Israel's Netanyahu approves new Gaza ceasefire talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved on Friday new talks on a Gaza ceasefire, a day after the world's top court ordered Israel to ensure urgent humanitarian aid reaches people in the Palestinian territory. But despite a binding United Nations Security Council resolution this week demanding an "immediate ceasefire", fighting continued on Friday, including around hospitals. Regional fallout from the conflict also flared, with Israel saying it killed a Hezbollah rocket commander in Lebanon, and several Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria strikes that a war monitor blamed on Israel. Netanyahu's office said new talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release will take place in Doha and Cairo "in the coming days... with guidelines for moving forward in the negotiations", days after they appeared stalled. In its order, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague said: "Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but... famine is setting in." Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, posted on X that the ruling was "a stark reminder that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is man made + worsening". The court had ruled in January that Israel must facilitate "urgently needed" humanitarian aid to Gaza and prevent genocidal acts, but Israel rejected the case brought by South Africa. The latest binding ICJ ruling, which has little means of enforcement, came as Israel's military said on Friday it was continuing operations in Al-Shifa Hospital, the territory's largest, for a 12th day. Throughout the coastal territory, dozens of people were killed overnight, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said. (AFP)