Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates:

• Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation.

• A top Hamas leader told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the militant group is open to a weapons "freeze", but rejects the demand for disarmament put forward in the US-sponsored peace plan for Gaza.

• Spain's prime minister on Thursday called on the international community to "raise its voice" to prevent the plight of Palestinians from being forgotten, during a meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmud Abbas.

• Trump administration officials have held advanced discussions on hitting the UN Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) with terrorism-related sanctions, said two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, prompting serious legal and humanitarian concerns inside the State Department.