US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has begun talks in Israel, first meeting with right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the leader's office. Israeli media reported their discussion on Thursday focused on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to arrive in Israel in a bid to salvage Gaza ceasefire talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine was unfolding.

Israel's military offensive and blockade have led to the “worst-case scenario of famine” in the coastal territory of some 2 million Palestinians, according to the leading international authority on hunger crises.