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300,000 people marched in Rome, organisers sayPro-flotilla protests particularly widespread in ItalyMore protests expected on Saturday Hundreds of thousands of Italians took to the streets across the country on Friday, as part of a day-long general strike called by unions in support of an aid flotilla carrying food to Gaza that was intercepted by Israel this week. "After what I saw with the flotilla, I thought I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. It's the first time I go to these kind of demonstrations," Mario Mascetti, a protester in Rome, told Reuters. The CGIL and USB trade unions staged demonstrations in more than 100 cities. In the capital, crowds marched from the central Piazza Vittorio towards the main train station, holding union and Palestinian flags, as well as banners. The strike caused delays and cancellations across Italy's rail network, with more limited disruptions at airports. Metro lines continued operating in both Rome and Milan. Motorways or ring roads were blocked by protesters around several cities including Rome, Milan, Bologna and Trento, with police firing tear gas outside Milan to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators. The Tuscan port of Livorno was closed by protests. "This is not just any strike. We're here today to defend brotherhood among individuals, among peoples, to put humanity back at the centre, to say no to genocide, to a policy of rearmament," CGIL leader Maurizio Landini said. Some 300,000 people took part in the Rome march, according to the organisers. They estimated crowds of more than 100,000 in Milan, 50,000 in Naples, 25,000 in Venice and a total of 150,000 in various cities in Sicily. Authorities have not confirmed the figures. Italy's right-wing government has criticised the strike, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people skipping work for Gaza was just an excuse to have a longer weekend break. Protests in solidarity with the humanitarian convoy that was trying to break Israel's naval blockade have sprung up all over Europe and other parts of the world, but have been particularly widespread in Italy. Mattia Diletti, a sociologist at Rome's Sapienza University, said the Palestinian cause had always resonated in Italy, both amongst its centrist Catholic and leftist political traditions. "Italy has always been a very political country, characterised by this (pro-Palestinian) element," he said. The national strike watchdog said on Thursday that the unions had broken rules by not giving enough advance notice for the strike, but the CGIL and USB went ahead anyway, attracting more criticism from the government. "If today those who strike illegally cause billions of euros worth of damage to the Italian economy ... then sanctions must be proportionate to the damage caused," Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said. Pro-Palestinian protests were due to continue on Saturday with a mass rally in Rome, capping off several days of demonstrations that have sometimes turned violent and sparked clashes with police. On Thursday night, tens of thousands of people marched peacefully from Rome's Colosseum, while in Turin a conference centre was vandalised and in Milan a statue outside the Duomo cathedral was daubed with red paint and graffiti.

Israeli navy intercepts last boat in Gaza aid flotillaBut new flotilla now on its wayIsraeli foreign ministry says four Italians deported, others in process of being deportedTens of Italians demonstrate in solidarity with flotillaFar-right minister describes activists as 'terrorists'The Israeli military intercepted the last boat in an aid flotilla attempting to reach blockaded Gaza on Friday, a day after stopping most of the vessels and detaining some 450 activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said the Marinette was intercepted some 42.5 nautical miles (79 km) from Gaza. Israeli army radio said the navy had taken control of the last ship in the flotilla, detained those aboard and that the vessel was being led to Ashdod port in Israel.In a statement, the Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli naval forces had now "illegally intercepted all 42 of our vessels-each carrying humanitarian aid, volunteers, and the determination to break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza".However, in another attempt to challenge Israel's naval blockade, a new flotilla comprising 11 vessels was attempting to make its way to Gaza on Friday, organisers said, including a vessel carrying medics and journalists.A live-tracker shared by the organisers showed the boats sailing southeast in the Mediterranean between the Greek island of Crete and Egypt, while live footage from one of the boats showed activists chanting for a "Free Palestine".A camera broadcasting from the Marinette showed someone holding up a note saying "We see a ship! It's a war ship", before a boat is seen approaching and soldiers boarding. A voice is heard telling the people on board not to move and to put their hands in the air.An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the boat's status. The flotilla, which set sail in late August, marked the latest attempt by activists to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the territory.Israeli foreign ministry had said the flotilla was previously warned that it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a "lawful naval blockade", and asked organisers to change course. It had offered to transfer aid to Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry on Friday said that four Italians had been deported. "The rest are in the process of being deported. Israel is keen to end this procedure as quickly as possible," it said in a statement. All the flotilla participants were "safe and in good health", it added.The Italian government identified the four Italians as parliamentarians who would fly back to Rome on Friday.Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Europe as well as in Karachi, Buenos Aires and Mexico City on Thursday to protest the flotilla's interception.On Friday, tens of thousands of Italians demonstrated, as part of a day-long general strike called by unions in support of the flotilla.During a visit to Ashdod on Thursday night, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was filmed calling the activists "terrorists" as he stood in front of them."These are the terrorists of the flotilla," he said, speaking in Hebrew and pointing at dozens of people sitting on the ground. His spokesperson confirmed the video was filmed at Ashdod port on Thursday night.Some activists are heard shouting "Free Palestine".Cyprus said one of the flotilla boats had docked in Cyprus with 21 foreigners aboard. Crew from the vessel, "Summer Time", said it was an observer mission carrying doctors and journalists."Nobody has the right to be a pirate of the sea and enforce whatever they want to do and I think we are equal," Palestinian crew member Osama Qashoo told journalists.Israel faced international condemnation and protest after it intercepted all of the 40 or so boats in the flotilla and detained more than 450 activists from different countries.Israel has faced widespread global condemnation over the war in Gaza, and is defending itself against charges of genocide in the International Court of Justice.

