Israel's West Bank annexation bid condemned as Fatah, Hamas delegations meet in Cairo

Israel on Thursday froze the West Bank annexation bills that passed a preliminary vote in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, a day earlier.

Ofir Katz, chairman of the government coalition, said in a statement that the bills for the full annexation of the West Bank and the annexation of the large-scale settlement of Maale Adumim near Jerusalem will not be advanced until further notice.

The vote, carried out during U.S. Vice President JD Vance's visit to the country, drew condemnations from the U.S. as well as other regional powers.

Vance said the vote was a "stupid political stunt," which has no practical significance.

Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Türkiye and 13 other Muslim-majority nations condemned the preliminary approval of the bills, as did key multilateral organizations that represent Arab states and Muslim nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the parliamentary vote on annexation "was a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord" during Vance's visit.

As EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday, they also demanded that Israel cease its illegal settlement expansion and military operations while welcoming the achievements of the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, delegations from Hamas and Fatah are meeting in Cairo to discuss arrangements for the post-war phase in the Gaza Strip, Egyptian TV channel Al-Qahera News reported Thursday.

The Hamas delegation is led by senior leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, while that of Fatah is headed by Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh and Palestinian intelligence chief Majed Faraj, according to the report.

It added that Cairo is also hosting talks among Palestinian factions on the second phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, noting that Egypt is preparing to host a conference on Gaza's reconstruction in the second half of November.

Humanitarian challenges in Gaza

An aid team assessing needs in Gaza City has found severe public health challenges, including a lack of clean water, widespread skin diseases and damaged sanitation systems, UN humanitarians said Thursday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the United Nations and its partners are working to address the needs of displaced people across the Gaza Strip.

OCHA said there is an urgent need to repair latrines and sewage networks to prevent leaks and contamination. Services are almost non-existent, with no medical points, mobile health teams or nutrition screening available.

Additionally, the office said that displaced families at these sites reported they urgently need food, clean water, hygiene items, materials to repair water and sanitation infrastructure, and cash assistance to purchase winter clothing, shoes, tarpaulins and kitchen sets.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said its team led the medical evacuation of 41 critical patients and 145 companions out of Gaza, the first such evacuation since the October 10 ceasefire. The WHO said that there are still about 15,000 patients waiting for approval to receive medical care outside the Gaza strip.

(With input from agencies)