Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a mutual defense pact that defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both — a key accord in the wake of Israel's strike on Qatar last week.

The kingdom has long had close economic, religious and security ties to Pakistan, including reportedly providing funding for Islamabad's nuclear weapons program as it developed. Analysts — and Pakistani diplomats in at least one case — have suggested over the years that Saudi Arabia could be included under Islamabad's nuclear umbrella, particularly as tensions have risen over Iran's atomic program.

Syria will strike several security and military agreements with Israel by the end of the year, a foreign ministry official told AFP on Thursday.

"There is progress in the talks with Israel," said the official who requested anonymity because they were not allowed to brief the media, adding that several agreements are expected to be signed "by the end of the year".

The World Health Organization chief warned Thursday that Israel's ground offensive in northern Gaza had left already overwhelmed hospitals on the "brink of collapse" and demanded an "end to these inhumane conditions".

"The military incursion and evacuation orders in northern Gaza are driving new waves of displacement, forcing traumatized families into an ever-shrinking area unfit for human dignity," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, warning that "hospitals, already overwhelmed, are on the brink of collapse as escalating violence blocks access and prevents WHO from delivering lifesaving supplies".

Syria's foreign minister is heading to Washington on Thursday, a foreign ministry source told AFP, in the first such visit in more than 25 years.

"Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani will travel to Washington to discuss the lifting of the remaining sanctions," the source said, requesting anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media.

Nine hours of frantic negotiation with the Israeli military. A last-minute scramble to find trucks in a devastated Gaza Strip, where fuel is in short supply. Six hours of frantic packing, carefully stacking cardboard boxes on open flatbed trucks.

The Israeli army said it has struck more than 150 targets in Gaza City since launching a major ground offensive on the Gaza Strip's main urban hub early on Tuesday.

"Over the past two days, the (Israeli air force) and artillery corps troops struck over 150 terror targets throughout Gaza City in support of the manoeuvring troops in the area," the military said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The EU on Wednesday proposed curbing trade ties with Israel and sanctioning ministers in its strongest action over the war in Gaza, but the measures will struggle to be adopted due to reluctance from key member states.

"I want to be very clear, the aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

A coalition of leading aid groups Wednesday urged the international community to take stronger measures to stop Israel's offensive on Gaza City after a commission of UN experts found Israel was committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel announced on Wednesday a "temporary" new route for residents to flee Gaza City, as it launched an intense ground offensive after massive bombardment of the Palestinian territory's main city.

The Israeli military "announces the opening of a temporary transportation route via Salah al-Din Street", spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement, adding that "the route will be open for 48 hours only".

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Hamas would be in "big trouble" if they use hostages in Gaza as human shields during a new offensive launched by Israel.

"We'll wait to hear what happens, because I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield deal, and if they do that they're going to be in big trouble," Trump told reporters when asked about Israel's offensive.