Fatah–Hamas conflict

More than a million Muslim pilgrims were in Mecca Friday for the start of a hajj pilgrimage held against the grim backdrop of the Gaza war and in exhausting summer heat.

Crowds of robed worshippers will circle the Kaaba, with many expressing sadness eight months into the Israel-Hamas war.

The White House is still awaiting a response from Hamas regarding the proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned that Washington is looking for a decision from Hamas through Qatar, a key mediator in the peace efforts.

Slovenia's parliament on Tuesday passed a decree recognizing a Palestinian state, following last week's recognition by three other European states.

With the move in response to the devastating Gaza war, Slovenia becomes the latest to do so, pushing ahead with a vote in defiance of an opposition motion to derail it.

Heavy fighting rocked Gaza on Tuesday after G7 and Arab powers urged both Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce and hostage release deal outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Mediator Qatar said it had yet to see statements from either side "that give us a lot of confidence", but the foreign ministry said Doha was "working with both sides on proposals on the table".

He added that Biden’s proposal “has gaps” – Hamas says it’s positive towards the US President’s draft agreement

Why are hopes for peace in the Middle East lower than ever? The immediate, obvious answer is that Hamas' terror attack on October 7 and Israel's response show that, for both sides, this is a fight to the finish: Hamas wants to wipe the state of Israel off the map and is trying, through the catastrophic response that it provoked, to mobilize a broader front against Israel.

President Xi Jinping welcomed Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Beijing on Wednesday, as the Chinese capital hosts a number of Arab dignitaries for a forum it hopes will deepen ties with the region.

Several Arab leaders are this week visiting Beijing, which is seeking to present a "common voice" on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and improve cooperation.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday a U.N. court ruling telling Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza's Rafah must be implemented, as European ministers met Arab counterparts in Brussels.

Israel has continued to strike Rafah as its government has dismissed Friday's ruling from the International Court of Justice.

A top Hamas political official told The Associated Press the Islamic militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders.

The Gaza war is speeding up Israel's "annexation" of the Palestinian economy, say analysts, who argue it has been hobbled for decades by agreements that followed the Oslo peace accords.

While the Israel-Hamas war raging since Oct. 7 has devastated swathes of Gaza, it has also hit the public finances and wider economy of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.