The United States said early Saturday that it had negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Syria's government as new clashes erupted in Syria's Druze heartland following violence that prompted massive Israeli strikes.

At least 638 people have died since Sunday in violence between the Druze and Bedouins, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, drawing questions over the authority of Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Israel intervened Wednesday with major strikes in the heart of the capital Damascus, including hitting the army's headquarters.

MILAN (Reuters) -Almost a third of Italians believe the country will be directly involved in a war within five years, but only 16% of those of fighting age would be willing to take up arms, a survey showed on Friday.

The survey by the Centre for Social Investment Studies (CENSIS) showed 39% of Italians aged between 18 and 45 would declare themselves as pacifist conscientious objectors, 19% would try to evade conscription another way, and 26% would prefer Italy to hire foreign mercenaries.

(Reuters) -Bloodshed in Sweida left at least 321 people dead, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said on Friday, in a new toll.

A Syrian minister said that the government has recovered 87 bodies, but he did not indicate if it was the entire toll from recent violence between Bedouin tribes and the Druze minority in and around the city in the south of the country.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily, Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

ROME (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday, the Vatican said, a day after an Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic church killed three people and injured several more.

During the call, the pope renewed his appeal for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, and expressed his concern over the "dramatic" humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, a Vatican statement said.

Leo also stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful, and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added.

GAZA (Reuters) -Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest ranking Catholic official in Jerusalem, entered Gaza on Friday to bring humanitarian aid and comfort to victims of Israel's strike on the sole Catholic church of the Palestinian enclave.

Three people died and several were injured in the strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City a day earlier. Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken.

Two of the most senior Christian leaders in Jerusalem made a rare visit to war-torn Gaza on Friday, a day after Israeli fire killed three at the Palestinian territory's only Catholic church, provoking international condemnation.

The Roman Catholic Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and his Greek Orthodox counterpart, Theophilos III, greeted local Christians and toured the Holy Family Church in Gaza City.

ANKARA (Reuters) -The European Union has eased rules for Turks to use its open-border Schengen area, the bloc's ambassador to Ankara said on Friday, calling for the urgent revival of negotiations on visa-free travel for Turks.

For years, Turks have complained about the EU's visa system. The EU has said the processes - managed by accredited visa agencies - have been slow due to the high number of applications and that it is discussing possible workarounds with Ankara.

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA (Reuters) -The United Nations refugee agency expressed concern on Friday about the impact of hostilities in Syria's southern city of Sweida on its aid operations, and urged all sides to allow more humanitarian access.

Syria's government sent troops this week to the predominantly Druze city to quell fighting between Bedouins and Druze, but the violence grew until a fragile ceasefire took hold.

By Rozanna Latiff

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Friday to protest against the proposed appointment of Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" influencer, as the United States' envoy to Malaysia.

President Donald Trump last week named outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White House's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Malaysia.

Under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure, Ahmed al-Sharaa pulled troops from Syria's Druze heartland -- a move that exposes the interim leader's weakness just as he sought to assert control.

Since seizing office in December after ousting longtime autocrat Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has worked to recast himself from jihadist to statesman, even earning praise from US President Donald Trump as a "tough guy".