Israel over "drip feeding" of aid to Palestinians and say "the war in Gaza must end," just as it looks set to expand.

The head of the agency that helps oversee international aid deliveries to the territory had criticized the impact of Israeli policy on civilians.

Americans are increasingly skeptical of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS that also finds rising sentiment that the US should pull back on military aid to Israel.

“For the first time, the Israeli army admits that its forces are significantly depleted. It estimates a shortage of around 7,500 soldiers,” the Hebrew-language daily Maariv said. According to the report, the army is currently lacking 300 platoon commanders in combat units across its ground forces.

Syria's Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions. Earlier on Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days.

Syrian interior ministry forces began deploying in Sweida on Saturday under a US-brokered deal intended to avert further Israeli military intervention in the Druze-majority province. Israel had bombed defence ministry forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and other abuses against Druze

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel's military actions in Syria, accusing the country of being a "terrorist state" as well as a destabilizing force in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telephoned Pope Leo XIV, who urged Israel's leader to revive negotiations and enact a ceasefire.