Israel has widened its evacuation directives in the Gaza Strip, now encompassing two-thirds of the territory, covering an area of 246 square kilometers (95 square miles), as stated by United Nations humanitarian monitors on Tuesday. The move has led to over half of Gaza's 2.3 million population being concentrated in the town of Rafah, situated on the border with Egypt, along with surrounding regions, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Health Ministry in Gaza reported a confirmed Palestinian death toll of 27,478 individuals following nearly four months of conflict. With a quarter of Gaza's residents now facing starvation and 85% of the population displaced from their homes, hundreds of thousands find themselves cramped into makeshift tent camps.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held discussions with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shortly after his arrival in the kingdom on Monday. This marks Blinken's fifth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza conflict erupted on October 7, initiated by Hamas incursions into southern Israel. The offensive resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties, predominantly civilians, while militants seized around 250 others.

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