The Arab League on Thursday called for a UN peacekeeping force in the Palestinian territories and an international peace conference at a summit dominated by the war between Israel and Hamas.

In a concluding statement following a meeting in Manama, the 22-member grouping called for "international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories" until a two-state solution is implemented.

South Africa accused Israel Thursday at the top UN court of stepping up what it called a "genocide" in Gaza, urging judges to order a halt to the Israeli assault on Rafah.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) heard a litany of allegations against Israel from lawyers representing Pretoria, including mass graves, torture, and deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid.

Israel will respond on Friday. It has previously stressed its "unwavering" commitment to international law and described South Africa's case as "wholly unfounded" and "morally repugnant".

The father of British boxer Tyson Fury said he means "no harm to any Ukrainian" on Wednesday after an altercation ahead of this week's undisputed heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk.

John Fury was sporting a mark in the centre of his forehead after apparently headbutting a member of Usyk's entourage during Monday's media day.

"It's a sport where you have big guys full of testosterone and things happen, emotions run high," he said at the pre-fight open workout in Riyadh.

As the Gaza war raged on, Palestinians on Wednesday marked the anniversary of the Nakba, or "catastrophe", of mass displacement during the creation of the state of Israel 76 years ago.

Thousands marched in cities across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, waving Palestinian flags, wearing keffiyeh scarves and holding up symbolic keys as reminders of long-lost family homes.

Inside the besieged Gaza Strip, where the Israel-Hamas war has ground on for more than seven months, scores more died in the fighting sparked by the Hamas attack of October 7.

Ireland is certain to recognise Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the country's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said on Wednesday, without specifying a date.

"We will be recognising the state of Palestine before the end of the month," Martin, who is also Ireland's deputy prime minister, told the Newstalk radio station.

In March the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta said in a joint statement that they stand ready to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Qatar expects to sign more long-term natural gas supply deals this year to meet growing international demand, Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said on Wednesday.

The minister, who is also chief executive of QatarEnergy, said the state-owned giant had secured sales of 25 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the past year and expected to be "signing more this year."

"It's just agreeing on terms and conditions and pricing... but I think there's a huge demand out there, whether it's from Asia or Europe," Kaabi told the Qatar Economic Forum.

The European Union on Wednesday urged Israel to end its military operation in Gaza's Rafah "immediately", warning that failure to do so would undermine ties with the bloc.

"Should Israel continue its military operation in Rafah, it would inevitably put a heavy strain on the EU's relationship with Israel," said the statement issued in the EU's name by its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

As Israel keeps up its campaign against Hamas, Arab leaders are mapping out ways to support post-war Gaza, placing one major condition on their involvement: a pathway to Palestinian statehood.

Major obstacles lie ahead in gaining the support of both US President Joe Biden and the Israeli government, which is currently led by hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of the two-state solution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday insisted there was no "humanitarian catastrophe" in Rafah, even as hundreds of thousands fled the south Gaza city amid intense fighting.

Hamas meanwhile insisted it would take part in any decision on the post-war government of Gaza as Palestinians marked the 76th anniversary of the "Nakba", when around 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 creation of Israel.

Thousands of people took part Tuesday in an annual march through the ruins of villages that Palestinians were expelled from during the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation.

Wrapped in keffiyeh scarves and waving Palestinian flags, men and women rallied through the abandoned villages of Al-Kassayer and Al-Husha -- many holding signs with the names of dozens of other demolished villages their families were displaced from.