WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. presented Israel and Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas with an updated Gaza ceasefire proposal on Wednesday, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two sources.

An Israeli strike on Gaza's Holy Family Church killed three and injured others, igniting condemnation from the Latin Patriarchate and global figures. The Vatican expressed hope for peace, while Israeli authorities termed it a tragic mistake.

Kenya has reaffirmed its backing for a two-state solution as the path to resolving the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the need for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect in the region.

Despite the insecurity, the priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) has remained in Gaza accompanying the local Catholic community in the midst of the conflict. In 2023 (when the Israel-Hamas war started) he was evacuated to Jerusalem, but decided to return in a gesture that demonstrates his pastoral commitment and spiritual resilience.

Israel will boost defense expenditure by 42 billion shekels ($12.5 billion) over the next two years to meet the costs of last month’s war with Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.