Meanwhile the "entire humanitarian system is collapsing" in Gaza with the number of people dying from starvation rising, a UN agency says.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that his country will soon recognize a Palestinian state, a decision that Israel condemned. The news came as talks seeking a ceasefire in Gaza were halted when the U.

President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N. as a proposal of "ethnic cleansing".