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.

The European Union will respond to the new tariffs set to be announced by the United States Wednesday "before the end of April", the French government spokeswoman said after a cabinet meeting.

"There will be two responses. The first, which will take place in mid-April, is a response to the tariffs already decided on steel and aluminium," government spokeswoman Sophie Primas said. "Then, there will be a detailed study, sector by sector, and a European decision should be announced before the end of April, in a coordinated, united, and strong way."

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said Russia was intentionally attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and called on allies to mount pressure on Moscow to halt its invasion.

"Another round of deliberate strikes and damage to energy facilities –- an FPV drone hit a substation in the Sumy region, and in Nikopol, Dnipro region, a power line was damaged by artillery fire," the Ukrainian leader said, adding that the strikes had cut power to thousands of people.

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.

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.

Iran would have to acquire a nuclear weapon if attacked by the United States or its allies, an adviser to the country's supreme leader warned, following a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The comments came after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promised to hit back if Trump carried out a threat to bomb the Islamic republic if it did not make a deal to curb its nuclear program.

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.