Israel reports ‘intensive battles’ in south Gaza as UN defends aid agency

Israeli forces were engaged Sunday in "intensive battles" in southern Gaza, the army said, as CIA chief William Burns met with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials for ceasefire talks.

As fighting raged, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for continued support for UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, threatened by a fierce row over alleged staff involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack.

Several of the agency's top donors including the United States and Germany have halted funding to UNRWA, which has been at the heart of humanitarian efforts in Gaza, over the Israeli claims.

Guterres called on donor states to guarantee the flow of vital aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, saying late Saturday that "the dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met."

The Israeli army reported "intensive battles" in Gaza's main southern city of Khan Yunis, where it said special forces eliminated "terrorists" and seized weapons.

The health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory said at least 24 people were killed Sunday in Israeli strikes on Khan Yunis, where the sound of gunfire reverberated throughout the day.

Strikes were also carried out in central and northern Gaza, the army added.

Meanwhile, Burns was in Paris on Sunday for talks with top Egyptian, Israeli and Qatari officials, sources close to the participants said, after media reports suggested some progress in negotiations towards a halt to hostilities.

More than three months of war have led to a spiralling humanitarian crisis and mass displacement within the Palestinian territory, with many Gazans driven south towards the Egyptian border.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, warned that suspending UNRWA funding "overtly defies" an order issued Friday by the International Court of Justice to allow more aid into Gaza.

The UN's top court also said Israel must prevent genocidal acts in its war with Hamas, but stopped short of calling for an end to the fighting.

Agence France-Presse