Russian and Ukrainian delegations have started a new round of talks in Istanbul. Turkiye is hosting the second round of direct discussions between the two countries, in the hope of ending the war that's been going on for more than three years.

Israeli forces open fire on Palestinians gathered at aid distribution sites run by a US-backed group in southern and central Gaza, killing at least 30 people in Rafah and one more near the Netzarim Corridor and injuring dozens. The aid site is under the control of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by the US and Israel. The United Nations has accused the organisation of weaponising aid, warning that it could serve to depopulate northern Gaza, as planned by the Israeli military.

Hamas says it has submitted its response to a ceasefire deal proposed by the US and is seeking amendments. Speaking to Al Jazeera live by phone, Basem Naim, head of Hamas' political and international relations bureau, confirmed the group's position and outlined concerns regarding the deal’s terms.

Hamas says it has submitted its response to a proposed ceasefire deal to the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Hamas has issued a statement saying, "This proposal aims to achieve a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensuring the flow of aid to our people in the Gaza Strip. As part of this agreement, ten living Israeli prisoners held by the resistance will be released, in addition to the return of eighteen bodies in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners."

A convicted ex-drug smuggler and former lawyer for the country’s most notorious kingpin, Joaquin Guzman: El Chapo, is among the candidates in Mexico's first judicial elections. The elections take place this Sunday and are the first time a nation's entire judiciary will be decided by popular vote. But there are concerns about some of the candidates.

Not much food is coming into the Gaza Strip. The number of trucks entering is very limited and what they are carrying is also limited. And despite the trucks’ entry over the past few days, Palestinians say they have not really received any food because there have not been any normal distribution points.

Billionaire Elon Musk said that his departure from the White House does not mark the end of DOGE and that much of his cost-cutting team will remain in place and he will continue to give advice to President Donald Trump. Musk said he was confident that "over time" the Department of Government Efficiency will reach $1 trillion of savings he promised.

Gaza's entire population of two-point-three million Palestinians is now at risk of famine. That's the warning from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Starvation is being fuelled by the lack of food distribution across the Strip. The operation is being run mostly by private contractors for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is backed by the US and Israeli governments. The UN says it has 600 aid trucks ready to cross into Gaza but they're being blocked by Israel.

Israel has issued new forced displacement orders for residents of northern Gaza. Families were forced to wait until sunrise to begin escaping as Israel intensifies their ground operation in the area.

Dr. Mohamed Salha, director of Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, says Israeli forces forced the evacuation of the last functioning hospital in the region under threat of bombing. Patients were carried on foot, roads were blocked, and medical supplies destroyed. He warns of rising deaths and disease as Gaza’s health system collapses.