Arab nations have slammed comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently expressing support for the idea of an expanded "Greater Israel", calling the remarks a threat to their sovereignty at an especially tense time for the region.

The term Greater Israel refers to a biblical interpretation of the nation's territory during the time of King Solomon, encompassing not only the present-day Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but also parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

A blast that rocked Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Thursday killed four people, state media said, though the cause had yet to be officially determined.

Residents told AFP they heard the sound of explosions on the western outskirts of the provincial capital, with a war monitor saying they came from a nearby base for foreign fighters.

Human Rights Watch alleged Thursday that an Israeli airstrike on a notorious Iranian prison was "an apparent war crime", while also accusing Tehran of harming and disappearing prisoners after the attack.

Israel struck Evin Prison in Tehran, one of Iran's most notorious detention facilities for political activists and dissidents, on June 23, during its 12-day war with the Islamic Republic.

The leader of the small Baha'i community in Qatar was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for social media posts that allegedly "cast doubt on the foundations of the Islamic religion," according to court documents obtained by an international Baha'i organization monitoring the case.

A three-judge panel of Qatar's Supreme Judiciary Council issued the verdict against Remy Rowhani, 71, who has been detained since April, according to documents provided to The Associated Press by the Baha'i International Community office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Israel's far-right finance minister announced approval of contentious new settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday, which Palestinians and rights groups worry will scuttle plans for a future Palestinian state by effectively cutting the West Bank into two separate parts.

The announcement comes as many countries, including Australia, Britain, France, and Canada said they would recognize a Palestinian state in September.

More than 100 nonprofit groups warned Thursday that Israel's rules for aid groups working in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank will block much-needed relief and replace independent organizations with those that serve Israel's political and military agenda — charges that Israel denied.

At the same time, hospital officials reported more deaths from Israeli airstrikes and an increasing toll from malnutrition. The mounting backlash over aid restrictions and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been cited by several countries as a factor in their moves toward recognizing Palestinian statehood.

A U.N. commission investigating sectarian bloodshed in Syria's Alawite heartland documented systematic violence at the hands of government forces and their allies, warning some of the acts could constitute war crimes, a report said Thursday.

The commission said it documented cases of "murder, torture and inhumane acts related to the treatment of the dead, widespread looting and burning of homes", leading to the mass displacement of civilians. "The violations included acts that likely amount to war crimes," it said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has mocked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's offer to help with Iran's water crisis.

Pezeshkian said Wednesday on X that Israel has denied Palestinians access to water and food, so can't be trusted.

Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas.

Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hinted that ceasefire efforts in Gaza are now focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages all at once, rather than in phases.

Arab officials told The Associated Press last week that mediators Egypt and Qatar were preparing a new framework for a deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages in one go in return for a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.