Israel and U.S. are set to discuss the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire plan on 29 December according to the Israeli Prime Minister's office.
Reportedly, the talks will focus on the implementation of future steps and the international stabilisation force outlined in the truce.
Speaking on the upcoming meeting, Shosh Bedrosian, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, said, “We cannot forget how we got here," adding, "the third phase of this plan will be focused on the de-radicalisation of the Gaza Strip.”
The announcement comes as humanitarian efforts in Gaza continue.
Tensions escalated further on Monday when Israeli authorities entered the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency’s (UNRWA) East Jerusalem offices.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the raid.
“This compound remains United Nations premises and is inviolable and immune from any other form of interference,” he said.
“I urge Israel to immediately take all necessary steps to restore, preserve and uphold the inviolability of UNRWA premises and to refrain from taking any further action with regard to UNRWA premises,” Guterres added.
In response, the Jerusalem municipality said tax collectors had entered the UNRWA compound over unpaid property taxes of 11 million shekels ($3.4 million). It was noted that multiple warnings were issued to the UNWRA office and all necessary procedures were followed before the raid.
UNRWA spokesperson Jonathan Fowler said the East Jerusalem compound remained U.N. premises (despite the Israeli ban on its operations) and that the agency had no debts to the municipality.
According to Fowler, the UN had reached out to Israeli authorities repeatedly as a reminder of their obligations under a UN convention to which Israel is a signatory.
Spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian did not answer any questions regarding the raid, instead reiterating Israel’s criticism of the organisation.
"There is a direct connection between UNRWA and Hamas inside of the Gaza Strip, with nearly every terrorist that crossed into Israeli territory to commit genocidal acts against our people on October 7, in fact, an UNRWA school graduate," he concluded.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said, via a post on the X platform, that the move by Israel could create "a dangerous precedent anywhere else the UN is present across the world."
He added that during the raid police motorcycles, trucks, and forklifts were brought in and communications were cut. IT equipment, furniture and other property had been seized.
According to the organisation, UNRWA has not used the building since earlier this year after Israel ordered it to vacate all premises and cease its operations.
Italy's aid
Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry of Italy reported that it has evacuated 17 Palestinians, including several children, for medical treatment in Italian hospitals.
The first of three Air Force aircraft were due to land Monday evening, transferring patients to facilities in Rome, Turin, and Pisa.
According to the ministry, this marks Italy’s 17th evacuation mission since the start of the Gaza emergency, demonstrating “continuity, commitment and responsibility.”
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for deeper solidarity among Turkic states amid rising geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change.
Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes says it has uncovered a large-scale fraud and corruption scheme linked to labour migration to South Korea, with estimated damages reaching $90 million.
The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum, due to begin in Baku on Sunday (17 May), is an ideal opportunity for Azerbaijan to show the world what successful post-conflict urban development looks like, a representative for the conference has said.
Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s southern ports could trigger a new global financial crisis as the Tehran-Washington standoff around the strategic Strait of Hormuz persists.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
When Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for Beijing on Tuesday, he brought two cabinet members whose presence in China would have seemed unlikely a year ago, highlighting an unusual moment in U.S.–China relations.
The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on Tuesday amid heightened political tensions, as Israel competed in the first semi-final despite a boycott by five European broadcasters over the war in Gaza.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
A U.S. Department of Justice official said Washington was preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by "Brothers to the Rescue", a Miami-based exile group that conducted search-and-rescue flights for Cuban migrants.
Australian citizens evacuated from a Dutch-flagged cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have returned home after two weeks overseas. The passengers will now undergo quarantine and further testing in Western Australia.
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