Libya's National Oil Company said Thursday it would immediately resume oil exports from two key ports captured this week by forces opposed to the country's unity government.

Russia on Thursday accused Washington of failing to meet its obligations under the Syria ceasefire agreement, while criticizing US officials for voicing skepticism over cooperation with Moscow.

Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov slammed the US for what he called "rhetorical fog" intended "to hide the fact that it is not fulfilling its part of the obligations."

The U.N. Syria envoy called on the Damascus government to let life-saving aid into the country "immediately" to take advantage of a truce which he said was holding "by and large."

Staffan de Mistura said that Damascus had promised to send authorization letters clearing large-scale humanitarian convoys to deploy but that those permits had "not been received".

Turkish air strikes in northern Syria in late August killed 24 civilians, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday, accusing Ankara of failing to properly identify the target and pro-Kurdish forces of grouping fighters together with civilians.

Activists had said at the time that the air strikes on August 24, in the early stages of Turkey's campaign in Syria, killed civilians. But Turkish state media said that 25 "terrorists" were killed.

Russia's top army official is set to discuss the Syrian conflict on Thursday with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara, a fresh sign of healing relations damaged by Turkey's shooting down of a Russian war plane last year.   

Some 20 women of different nationalities set sail for the Gaza Strip from Barcelona on Wednesday evening, in the latest attempt to break a crippling blockade imposed by Israel.

"We think that through this act organised by women, we can give more visibility to the important role of Palestinian women in the fight for freedom," said Zohar Chamberlain, one of the organisers, just before two yachts left the Spanish Mediterranean city.

The United Nations urged Syria's government Thursday to allow immediate aid deliveries to hunger-stricken civilians after a fragile ceasefire was extended for 48 hours by Russia and the United States.

Former Israeli president and Noble Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres saw "real improvement" on Thursday but remained in serious condition after the 93-year-old suffered a major stroke, his doctor said.

The country has been on edge over the condition of the elder statesman, Israel's last remaining founding father, after he was admitted to hospital on Tuesday feeling unwell and suffered a stroke with internal bleeding while there.

The World Bank says less than half the money pledged by donors to rebuild the Gaza Strip after the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel has been disbursed.

The shortfall is among several reasons the Palestinian economy is stagnating, with unemployment at 42 percent in Gaza and at 18 percent in the West Bank.

Israel's air force hit the Hamas-run Gaza Strip early Thursday after Palestinians fired a rocket into southern Israel, the military said.

"Israel Air Force aircraft targeted three Hamas posts in the northern Gaza Strip," an army statement said.