By Dawoud Abu Alkas

GAZA CITY, June 22 (Reuters) - Residents of the Gaza Strip have been flocking from suffocating tents to the territory's polluted Mediterranean shore to bathe and wash their clothes, as summer temperatures rise and fresh water remains hard to come by.

Nearly all Gaza's population was displaced during two years of war between Israel and Hamas, with Gazans now crammed into ​a narrow strip along the coast, mainly in tents and damaged buildings.

A huge blast at a Qatar gas hub killed 13 people and injured 66 others, the state's energy minister said on Monday, providing an update on one of the deadliest ever accidents at a Gulf energy facility.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion, which Saad al-Kaabi said was "an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature", despite earlier Iranian attacks targeting energy facilities in the Gulf during the Middle East war.

By Laila Bassam and Miro Mamman

BEIRUT/METULA, Israel, June 22 (Reuters) - A ceasefire largely held in Lebanon on Monday as the country experienced the longest lull yet in three months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, even as fear of renewed hostilities kept displaced people from going home.

If Iranian funds are ever unfrozen under a deal to end the Middle East war, Washington can make sure that the money does not finance terrorism, US Vice President JD Vance insisted Monday.

"If we ever unfreeze Iranian assets, we can ensure that... Iranian money goes to help the people of Iran and not to fund terrorism," Vance told reporters at Switzerland's Burgenstock resort, where a first round of talks between Tehran and Washington concluded early Monday.

Carrying their boards past tents and bombed-out buildings, a group of Gazan surfers headed for the sea, seeking solace in the waves despite the risk of Israeli attacks.

On the beach in Gaza City, the trio laid out their boards on the sand while they warmed up their limbs and readied their gear.

A few children splashed in the shallows as the surfers paddled out to sea, fighting the crashing waves.

Tehran voiced Tuesday its intent to maintain control over the vital Strait of Hormuz, a crucial question in the Middle East war talks with Washington that just wrapped up in Switzerland.

Vice President JD Vance called the negotiations a "very good foundation" for a final deal to end the conflict, noting on Monday that Washington suspended sanctions on Iranian oil.

But critical questions like Iran's nuclear programme and Hormuz, a major conduit for the world's oil supply, have not been resolved despite an initial deal between Washington and Teheran.

June 22 (Reuters) - Talks between Iran and the U.S. have concluded successfully in Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.

"The discussions were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere and yielded encouraging progress, including agreement on a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days, the establishment of a high-level committee to provide political oversight, and the commencement of further technical talks," he said in a post on X.

(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh)

By Saurabh Sharma and Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI, June 22 (Reuters) - The Indian government is in talks with the UAE to sell some of its flagship defence systems, including the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, four Indian sources said, as the Gulf nation steps up arms procurement following the war in the Middle East.

The discussions, which have not been previously reported, include the potential sale of India's air defence system Akashteer, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

June 22 (Reuters) - Moscow shot down dozens of drones in the early hours of Monday and briefly suspended flights at airports, authorities in the Russian capital said, just days after Ukraine hit the city's oil refinery again.

Ukrainian authorities said Russian drones had hit civilian merchant vessels, killing an Egyptian crew member, while drone attacks elsewhere killed at least five people, including three members of the same family in Ukraine's northern Sumy region.

June 21 (Reuters) - Fifty-four people have been injured while 18 are missing after an explosion at Qatar's core liquefied natural gas processing site of Ras Laffan on Sunday, authorities said.

An incident during the start-up of operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City resulted in an explosion and fire at the Barzan local gas supply facility on Sunday evening, QatarEnergy said in a statement. Emergency response teams were deployed to contain the fire, which was now under control, it said.