Hello from The National in Abu Dhabi. Here's your morning newsletter with all the top stories from the Mena region.

GAZA/ISRAEL

President Joe Biden said that he will stop shipments of US weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the Pentagon had already delayed a shipment of “high-payload munitions”, saying Israel must do more to protect civilians as it increases combat operations. Follow the latest developments here.

Gaza ceasefire mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US are currently locked in delicate talks with Hamas and Israeli officials, looking for ways to bridge the gap in the discussions, sources told The National. The sources, however, said the main focus of the negotiations was the “slow and gradual” rate at which Hamas wants to release the 130 hostages it still has, to which Israel is objecting.

Palestinians sheltering in Gaza's coastal Al Mawasi area have told The National of the severe hardship they are facing, days after Israel ordered 100,000 people to flee to the area from Rafah.

The World Health Organisation says it has only three days of fuel for its medical operations in southern Gaza, with shortages already forcing one of the three remaining hospitals in Rafah to shut down. One doctor, Majed Jaber, told The National there was no transport to take him to the European Hospital near Khan Younis safely, or to the Al Hilal Al Emarati Maternity Hospital, where he has been working as a volunteer.

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on a draft resolution tomorrow that would recognise Palestine as eligible for full membership.

IRAN

Iran-backed militant groups across the Middle East have said that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would escalate regional tensions. But Tehran is keen for the conflict in Gaza not to spill over into the wider region, despite an Israeli assault that began earlier this week, sources close to Tehran’s so-called "regional axis” told The National.

EGYPT

Egypt is placing its forces in the Sinai Peninsula close to its borders with Gaza and Israel on high alert after the takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing by Israel’s military, sources told The National.

UAE

The chief executive of Emirates, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, spoke to The National on the lessons learnt from the massive disruption to the airline and Dubai International Airport caused by the storm of April 16.

PLUS …

Janine di Giovanni explains how the EU’s lack of unity in calling for Israeli restraint could have a devastating effect on the bloc’s collective soft power in the Arab world for years to come.

Today's Trending Middle East podcast features the controversy around this week's Eurovision Song Contest.

AND …

Reel Palestine to mark the Nakba with screenings of six films in Dubai highlighting Palestinian stories and voices as the war in Gaza continues.

All this and more in The National – subscribe to the print edition, visit TheNationalNews.com, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for round-the-clock updates.

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