A UN conference aimed at reviving efforts toward a two-state solution in the Middle East drew to a close in New York on Tuesday with a call from 17 countries for an end to Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip and concrete steps to end the conflict.

Arab nations — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — joined calls Tuesday for Hamas to disarm and give up its grip on Gaza to end the 21-month war.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that the U.K. will recognise Palestine as a state in the United Nations meeting in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza and a path toward a permanent,

Another breakdown of negotiations shows neither side is ready for the 21-month war to end. A deadly hunger crisis is taking hold.

An analysis compiled by USAID officials says they failed to find evidence that Hamas engaged in widespread diversion of assistance in Gaza, ABC News has learned.

Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure at home and abroad to reach a deal following almost two years of war, with the humanitarian situation inside Gaza deteriorating.

The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, saying the latest response from Hamas “shows a lack of desire" to reach a truce.

A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,” the leading international authority on food crises said in a new alert Tuesday, predicting “widespread death” without immediate action.