The 34th Arab League Summit began in Baghdad, with Israel’s war on Gaza dominating talks besides other regional issues.

A new round of negotiations in the Qatari capital, Doha, aiming to reach a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, has started, coinciding with Israel's escalating aggression on Gaza, Israeli media reported.

"Negotiations in Doha resumed an hour ago, with Qataris shuttling between the rooms of the Israeli and Hamas delegations," in an effort to bridge gaps, the daily Israel Hayom stated.

The newspaper added that the US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is following developments of the negotiations via telephone.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has threatened Spain's public broadcaster RTVE with punitive fines if its commentators repeat references to the war in Gaza during the Eurovision final, RTVE reported.

During Thursday’s broadcast, RTVE highlighted the deaths of over 50,000 civilians, including more than 15,000 children, in Gaza as the Israeli candidate was being introduced.

“Casualty figures have no place in an apolitical entertainment show,” said EBU in a letter to RTVE, calling on them to follow guidelines prohibiting political statements that could “compromise the contest’s neutrality”.

“People of Gaza, the Israeli army is coming,” read leaflets dropped by Israel on Gaza, threatening to escalate its ongoing military campaign, which has lasted for 19 months, with a new ground offensive.

The leaflets were scattered over several neighbourhoods and bore the warning: “People of Gaza, the Israeli army is coming,” eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

The leaflets were dropped a day after the Israeli military announced the expansion of its large-scale assault on Gaza under what it calls "Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the operation aims for the complete occupation of Gaza.

Germany has criticised Israel's latest military attacks in Gaza, warning that the offensive could undermine ceasefire efforts, endanger the lives of hostages, and worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

“The launch of a renewed Israeli ground offensive in Gaza is cause for deep concern – both about Israel's strategic objectives and the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Hamas has confirmed a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel was under way in Qatar's Doha, group official Taher al-Nono told Reuters.

He said both sides were discussing all issues without "preconditions".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over reports that Israel plans to expand its ground attacks in Gaza. "I'm alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations in Gaza," Guterres said on X.

"I emphasise the UN will not participate in any operation that doesn't adhere to international law & humanitarian principles – humanity, impartiality, independence & neutrality."

Some 71 percent of Gaza is under displacement orders or in Israeli-militarised zones, according to the UN.

Italy's government upped its exhortations to Israel to stop deadly military strikes in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying, "Enough with the attacks, we don’t want to see the Palestinian people suffer," Tajani said during a trip to Sicily, in remarks relayed by his spokesman.

"Let's come to a ceasefire; let's free the hostages, he was cited as saying.

Arab leaders at a summit in Baghdad called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, accusing Israel in starker language of trying to drive the Palestinians out of the enclave altogether after it ramped up its bombing campaign.