Israel–Hamas war

Officials from 36 countries and UN agencies gathered in Cyprus on Thursday to discuss how to expedite aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza via a sea route launched last week.

Thursday's gathering is being attended by Sigrid Kaag, the UN's senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, as well as Curtis Ried, chief of staff of the US National Security Council.

The US has presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council urging for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, tied to the release of hostages. Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed the initiative during an interview with Saudi media, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing civilian protection and humanitarian aid delivery amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has provided written assurances to the United States regarding the use of weapons supplied by the US, ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law, according to Reuters. The move comes in response to a request from the State Department, which plans to evaluate the reliability of Israel's assurances by the end of May.

The United States has circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages" in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Canada will halt all arms shipments to Israel, a government official told AFP on Tuesday, a decision that has drawn the ire of Israel as it faces growing international scrutiny over its war in the Gaza Strip.

The besieged Palestinian territory is facing a mounting humanitarian crisis, and months of war have pushed hundreds of thousands of Gazans to the brink of famine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to return Wednesday to the Middle East in a new bid to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war.

Following a failed attempt to secure a ceasefire in the war in the Gaza Strip by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan last week, a new round of negotiations hosted by key mediator Qatar has begun.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has announced that the Israeli army has begun its aggression on Rafah and launched airstrikes in the southern Gaza city without any prior notice or "waiting for permission from anyone."

The Israeli military conducted a large-scale operation at the Al-Shifa hospital complex in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Palestinian fighters and the arrest of over 200 individuals, according to reports from AFP. The operation forced hundreds of civilians to flee the area.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send a team to Washington to discuss how to avoid an all-out assault in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Greece will continue to fully support the maritime corridor offering aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Monday,  in a doorstep statement as he arrived for the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting on Monday.