French publisher Hachette said Wednesday it was recalling three textbooks for high-school children which refer to the Israeli victims of the October 7, 2023 attacks on the country as "Jewish settlers".

The worst attack in Israeli history saw militants from the Palestinian armed group Hamas kill around 1,200 people in settlements close to the Gaza Strip and at a music festival.

The revision manuals for final-year students refer to all the victims as "Jewish settlers" -- a term usually used to describe Israelis living on illegally occupied Palestinian land.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told the killings of protesters in Iran had been halted, but added that he would "watch it and see" about threatened military action.

Trump had repeatedly talked in recent days about coming to the aid of the Iranian people over the crackdown on protests that rights groups say has left at least 3,428 people dead.

But in a surprise announcement at the White House, Trump said he had now received assurances from "very important sources on the other side" that Tehran had now stopped, and that executions would not go ahead.

Jan 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Wednesday the launch of phase two of the plan to end the conflict in Gaza with the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.

"The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences," Witkoff wrote in a post on X.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas, Editing by Bhargav Acharya)

President Ahmed al-Sharaa repeated calls on Wednesday for Syria's Kurds to integrate into the state, as the army deployed reinforcements near a Kurdish-held area east of Aleppo following deadly clashes in the city.

Syria's Islamist-led government is seeking to extend its authority across the country following the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad a year ago.

TBILISI/BAKU, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan has released four Armenian prisoners arrested during wars between the two countries in 2020 and 2023, Armenia said on Wednesday, in a further sign of normalising ties between the long-standing foes.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on the Telegram messaging app that all four men were in satisfactory health and were headed for the capital Yerevan after being released by Azerbaijani authorities at the Khakari Bridge.

UK police on Wednesday admitted "mistakes" over the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a Europa League football match against Aston Villa in Birmingham, as calls mounted for the under-fire local chief constable to be sacked.

West Midlands Police and its chief constable Craig Guildford have been under mounting pressure about how they came to the decision, which sparked political outrage in Britain and Israel.

By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face voters this year for the first time since the 2023 Hamas attack shook his security credentials, with the outcome of the latest crisis in Iran likely to be key to salvaging his legacy, analysts say.

Successive polls since late 2023, including all those by the three main news channels in Israel over the past month, have shown Netanyahu losing the election, due in October.

WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is suspending all visa processing for visitors from 75 countries starting January 21, Fox News reported on Wednesday, citing a memo from the U.S. State Department.

Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Thailand are among the affected countries, according to the report.

LONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - British interior minister Shabana Mahmood said on Wednesday she no longer had confidence in one of Britain's top police officers after his force recommended Israeli fans be barred from attending an Aston Villa soccer game last year.

The ban, imposed on security grounds, was condemned by both the British and Israeli governments, while Jewish community leaders accused the force of misrepresenting intelligence and undermining public confidence.

PARIS, Jan 14 (Reuters) - France's foreign minister said on Wednesday that Paris was looking at the possibility of sending Eutelsat satellite terminals to Iran to help provide internet services after the recent communications blackout imposed by the Iranian authorities.

"We are exploring all options, and the one you have mentioned is among them," Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers in parliament responding to a question about sending Eutelsat terminals to Iran.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Hugh Lawson)