Syrian security forces deployed heavily in the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast on Saturday, after a war monitor reported that government and allied forces killed nearly 750 civilians from the religious minority in recent days.

Residents of the region continued to report killings of civilians after deadly clashes broke out on Thursday between Syria's new authorities and gunmen loyal to toppled president Bashar al-Assad, himself an Alawite.

Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of complicity in genocide in a filing at the International Court of Justice, putting the spotlight on the oil-rich monarchy's alleged involvement in a devastating civil war.

The UAE has long been accused by Sudan and others of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting the regular army for nearly two years -- an allegation the Gulf state denies.

How is the UAE involved in Sudan, and what ties does it have to the RSF?

- Why is Sudan important to the UAE? -

International support grew on Saturday for an Arab counterproposal to US President Donald Trump's plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, with Islamic nations endorsing it and European governments giving their backing.

Unlike the Trump plan, the Arab proposal aims to rebuild Gaza without displacing the territory's 2.4 million inhabitants, who endured more than 15 months of devastating conflict before a fragile ceasefire took effect on January 19.

Palestinian officials denounced the partial burning of a historic mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Friday, which they said had been carried out during a raid by Israeli armed forces.

AFPTV footage from Friday showed Palestinians inspecting the blackened and partially charred interior of the al-Nasr mosque -- a landmark in Nablus' Old City.

Witnesses interviewed by AFP said the military operation took place between 2:00 am and 6:30 am.

In their home in war-devastated Gaza City, Iman Farhat and her husband cherish the "paradise" brought by their newly-adopted baby, one of many orphans in the Palestinian territory after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Wrapping five-month-old Jannah in a brightly coloured blanket, Farhat gently sang as she rocked her to sleep.

"I chose Jannah just as she was," the new mother said smiling, explaining the couple simply wanted to adopt a young child without preference for gender or physical appearance.

Iran will not resume negotiations with the United States on its nuclear programme while President Donald Trump applies his "maximum pressure" policy, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told AFP on Friday.

Iran will maintain talks with other negotiators but will not engage with the US under Trump's approach of ramping up sanctions, he said in an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Later on Friday, Trump said he had written to Iran warning it to open negotiations or face a military attack.

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he has written to Iran's supreme leader pressing for new talks on its nuclear program, warning of possible military action if not.

Iran's foreign minister told AFP on Friday that his country would not negotiate so long as the United States applies "maximum pressure," but he was not responding directly to Trump's letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Prince Muhammad Ali has left a comfortable life in Paris to fulfil an enduring dream -- return to Egypt, where his grandfather Farouk once ruled as king, hoping to restore the family's legacy.

The 46-year-old businessman told AFP he was delighted to be in the "regained homeland" his family had left when a 1952 military coup ended more than a century of monarchy, bringing Gamal Abdel Nasser to power.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Friday endorsed an Arab League counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump's controversial plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, two ministers told AFP.

The decision by the 57-member grouping came at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three days after the Arab League ratified the plan at a summit in Cairo.

The Egyptian-crafted alternative to Trump's widely condemned takeover proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority.

Jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah began a hunger strike at the start of the month after his mother was hospitalised more than 150 days into her own hunger strike, his family said on Friday.

Abdel Fattah began refusing food at the Wadi al-Natroun prison "on Saturday, March 1 after hearing news that his mother had been hospitalised" in London, where she has been on hunger strike to put pressure on the British government to secure his release.