The Times of Israel is liveblogging Monday’s events as they unfold.

Syrian President Ahmaed al-Sharaa and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Israel-Syria relations during their meeting Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to a State Department readout.

The US is hoping to broker a security deal between Israel and Syria to help ease tensions along the border and move toward an eventual normalization deal. While there had been speculation that a deal could be reached in the coming days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated Sunday that more time would be needed to reach an agreement.

During his meeting with Sharaa, Rubio “underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President Trump’s historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people,” the US readout says.

“They discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts, efforts to locate missing Americans, and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security,” it adds

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly says that his country will host a Gaza reconstruction conference as soon as a ceasefire has been reached in the devastated territory.

“Egypt will, as soon as we reach a ceasefire, host an international reconstruction conference on the Gaza Strip to mobilize the necessary funding for the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan,” he says at a conference on the two-state solution at the United Nations.

Belgium Prime Minister Bart De Wever follows through on his country’s pledge to recognize a Palestinian state only once the hostages have been released and Hamas is removed from power in Gaza.

“The recent declarations of a number of Israeli ministers, including the prime minister himself, that no state of Palestine will ever exist is an additional reason for reaffirming the right and the need of the Palestinians having their own state,” De Wever says in his address at the UN two-state solution conference.

“Therefore, Belgium is giving out a strong political and diplomatic signal to the world today by joining the group of countries that announces the recognition of the State of Palestine in the margin of this high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly,” he continues.

“However, this step cannot be a reward for Hamas,” he clarifies. “Conscious of the trauma suffered after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, Belgium will proceed to the legal recognition of the State of Palestine once all hostages have been released and all terrorist organizations such as Hamas........

© The Times of Israel