President Donald Trump has slashed US aid and vowed a major rethink on helping the world. A controversial effort to bring food to Gaza may offer clues on what's to come.

Administered by contracted US security with Israeli troops at the perimeter, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is distributing food through several hubs in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for over two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.

The United Nations condemned Friday a group of "armed individuals" for raiding warehouses in the Palestinian territory of Gaza and looting large amounts of medical supplies.

The group "stormed the warehouses at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines, nutritional supplements that was intended for malnourished children," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The stolen aid had been brought into war-ravaged Gaza just a day earlier, he said.

The mother of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is close to death after 242 days on hunger strike, her daughter warned Friday.

Laila Soueif, 69, was hospitalised Thursday in London with "critically low" blood sugar, having resumed her full hunger strike last week.

Doctors gave "her proteins that help the body produce glucose", her anxious daughter Sanaa Seif said outside St Thomas hospital in London.

The United Arab Emirates, a major oil exporter, began mandatory emissions monitoring for companies on Friday under a new law targeting climate change.

Greenpeace hailed the move, a first for the Middle East but already in place in dozens of countries worldwide, as a "bold leap toward regional climate leadership".

The UAE, one of the world's top oil exporters, neighbours several oil-rich countries including Saudi Arabia and Iran along with Qatar, a leading gas producer.

Thousands of Afghans protested across the country on Friday against the Israeli bombardment in Gaza, responding to a nationwide call by the Taliban authorities.

Large crowds gathered in several cities after Friday prayers waving Palestinian flags and burning pictures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We are out in support with Gaza. And to show the world that Gaza is not alone, we are standing with them. Wherever Muslims are oppressed, we strongly defend them and condemn it," said 28-year-old Jannat, who goes by one name, in the capital Kabul.

Saudi Arabia is ramping up a crackdown on unregistered worshippers at next week's hajj pilgrimage, a year after hundreds perished in scorching conditions.

Regular raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts are aimed at rooting out unauthorised visitors hoping to mingle among the crowds in and around the holy city of Mecca.

The simple message, "No hajj without a permit", is being blared out in a relentless campaign promoted nationwide at shopping centres, on billboards and across media platforms.

Egypt and Greece sought to ease tensions over the historic St Catherine's monastery in the Sinai peninsula on Friday after a controversial court ruling said it sat on state-owned land.

Cairo has denied that the ruling threatens the UNESCO world heritage landmark, a pilgrimage and tourism site, after Greek and church authorities warned the sacred site's status was at risk.

Israel on Friday said Hamas must accept a hostage deal in Gaza or "be annihilated", as US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire agreement was "very close".

It came amid dire conditions on the ground, with the United Nations warning that Gaza's entire population was at risk of famine.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hamas must agree to a ceasefire proposal presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff or be destroyed, after the Palestinian militant group said the deal failed to satisfy its demands.

For decades, civil servant Zayed al-Ghamdi's social circles in Saudi Arabia were more than predictable, bound by routine and kinship in a country where societal divisions have rarely been challenged. Then came the metro.

A decade after breaking ground, Riyadh's gleaming new metro opened in December, offering the capital's eight million residents an alternative to roads chronically clogged by its two million cars.

The White House said Thursday that Israel had accepted US President Donald Trump's proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, while discussions were "continuing" with Hamas.

The Palestinian militant group had earlier said it was examining a new deal proposed by Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while there was no immediate confirmation from Israel.