Flotilla is latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of GazaOrganisers say unidentified vessels approached, military came on boardBoats had expected to reach Gaza on ThursdayIsraeli military personnel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza and boarded its boats as it approached the war-ravaged enclave.Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover."Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel. We are actively working to confirm the safety and status of all participants on board," organisers of the flotilla said in a post on X.The Global Sumud Flotilla, which consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is trying to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back. It is within 90 nautical miles of the war-ravaged Strip, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.A live video feed from one of the boats in the flotilla showed passengers in life vests sitting on deck.It is not clear if all the boats had been intercepted or stopped. Some passengers said their vessels continued to advance.Organisers remained defiant. "We will not be intimidated by threats, harassment, or efforts to protect Israel's illegal siege on Gaza," they said in an earlier statement.The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment about intercepting the vessels.The Israeli foreign ministry earlier said its navy had reached out to the flotilla to warn it was approaching an active combat zone and violating a lawful blockade, and asked them to change course.The ministry said that it reiterated the offer to transfer any aid peacefully through safe channels to Gaza.It is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war. The flotilla had been hoping to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.This was the second time the flotilla was approached on Wednesday. Before dawn, the mission's organisers said two Israeli "warships" had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla's boats. All navigation and communication devices went down in what one organiser on board described as a "cyber attack". A video post on the flotilla's Instagram page showed the silhouette of what appeared to be a military vessel with a gun turret near the civilian boats.Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the flotilla, but could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was taken. Last week the flotilla was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries. Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas in the coastal enclave. Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also followed the boats.Italy and Greece on Wednesday jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over its aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza - a plea the flotilla has previously rejected.At the press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla "would be yet another violation of international law, the law of the sea" since Israel had no legal jurisdiction on waters off Gaza.Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries. In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Wednesday that Israeli forces had killed at least 46 people, including 36 in Gaza City, which Israel's defence minister has told residents to flee.Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the rescue agency operating under Hamas authority, said several deaths resulted from attacks in the north of the territory, to the west of Gaza City.Drone strikes also killed two people in Al-Zawayda and two people at a camp in Nuseirat, both in central Gaza, Bassal added.Two aid seekers were killed by Israeli gunfire southwest of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, he said.Media restrictions in the territory and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence or the Israeli military.The strikes come as Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the military was tightening its encirclement of Gaza City, telling residents to flee south, as Hamas weighs US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory.

Flotilla is latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of GazaActivists say Israeli vessels approached, jammed communicationsBoats expect to reach Gaza on Thursday, if not interceptedIsrael says flotilla has provocative, not humanitarian aimsThe international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza said Israeli vessels approached some of its boats and engaged in "dangerous and intimidatory manoeuvres" on Wednesday as it neared the Palestinian territory.The mission's organisers said two Israeli "warships" had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla's boats, Alma and Sirius. All navigation and communication devices went down in what one organiser on board, Thiago Ávila, described in a press conference as a "cyber attack".The flotilla appeared to have recovered some communications. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment."These hostile actions placed unarmed civilians from over 40 countries in grave danger," the flotilla said in a statement.The Global Sumud Flotilla consists of more than 40 civilian boats carrying about 500 people, among them parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.It is the latest sea-borne attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, much of which has been turned into a wasteland by almost two years of war, to deliver food and medicine.The boats have reached within 120 nautical miles of Gaza's coast, inside an area that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.The flotilla said it would continue its course towards Gaza and expects to arrive on Thursday morning if not intercepted.It was unclear who operated the vessels that approached the flotilla. A video post on the flotilla's Instagram page showed the silhouetted outline of what appeared to be a military vessel with a gun turret near the civilian boats.Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the vessel Sirius because its rigging and lines matched file imagery of the boat. Reuters could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was taken.Last week the flotilla was attacked by drones, which dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels, causing damage but no injuries.Israel did not comment on that attack, but has said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas in the coastal enclave.Italy and Spain deployed naval ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian needs but stopped following the flotilla once it got within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also followed the boats.Italy and Greece on Wednesday jointly called on Israel not to hurt the activists aboard and called on the flotilla to hand over its aid to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza - a plea the flotilla has previously rejected.Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt."This systematic refusal (to hand over the aid) demonstrates that the objective is not humanitarian, but provocative. They are not seeking to help, they are seeking an incident," Jonathan Peled, the Israeli ambassador to Italy, said in a post on X.At the press conference held by organisers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the top U.N. expert on Palestinian rights, said any interception of the flotilla "would be yet another violation of international law, the law of the sea" since Israel had no legal jurisdiction on waters off Gaza.Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there have been several previous attempts by activists to deliver aid by sea.In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers boarded a flotilla of six ships manned by 700 pro-Palestinian activists from 50 countries.In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 crew members from a small ship organised by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.

