The United States, which has repeatedly blocked calls for a truce in Gaza, will submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council Friday on the need for "an immediate ceasefire," while Russia pushes for even more explicit demands for peace.

Since the start of the Israeli-Hamas war on October 7, the United States has repeatedly used its UN Security Council veto to block the world body from calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

Israel plans to send troops into Gaza's Rafah even without US support, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the US top diplomat on Friday, as Washington failed to pass a UN resolution on an "immediate" ceasefire.

Almost six months of Israeli bombardment since Hamas's October 7 attack has brought Gaza to its knees with many thousands killed, infrastructure shattered and widespread warnings that its 2.4 million people are on the verge of famine.

Normally festive Ramadan nights have become rife with danger in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said hospital director Wisam Bakr, as surging violence casts a long shadow over the Muslim fasting month.

His hospital in the northern West Bank city of Jenin has been on the front line of the spike in violence since Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war that is still raging in the Gaza Strip.

Instead of breaking the daily Ramadan fast with family and friends, "at night we try not to go outside... because the night is not safe," said Bakr.

Rachel Goldberg said it still does not feel real 167 days after her son was taken hostage by Hamas, as prayers echoed at Jerusalem's Western Wall Thursday for the Gaza captives.

She spoke as thousands stood at the holy site for a mass Jewish prayer seeking the return of the 130 hostages Israel believes remain in the Palestinian territory -- including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23.

"People say 'We can't image what you're going through' and we always say, we can't imagine what we're going through," said Goldberg, seated next to her husband Jonathan Polin.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday a major military operation by Israel in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah would be "a mistake", adding that a truce agreement was "possible".

Blinken said "gaps are narrowing" in ongoing ceasefire and hostage release talks in Qatar, where the head of Israel's spy agency was due to meet his American and Egyptian counterparts Friday.

"It's difficult to get there, but I believe it is still possible," Blinken said in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the path towards normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, delayed by the war in Gaza, was seeing "very good progress".

Blinken said at a press conference in Cairo that his visit to the Gulf kingdom on Wednesday had yielded "a very good discussion" with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

The talks had focused both on the war in Gaza and on relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, where Blinken had made three visits since the start of the war on October 7.

Government ministers from five Arab countries met Thursday in Cairo with a Palestinian official to discuss the Gaza war, Egypt's foreign ministry said, ahead of talks with the US top diplomat.

In a joint statement released by Egypt's foreign ministry, the ministers called for "a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire" and the "opening of all crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip," where aid has only trickled in and the United Nations has repeatedly warned of imminent famine.

Dutch police said Thursday they had arrested someone suspected of throwing a burning object at Israel's embassy in The Hague, which is under heavy security amid the war in Gaza.

"Around 10:50 am someone threw a burning object... towards the Israeli embassy," police said.

"We have arrested one suspect. No-one was injured. We are investigating and there is a large barrier around the embassy."

An Israeli air strike and gunfire have killed four Palestinians at the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent said Thursday in an updated toll.

Israeli forces withdrew from Nur Shams in the morning, AFP correspondents said, hours after the military announced around midnight (2200 GMT on Wednesday) it had launched a "counter-terrorism" operation.

The US top diplomat said Thursday "gaps are narrowing" in talks for a ceasefire in Gaza, and a deal to free hostages held by militants in the devastated coastal territory.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke in Cairo after Israel said its spy chief would head back Friday to Doha for more truce talks with American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators.