More than 1.5 million people have joined the haj this year despite the shadow of war across the Middle East created by the US and Israeli war with Iran.

In a joint statement on Monday, top diplomats from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates condemned what they described as Ben-Gvir’s “deliberate public humiliation of detainees”, warning that his actions, if left unchecked, could further destabilize the region.

Netanyahu's comments, described to Reuters by two Israeli officials with knowledge of the conversations, come as Israel has largely been left out of talks to reach an initial deal to halt a war that began with joint US-Israeli bombardment.

More than 900 suspected Ebola cases have been identified in the conflict-hit Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief has said.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, as his administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old war that had been raised a day earlier.

Indonesia is strengthening precautionary measures to protect its citizens in African countries affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak, as African health authorities warn the viral disease could spread further across the continent.

Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo updated the death toll from the Ebola outbreak to 204 late Saturday, hours after the Red Cross said three volunteers had died there and Uganda confirmed three new Ebola cases.

According to the Axios report, during the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz would be open with no tolls and Iran would agree to clear the mines it deployed in the strait to let ships pass freely.

The numbers of pilgrims are expected to rise further over the next two days as they continue to arrive from abroad ahead of the formal rituals that mark the beginning of the haj on Monday.

"The policies and practices of the Israeli government, including a further entrenchment of Israeli control, are undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution," read a joint statement from several countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Australia.

The WHO raised its risk assessment for the outbreak in Congo to "very high" from "high", with the health body saying late detection, the absence of a vaccine or virus-specific therapeutics, widespread armed violence and high mobility among the population make the country vulnerable.

The disagreements between Iran and the US remained "deep and extensive", according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Indonesia confirmed on Thursday the release of its nine citizens from illegal custody after joining a chorus of international pressure over Israel’s “inhumane treatment” of activists taken from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered by Ankara.

More than 430 activists from countries around the world were in custody in Israel after they were detained at sea while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Israel's far-right national security minister posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground, sparking international condemnation.

Israeli forces have started detaining people involved in the flotilla to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, including a total of nine Indonesian citizens, as confirmed by the Foreign Ministry.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkey last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he had been just "an hour away" from relaunching Washington's attacks on Iran before postponing the order, after weeks of a fragile ceasefire and talks to end the war, which began on February 28.

Indonesia and nine other countries have condemned Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla as a “blatant” breach of international law, while demanding the immediate release of activists detained during the humanitarian mission, including five Indonesians.

Indonesian journalists, volunteers among those taken hostage after vessels lost contact.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a "very good chance" of reaching a deal limiting Iran's nuclear program.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed that 744 Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel are scheduled to depart for the conflict-hit region on May 22 as part of the regular rotation of Indonesian peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon. 

The World Health Organization on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a "public health emergency of international concern", posing risks to neighboring countries.

The United States State Department would hold negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent political agreement on June 2 and 3 and that the Pentagon would bring together delegations from the countries' militaries on May 29.

Indonesia on Thursday called on BRICS to play a more active role in maintaining global peace, calling for the fair enforcement of international law and reaffirming support for Palestine as tensions over the Iran conflict exposed deepening divisions within the bloc.

New Delhi did not give further details on the attack on Wednesday, and the fate of the unnamed ship, nor who it believes was responsible.

He also called on the BRICS nations to prevent the politicization of international institutions.

Israel's ruling coalition on Wednesday submitted a proposal to dissolve parliament to pave the way for early elections as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under mounting attack from ultra-Orthodox parties.

President Donald Trump warned the ceasefire in the Middle East war was on "life support" Monday after rejecting the latest counteroffer from Iran, which said its military stood ready to respond to any act of aggression.