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

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.

Israeli ground troops for the first time have pushed into areas of a central Gaza city where several aid groups are based.

In urging greater efforts to pursue global peace, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council: “Around the world, we see an utter disregard for — if not outright violations of — international law” as well as the U.N. Charter.

Nearly 30 nations issued a joint statement saying Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza has "reached new depths" and "must end now."

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the joint statement issued by a host of U.S. allies "disgusting."

Their comments to The New York Times magazine, while reflective of some Jewish critics of the war both in Israel and abroad, led some to condemn the couple for placing the onus on Israel and its