Israeli prime minister could visit White House as soon as next week, making him the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his inauguration
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the latest events in the Middle East.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington as early as next week, according to reports, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people made their way back into northern Gaza on Monday.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio held a call with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Monday, two days after a suggestion by Donald Trump that Jordan and Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza. “The Secretary and King Abdullah discussed implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of hostages, and creating a pathway for security and stability in the region,” the state department said in a statement. Trump’s weekend remarks were not mentioned.
Lebanese officials say firing by Israeli troops has killed two people and injured 17 in the second day of deadly protests in southern Lebanon. Residents displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah on Monday again attempted to return to villages where Israeli troops remain. On Sunday, 24 people were killed and more than 130 injured when Israeli troops fired at protesters.
Israel said on Monday that it had arrested two Israelis suspected of spying for Iran, including one accused of handing the country classified information obtained during his military service.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem were set to lose education, healthcare and other services provided by UN agency Unrwa as an Israeli ban on the organisation takes effect on Thursday.
Eight of the 26 hostages yet to be released under the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas are dead, Israel has confirmed.
A Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo to discuss the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the group said in a statement.
The EU’s foreign ministers have agreed to a “roadmap” to ease current sanctions on Syria, a move welcomed by the country’s government.
