identify as African American or Black dropped to 14% this year, after the Supreme Court rolled back affirmative action at college campuses. That’s down from 18% the prior year. Brown, MIT and Amherst also reported dips in Black enrollment, though other universities including Princeton and Yale did not notice significant changes. Analysts say it could take a while to understand the full effect of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which was widely condemned by colleges and civil rights groups.

Amnesty International is calling on President Biden to grant clemency to Indigenous leader and political prisoner Leonard Peltier, who turns 80 years old today, after nearly a half-century in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. Peltier has always maintained his innocence over the 1975 killing of two FBI agents in a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation. His conviction was riddled with irregularities and prosecutorial misconduct. In a letter to President Biden, Amnesty International USA wrote, “You have the opportunity to rectify a case that has long troubled human rights advocates and Indigenous Peoples worldwide.” Vigils and other actions are being held today in Washington, D.C., and around the country.