The United Nations chief on Thursday urged world leaders and officials attending an upcoming U.N. conference on ending the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict "to keep the two-state solution alive."

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the international community must not only support a solution where independent states of Palestine and Israel live side-by-side in peace but "materialize the conditions to make it happen."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel has "activated" some clans of Palestinians in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas, though it was not immediately clear what role they would play.

His comments on social media were the first public acknowledgment of Israel's backing of armed Palestinian groups within Gaza, based around powerful clans or extended families.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz praised Thursday the Israeli military after it struck several sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production.

Katz in a statement praised the Israeli air force for "perfect execution" of the strikes and said Israel will "continue to enforce the ceasefire rules without any compromise."

Lebanon's leaders accused Israel of a "flagrant" ceasefire violation by launching strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday ahead of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.

President Joseph Aoun in a statement voiced "firm condemnation of the Israeli aggression" and called the strikes a "blatant violation of an international agreement, as well as the basic principles of international and humanitarian laws and resolutions, on the eve of a sacred religious occasion". He said it demonstrates Israel's "rejection of the requirements of stability, settlement and just peace in our region."

A Lebanese army official said that the army had attempted to convince Israel not to carry out strikes on several sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs Thursday, on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

The official said the army asked Israel to let Lebanese officials go in to search the area under the mechanism laid out in the ceasefire agreement, but that the Israeli army refused, so Lebanese soldiers moved away from the locations.

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday that recognizing a Palestinian state at the moment would send "the wrong signal".

Speaking at a Berlin press conference with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, he said that "negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians must be concluded" first, before the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims clambered up rocks and nestled between boulders on Thursday as they embarked on a day of worship under a scorching sun at the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Braving the heat and uneven surfaces, they scaled Mount Arafat to perform a key ritual of the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

Italy was hit by a new injury blow when forward Moise Kean withdrew from the squad on Thursday for World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Moldova.

Italy defenders Alessandro Buongiorno and Mattia Gabbia had already left the training camp with injuries this week. The latter was replaced by Daniele Rugani.

That No. 2 seed Coco Gauff reached Thursday's French Open semifinals should surprise no one. Her 361st-ranked opponent for a berth in the title match? That's a whole other story.

Gauff made it to the final four at Roland-Garros for the third time, getting past No. 7 Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 on Wednesday in a quarterfinal between two Americans who both have won a major title.

Cristiano Ronaldo has led Portugal to its first win over Germany in 25 years.

The 40-year-old Ronaldo captained the team and scored his 137th international goal as Portugal came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in Munich in their Nations League semifinal on Wednesday.