Gaza's civil defence agency and hospitals said Tuesday that Israeli forces killed at least 41 people across the territory, including 17 near an aid distribution centre.The Israeli military has pressed on with its offensive even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support for US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war.Officials from Gaza's civil defence agency -- a rescue force operating under Hamas authority -- said 17 people were shot dead by Israeli forces near an aid distribution site near the Wadi Gaza bridge in central Gaza.Al-Awda hospital confirmed receiving 17 bodies and said 33 people were wounded."We received 17 martyrs and 33 injured as a result of Israeli forces targeting gatherings of citizens near the humanitarian aid distribution area near Wadi Gaza Bridge in the central Gaza Strip," the hospital said in a statement.Thousands of Palestinians congregate daily near food distribution points in Gaza, including those managed by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.Since launching in late May, its operations have been marred by regular reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect aid.An AFP journalist saw hundreds of children crowding a food distribution centre in Gaza's central Nuseirat area, where volunteers were handing out rice and other supplies.When asked about Tuesday's incident near Wadi Gaza Bridge, the military said it was looking into it.Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential items, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators.The civil defence added that 15 more people were killed in several strikes in Gaza City, from where hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee due to Israeli air and ground assaults.Nine others were killed elsewhere in the territory, it said.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence and the Israeli military.

Eight Arab and Muslim nations welcomed Trump's 'sincere efforts' to end the Gaza war in a joint statement Monday. "The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt welcome President Trump's leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza, and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace. They emphasize the importance of the partnership with the US in securing peace in the region. Along these lines, the ministers welcome the announcement by President Trump regarding his proposal to end the war, rebuild Gaza, prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people and advance a comprehensive peace, as well as his announcement that he will not allow the annexation of the West Bank. The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the US and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region. They reaffirm their joint commitment to work with the US to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza and creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law as key to achieving regional stability and security. "

President of the US of America Donald Trump voiced his deep appreciation for the efforts of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to achieve peace and stability in the region, describing His Highness as an amazing person who seeks peace.During a press conference held Monday, the US president stressed the importance of Qatar's pivotal and strategic role as a reliable and effective mediator in efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, emphasising the significance of its constructive contribution to achieving diplomatic solutions.He also noted the wonderful and productive phone call he had earlier Monday with HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, stressing the importance of the close partnership and ongoing coordination with Qatar in supporting peace efforts and enhancing regional stability.

After days of speculation, the White House on Monday released a 20-point plan for ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, releasing hostages held by Hamas, and outlining the Palestinian enclave's future.Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave cautious backing to plan.Here is the plan, as released by the White House:Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough.If both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end. Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. During this time, all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.Once all hostages are released, Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 deceased Gazans.Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.Upon acceptance of this agreement, full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip. At a minimum, aid quantities will be consistent with what was included in the January 19, 2025, agreement regarding humanitarian aid, including rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads.Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. Opening the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism implemented under the January 19, 2025 agreement.Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the "Board of Peace," which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other members and heads of State to be announced, including Former Prime Minister Tony Blair. This body will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until such time as the Palestinian Authority has completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump's peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. This body will call on best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment.A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created by convening a panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East. Many thoughtful investment proposals and exciting development ideas have been crafted by well-meaning international groups, and will be considered to synthesize the security and governance frameworks to attract and facilitate these investments that will create jobs, opportunity, and hope for future Gaza.A special economic zone will be established with preferred tariff and access rates to be negotiated with participating countries.No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return. We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors. New Gaza will be fully committed to building a prosperous economy and to peaceful coexistence with their neighbors.A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas, and the factions, comply with their obligations and that New Gaza poses no threat to its neighbors or its people.The United States will work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) to immediately deploy in Gaza. The ISF will train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field. This force will be the long-term internal security solution. The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. It is critical to prevent munitions from entering Gaza and to facilitate the rapid and secure flow of goods to rebuild and revitalize Gaza. A deconfliction mechanism will be agreed upon by the parties.Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the Unites States, with the objective of a secure Gaza that no longer poses a threat to Israel, Egypt, or its citizens. Practically, the IDF will progressively hand over the Gaza territory it occupies to the ISF according to an agreement they will make with the transitional authority until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.In the event Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, the above, including the scaled-up aid operation, will proceed in the terror-free areas handed over from the IDF to the ISF.An interfaith dialogue process will be established based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.While Gaza re-development advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.

