An Israeli assault on southern Gaza's Rafah area would spell disaster for civilians, not only in Gaza but across the Middle East, the head of an aid group warned on Friday, saying the region faced a "countdown to an even bigger conflict".

A delegation from Egypt will travel to Israel on Friday to discuss “security coordination” after Israel’s war cabinet met to discuss hostage deal negotiations, according to an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the matter’s sensitivity,

The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

Tension and conflict in the Middle East has become a major theme of the EU election campaign. International affairs analyst Francesco Petronella explains what it means for Europe.

Hamas has released a hostage video showing a well-known Israeli-American who was among scores of people abducted by the militants in the attack that ignited the war in Gaza