Biden and allies discuss Israel-Hamas conflict

The leaders of the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain affirmed on Sunday their support for Israel and its right to defend itself, but called for adherence to international humanitarian law to protect civilians.

In a joint statement issued after a telephone meeting called by US President Joe Biden, the leaders also welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all detainees.

In addition, they hailed the entry of the first shipments of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Saturday and pledged to continue coordination with partners in the region "to ensure continuous and safe access to food, water, medical care and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs".

They also expressed their desire to continue diplomatic efforts with partners in the region to prevent the expansion of the conflict and to work towards reaching a political solution and lasting peace in the Middle East, according to the statement. 

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities said on Sunday that they had formed hundreds of volunteer security teams in the past two weeks since the outbreak of the war in Gaza and that they were arming them in anticipation of unrest due to the current events.

Also on Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that the number of deaths in Gaza alone jumped to 4,561 Palestinians and those injured to 14,245.