President Donald Trump unveiled a wide-ranging Gaza peace plan Monday and won backing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The 20-point plan, which Trump has also circulated to Arab leaders, calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.Other key points include deployment of a "temporary international stabilisation force" and creation of a transitional authority headed by Trump himself and featuring other foreign leaders.The deal would demand resistance movement Hamas fighters fully disarm and be excluded from future roles in the government. However, those who agreed to "peaceful co-existence" would be given amnesty.Following Israeli withdrawal, the borders would be opened to aid and investment.In a crucial change from Trump's earlier apparent goals, Palestinians will not be forced to leave Gaza and instead, the document said, "we will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza."Netanyahu made clear he was in favour, saying it "achieves our war aims," while Trump said he was hopeful that Hamas would also give its backing.Approval from all sides was "beyond very close," Trump said. Proposal calls for release of hostages within 48 hours of ceasefire.However, many important details remained to be clarified.The US president had met key Arab leaders at the United Nations last week and said Sunday on social media that " all are on board for something special, first time ever".Normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, the US president has shown increasing signs of frustration ahead of the Israeli premier's fourth White House visit since Trump's return to power.Trump was infuriated by Israel's recent strike on Hamas members in key US ally Qatar.And he warned Netanyahu last week against annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as some of Netanyahu's cabinet members have urged, a move that would seriously complicate the route to Palestinian statehood.Netanyahu's coalition government is propped up by the far-right ministers who oppose a peace deal.Hamas' apparent absence from the negotiations has raised questions about the prospects for the latest initiative.Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued across the Gaza Strip, killing at least four people in Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run territory's civil defense agency.Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza urged Trump to uphold his Gaza proposal.And in Gaza, people expressed a mix of hope, exhaustion and distrust ahead of the White House meeting.Israel's offensive has killed 66,055 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory.

The UN children's charity called on Monday for an immediate evacuation to save at least 25 ill or premature babies in incubators in Gaza City as Israel steps up its ground offensive, shelling a hospital overnight housing around half of them.Palestinian health officials say tanks are surrounding the area near Al Helo Hospital where at least 12 babies are in incubators. Medics said the site was shelled. Video obtained by Reuters showed hospital rooms and beds there strewn with debris."It is time to move them because Gaza City again has become a combat zone, but moving them where? There is no safe place for them to go," Unicef spokesperson Ricardo Pires told Reuters.Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Evacuation of the babies, many of them newborns, will mean moving them to makeshift carts, wrapped in blankets with portable oxygen supplies and drips, Pires said. Still, they could be exposed to infection, variable temperatures or supplies could run out during the transfer."Moving them seems like the best option we have now...but at the same time, it's a very risky one."It was not immediately clear which hospitals could take the babies, with many damaged, overcrowded and facing shortages.Pires was in Gaza City last month where he saw one of the babies - a premature girl named Narges who, he said, had been removed from the womb of her dead mother who had been shot in the head."We're very concerned not only about her, but all the other babies," he said, saying efforts to reach her father and her doctors since the shelling had been unsuccessful.In Gaza City, there are more babies than incubators and some of them are sharing, he said, adding that Israel had denied some requests to import more. Pires said he saw four in one incubator last month.Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have been displaced by the offensive on Gaza's famine-struck north where shortages are worsening.

The Civil Defence in the Gaza Strip has raised alarm over the ongoing Israeli blockade preventing the entry of fuel supplies necessary for operating rescue and firefighting vehicles, warning of mounting humanitarian consequences.In a statement Sunday, Director of Humanitarian Support and International Relations at the Civil Defence, Mohammed al-Mughair, said that the continued denial of fuel supplies will severely impact the agency’s capacity to respond to emergencies and could result in further loss of lives across the besieged enclave.Al-Mughair warned of a sharp decline in Civil Defence services if the fuel shortage persists, and urged all concerned parties and international actors to intervene immediately and press Israel to allow the entry of fuel destined for humanitarian institutions operating in Gaza.The Civil Defence has been appealing for months to secure fuel for its operations. On August 20, it reported receiving only 10% of its monthly fuel needs since the beginning of that month.The crisis has been further exacerbated by Israel's closure of border crossings on March 2, effectively halting the flow of humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and fuel into the territory. Only limited fuel quantities have been allowed via international organisations, falling far short of Gaza’s minimum humanitarian requirements.This continued restriction, the Civil Defence warns, is not only hindering lifesaving operations but also pushing Gaza’s fragile emergency response infrastructure to the brink of collapse.