Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials as the Trump administration works to secure a deal to end the war in Gaza.

Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists waved flags and unfurled banners on Wednesday as the Tour de France peloton rode through Dieulefit, a southeastern French town honoured as a "Town of the Just" for sheltering Jewish people during World War Two.

The ship is operated by an Israeli company, Mano Cruise, which said about 1,700 passengers were on board and it is sailing to Cyprus.

The Middle East has been transformed since 7 October, and almost two years on, the conflict in Gaza is at another inflection point.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog visited the Gaza strip on Wednesday and told soldiers that there were "intensive negotiations" about returning the hostages in Gaza, adding that he hopes that they will soon "hear good news",

The joint statement comes as Palestinians face worsening starvation, daily massacres at "aid sites" and the ongoing blockade of humanitarian assistance.

The World Health Organization says Israel's ground offensive has compromised its efforts to continue working, after its facilities were attacked.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -All options are on the table if Israel does not deliver on its pledges to facilitate humanitarian aid in Gaza, the European Union's top diplomat said on Tuesday. "The killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible,