By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

ALEPPO, Syria/AMMAN (Reuters) -Syria on Tuesday began the first trial of suspects in a wave of bloodshed in March during which pro-government fighters killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority - a case seen as a test of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's promise of accountability.

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two Democratic U.S. senators wrote to President Donald Trump's administration on Monday raising "serious concerns" about Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's potential financial conflicts of interest.

By Alexander Cornwell and Nidal al-Mughrabi

TEL AVIV/CAIRO (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday called for Hamas to be expelled from the region, a day after the U.N. Security Council endorsed President Donald Trump's plan to end the war that offers the Palestinian militant group amnesty.

Netanyahu publicly endorsed the plan during a White House visit in late September. However, his latest remarks appear to show that there are differences with the United States on the path forward. Hamas has also objected to parts of the plan.

GENEVA (Reuters) -United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called the passing of a U.S.-backed resolution on Gaza an important step in the consolidation of the ceasefire, in a statement sent to reporters.

The UN Security Council on Monday voted to adopt a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and authorizing an international stabilization force there.

The UN's World Food Programme warned Tuesday that funding cuts mean it will struggle to feed even a third of the 318 million people facing severe hunger in 2026.

"Declines in global humanitarian funding are forcing WFP to prioritise food assistance to roughly one third of those in need," targeting 110 million of the most vulnerable, it said in a statement.

That would cost $13 billion, the agency estimated -- but warned that "current funding forecasts indicate WFP may only receive close to half that goal".

CAIRO (Reuters) -A Gaza company that operates water desalination plants serving nearly half of the enclave's population has stopped operations to protest at the detention by Hamas of one of its staff.

Youssef Yassin, a board member of the Abdul Salam Yassin Company, said the move would affect more than 1 million people who normally receive water from the company.

Over 70 trucks that carry water containers across the enclave have also stopped operations, he added, risking further supply disruption after the pipeline network was badly damaged during the war.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian representatives will not take part in talks on Ukraine in Turkey on November 19, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier he would go to Turkey on Wednesday in an attempt to revive negotiations with Russia on ending the war.

A Turkish source said that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would join the planned talks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "No, there will be no Russian representatives in Turkey tomorrow. For now, these contacts are taking place without Russian participation."

Israel on Tuesday hailed Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan after its endorsement by the UN Security Council, as Hamas rejected the resolution which calls for the deployment of an international force in the Palestinian territory.

The United Nations Security Council voted on Monday in favour of a US-drafted resolution bolstering President Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip -- which has allowed a fragile ceasefire to hold between Israel and Hamas since October 10.

KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he planned to go to Turkey on Wednesday in an attempt to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.

A Turkish source said that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would also visit Turkey on Wednesday and join the planned talks there with Zelenskiy.

MANILA (Reuters) -Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said on Tuesday the U.N. Security Council's adoption of a resolution endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza was a necessary first step on a long road toward peace.

The Security Council on Monday adopted the U.S.-drafted resolution, which also authorises a multinational security force to be deployed to Gaza and imposes an international guardian mechanism for the territory ravaged by two years of war.