Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim, famed for his critiques of political repression, neoliberalism and Western hegemony, has died at the age of 88, the culture ministry announced on Wednesday.

Ibrahim "passed away today, leaving behind an immortal literary and humanitarian legacy," Culture Minister Ahmed Fouad Hanno said in a tribute, calling the writer a "pillar of modern Arabic literature".

Born in Cairo in 1937, Ibrahim was famed around the Arab world as a chronicler of social injustice, known for his sparse, documentary-style prose and his fierce independence.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it had approved the framework for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas condemned what it called "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions in Gaza City.

The approved plan for the expanded offensive comes days after Israel's security cabinet called for the capture of the Palestinian territory's largest city following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions.

By Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) -The Kurdish YPG militia, which spearheads the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), should stop "playing for time" and abide by its integration agreement with the Syrian government, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday.

NATO-member Turkey has been one of Syria's main foreign allies after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad last year.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Militant group Hamas' chief negotiator held talks with Egyptian mediators over a potential ceasefire in the Gaza war on Wednesday while Israel struck the territory's main city prior to a planned takeover and again invited Palestinians to leave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated an idea - also enthusiastically floated by U.S. President Donald Trump - that Palestinians should simply leave the enclave housing more than 2 million people after nearly two years of conflict.

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's parliament is ready to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should international sanctions be reimposed by the United Nations, Iranian lawmaker Manouchehr Mottaki told Defapress on Wednesday.

This comment comes after European countries expressed their will to reimpose international sanctions on Iran to the UN, which they say they can do by invoking the UN snapback mechanism prior to its expiration in October.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Toby Chopra)

(Reuters) -The Israeli military said on Wednesday that chief of staff Eyal Zamir has approved the 'main concept' for an attack plan in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has said it will launch a new offensive and seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war's outbreak in October 2023 before pulling out.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elimam; editing b y Michael Georgy)

Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations they are ready to reimpose UN-mandated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme if no diplomatic solution is found by the end of August, according to a joint letter released Wednesday.

The letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council says the three European powers are "committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon".

(Reuters) -New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday that Israel’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot” as the country weighs up whether to recognise a Palestinian state.

Luxon told reporters that the lack of humanitarian assistance, the forceful displacement of people and the annexation of Gaza were utterly appalling and that Netanyahu had gone way too far.

"I think he has lost the plot," added Luxon, who heads the centre-right coalition government. "What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable."

(Reuters) -France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have told the United Nations they are ready to reinstate sanctions on Iran if it does not return to negotiations with the international community over its nuclear programme, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

The foreign ministers of the so-called E3 group wrote to the U.N. on Tuesday to raise the spectre of "snapback" sanctions unless Iran takes action, the report added citing a letter seen by the newspaper.

Palestinian-Canadian Faiza Najjar was able to leave Gaza last year, but could not bring her four adult daughters with her. She watched from a distance as food shortages in the territory worsened.

From Canada, where she lives with her six other children, Najjar pursued a months-long effort to get those she had left out of Gaza.

She finally embraced her daughters and seven grandchildren when they arrived at Toronto's airport last month.