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Britain said on Tuesday it would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in Gaza, where starvation is spreading, and reaches a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war with Hamas, Reuters reported.

The warning, which drew a harsh Israeli rebuke, came after a hunger monitor said a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding and immediate action is needed to avoid widespread death. Palestinian authorities said more than 60,000 Palestinians were now confirmed killed by Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.

The hunger alert and the new death toll are grim milestones in the current conflict that began in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, sparking an offensive that has flattened much of the enclave and ignited hostilities across the Middle East, according to Reuters.

The alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) raised the prospect that the starvation crisis in Gaza could be formally classified as a famine, in the hope that this might raise the pressure on Israel to let in far more food.

At least 25 people have been killed across Ukraine in overnight and early morning Russian air strikes that hit a prison and a hospital, local officials say, BBC reported.

They say the deadliest attack was on the Bilenke penitentiary in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where 16 inmates were killed and more than 50 injured.

A separate Russian strike on people queuing for humanitarian aid killed five in the north-eastern Kharkiv region. Three people were killed in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, including a pregnant woman. Another casualty was reported elsewhere in the region, according to BBC.

Gaza is on the brink of famine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday, citing a new report showing alarming levels of hunger and malnutrition. “This is not a warning—it’s happening now,” he said, according to Xinhua.

The UN’s food security alert found two out of three famine thresholds breached in parts of Gaza, with over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April and rising hunger-related deaths.

Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire, full humanitarian access, and a major increase in aid. While a temporary pause has allowed limited supplies in, UN officials say ongoing restrictions and looting prevent much of it from reaching those in need.

“A trickle of aid is not enough,” Guterres said. “This crisis demands urgent, united action”, Xinhua reported.

US President Donald Trump has given Russia a 10-day deadline starting from Tuesday to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine, significantly shortening the 50-day timeline he had announced earlier this month, Xinhua reported.

Speaking to reporters on his return from Scotland, Trump warned that if Moscow fails to act, the US will impose tariffs. He cited frustration over Russia’s unwillingness to compromise during recent talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The Kremlin responded by reaffirming its commitment to its ongoing military operation while stating it remains open to the peace process, according to Xinhua.