The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 74,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as fighting and tensions continue across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Iran is awaiting a formal response from the United States over its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations, while the World Health Organization says nearly 700 people have been killed in Yemen since fighting escalated last month.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had not formally received confirmation that US President Donald Trump had rejected its proposal.
Speaking to NBC from New York, Araghchi said Iran was prepared for the conflict to resume but remained open to diplomacy.
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed,” he said, while adding that Iran was also “ready for diplomacy”.
Trump, meanwhile, told Axios that US negotiators were expected to hold further talks this week.
Araghchi had previously said Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz remained unchanged, insisting that Tehran would not back down from them.
The diplomatic standoff comes as tensions remain high across the region.
In another development, Israel said it had notified the Dutch embassy that its diplomats in Ramallah must leave within a week.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the decision followed the Netherlands’ ban, which came into effect on September 22, on the import, purchase and sale of goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The Netherlands, like most of the international community, considers the settlements illegal.
Saar accused the Netherlands of taking unilateral action against Israel. Dutch authorities did not immediately comment.
In Gaza, the Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll had reached 74,016, with 175,068 people injured.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 people hostage.
Although a ceasefire that began on October 10 last year has significantly reduced the intensity of fighting, Israeli strikes have continued.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 1,145 Palestinians had been killed since the ceasefire, while seven Israeli soldiers had also died during the same period.
The US-brokered ceasefire process remains largely stalled, with Israeli forces controlling more than half of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli troops will not withdraw until Hamas disarms.
At least two Palestinians were also killed in separate Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza, according to hospital officials.
One strike hit a car in Gaza City, killing one person and injuring several others. Israel’s military said it had targeted a Hamas military operative.
Another strike in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis killed one person and wounded three others, according to Nasser Hospital. Israel’s military said the target was a Hamas militant.
In Yemen, Houthi rebels accused Saudi-backed government forces of carrying out a deadly strike on a market in Taiz province.
A Houthi health ministry spokesperson claimed at least seven people were killed and more than 40 wounded, including five children.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government rejected the allegation, saying its forces had targeted Houthi warehouses and positions in Taiz.
The WHO has reported that almost 700 people have been killed since fighting escalated last month.
Meanwhile, thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to mark the second anniversary of the death of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
His successor, Naim Kassem, reiterated Hezbollah’s opposition to disarmament while Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon.
He said the group was prepared for dialogue over disarmament, but insisted that southern Lebanon must first be liberated and residents allowed to return.
The latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict began after the Iran-backed group launched missiles across the border following US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground operation and continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon.
A US-brokered agreement signed by the Lebanese government in June called for Israel to gradually withdraw in exchange for Hezbollah disarming, but implementation has stalled.
