A widening of the war "would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza," Miroslav Jenca, UN assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, told a Security Council meeting.

Indonesia is hoping to deliver its humanitarian aid to Gaza, including 10,000 tonnes of rice, via land routes instead of high-risk airdrops, as access to the besieged exclave remains severely limited amid Israel’s renewed military operations.

Hostage families and peace activists want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to secure a ceasefire with Hamas and free the remaining captives abducted during the October 2023 Hamas attacks.

Indonesia’s top diplomat reaffirmed the country’s commitment to not displacing Palestinians from war-torn Gaza, amid reports that Jakarta had already agreed to do otherwise, along with several other countries.

Under a delicate decades-old "status quo" arrangement with Muslim authorities, the Al-Aqsa compound is administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and Jews can visit but may not pray there.

The United Nations has said that 6,000 trucks are awaiting permission from Israel to enter the occupied Palestinian territory.

More countries have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state, winning applause from Indonesia, which called on other countries to follow suit in an effort to create a lasting peace in Gaza.

Canada plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza.

The potentially landmark move, part of Starmer's plan for a "lasting peace", came after the British leader recalled his cabinet from recess for urgent talks on the worsening situation in the besieged territory.

Seventeen countries plus the European Union and Arab League threw their weight behind a seven-page text agreed at a United Nations conference on reviving the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. 

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said that air drops over Gaza will not be enough to avert the "humanitarian catastrophe."

There is no alternative to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia Monday that was boycotted by Israel and branded a stunt by Washington.

UN agencies have been warning of life-threatening hunger in Gaza as aid supplies dried up, and international pressure has been building for a ceasefire to allow a massive relief operation.

The Palestinian territory is gripped by dire humanitarian conditions created by 21 months of war and made worse by Israel's total blockade of aid from March to May.

Indonesia has welcomed France’s recognition of a Palestinian state, while reaffirming its support for a two-state solution to end the longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both saying it had become clear that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal.

Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure at home and abroad to reach a deal following almost two years of war, with the humanitarian situation inside Gaza deteriorating and Israelis worried about the conditions in which hostages are being held.

At least 142 countries now recognize or plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, according to an AFP tally -- though Israel and the United States strongly oppose the move.

More than 100 aid organizations warned on Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza ahead of the US top envoy's visit to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and an aid corridor.

Iranian diplomats will meet counterparts from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, after the trio warned that sanctions could be reimposed on Tehran if it does return to the negotiating table over its nuclear program. 

Fighting nonetheless persisted in other parts of Sweida province, even as the Druze regained control of their city following days of fierce battle with armed Bedouin supported by tribal gunmen from other parts of Syria.

Indonesia has urged dialogue to resolve all conflicts in Syria while condemning the Israeli military's recent strikes in Swedia and Damascas, which it has described as a “violation of Syria’s sovereignty”.

The deaths at the church compound came as Gaza's civil defense agency reported at least 20 people killed in other Israeli strikes around the Palestinian territory.

The Syrian government earlier announced a new ceasefire in Sweida that would bring a halt to military operations there, after clashes that a war monitor said had left more than 350 people dead since Sunday.

The comments by Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israeli settlement construction, mark a rare and pointed public intervention by the US following the death of a Palestinian American in the Israeli-occupied territory.

The indirect negotiations in Qatar appear deadlocked after both sides blamed the other for blocking a deal for the release of hostages and a 60-day ceasefire after 21 months of fighting.

The Israeli military, which has recently intensified operations across Gaza, said that in the past 24 hours the air force "struck more than 150 terror targets".

The Red Sea is a critical waterway for oil and commodities, but traffic has dropped sharply since Houthi attacks off Yemen's coast began in November 2023 in what the Iran-aligned group said was in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.

"Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt (International Criminal Court) action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters at the beginning of their meeting, Netanyahu said Israel was working with the United States to find countries who would give Palestinians a better future.