Former US President Barack Obama said some of Israel's actions in its war against Hamas, like cutting off food and water for Gaza, could weaken international support and "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations".
In rare comments on a foreign policy crisis, Obama said any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs of the war "could ultimately backfire".
"The Israeli government's decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population (in Gaza) threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel's enemies, and undermine long-term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region," Obama said.
Israel has launched intensive air strikes on Gaza since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 killed more than 1,400 people. Gaza officials say Israeli air strikes have killed more than 5,000 Palestinians.
He denounced the Hamas attack and reiterated his support for Israel's right to defend itself, but at the same time, he warned of the dangers to which civilians are exposed in such wars.
Members of the World Health Organisation (WHO) adopted an agreement on Tuesday intended to improve preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19, but the absence of the US cast doubt on the treaty's effectiveness.
The United Nations has received permission from Israel for about 100 more emergency aid trucks to enter Gaza, though the first supplies to have entered in weeks remained under Israeli control, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The leaders of Britain, Canada and France threatened sanctions against Israel on Monday if it does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The New Zealand government on Tuesday deferred a vote over the rare suspension of three Indigenous lawmakers from parliament for performing a haka, the Maori ceremonial dance, during the reading of a contentious bill last year.
Temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius scorched parts of northern and central China on Tuesday with authorities issuing heat warnings and offering aid to farmers to protect food production.
The UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is urging private sector companies with 50 or more employees to meet their Emiratisation targets for the first half of 2025.
The Central Bank of the UAE has imposed a financial penalty of AED 200 million on an exchange house for serious violations of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations.
Dubai has launched "affordable housing projects" for working professionals in key public and private sector roles in an effort to "improve living standards for (the city's) workforce".