Israel's defence minister approved a plan on Wednesday for the conquest of Gaza City and authorised the call-up of around 60,000 reservists, piling pressure on Hamas as mediators push for a ceasefire.

Defence Minister Israel Katz's move, confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson, came as mediators awaited an official Israeli response on their latest proposal in ceasefire talks.

While mediator Qatar had expressed guarded optimism over the latest proposal, a senior Israeli official said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any agreement.

BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday for an official visit, according to a statement from his ministry.

Wang is also there to attend a China, Afghanistan and Pakistan trilateral foreign ministers' meeting.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Yukun Zhang; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

By Ariba Shahid

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Evicted from their homes and huddling under plastic sheets after heavy rains, Afghan refugees in a park near government offices in Islamabad said they had nowhere to go as Pakistan pressures landlords to expel documented families.

Among them is Samia, 26, from Afghanistan’s Hazara minority, a Shi’ite community long persecuted at home, who gave birth just three weeks ago.

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that he treats leaders of other countries with respect after his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu attacked him over his decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

"I don't take these things personally, I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar things to say about other leaders," Albanese said during a media briefing.

Australia lashed Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after he said the country's prime minister was weak, with a top minister saying strength was more than "how many people you can blow up".

For decades, Australia has considered itself a close friend of Israel, but the relationship has swiftly unravelled since Canberra announced last week it would recognise a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu drastically escalated a war of words on Tuesday night, calling his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese a "weak politician who betrayed Israel".

Syria's foreign minister met with an Israeli delegation in Paris to discuss de-escalation and the situation in Druze-majority Sweida province after deadly sectarian violence last month, state media reported Wednesday.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer attended the meeting on Tuesday, along with Syria's intelligence chief, Syrian state television said, citing an unnamed government source.

CAIRO (Reuters) -Syria's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss bolstering stability in the region and southern Syria, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

Syrian and Israeli officials have been conducting U.S.-mediated talks on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria.

The discussions between the Israeli and Syrian sides focused on de-escalation and non-interference in Syrian domestic affairs.

(Reporting by MEnna Alaa El Din; Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Leslie Adler)

A row between Israel and France over Paris's plan to recognise a Palestinian state next month escalated to crisis level on Tuesday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused President Emmanuel Macron of fomenting "antisemitism".

The Elysee hit back, calling Netanyahu's allegation "abject" and "erroneous".

"This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation," the French presidency added.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States continues to discuss a ceasefire proposal for a 60-day truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas that the Palestinian militant group has accepted, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that Hamas accepted this proposal after the president of the United States posted a very strong statement about this conflict on Truth Social yesterday," Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing at the White House.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington; writing by Ryan Patrick Jones)

By Kanishka Singh and Raphael Satter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department said on Monday the American government played no role in the release of an Israeli official charged with soliciting sex electronically from a minor.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was one of eight people charged last week following an undercover operation "targeting child sex predators," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said in a statement issued last week.