Forces loyal to Yemen's government on Wednesday halted an offensive on the lifeline port of Hodeida as the United Arab Emirates, a key member of the pro-government coalition, threw its weight behind "early" U.N. peace talks.

Three military officials told AFP that pro-government forces were "ordered" to stop their assault against the Iran-linked Huthi rebels until further notice, but would resume operations should the insurgents attack.

How did Hodeida become the main frontline in Yemen's devastating war? Who is winning, and what's next for the crucial port city?

After nearly four years of conflict between Yemen's Huthi insurgents and a pro-government military alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the fight is now closing in on the rebel-held Red Sea city.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced his resignation on Wednesday and called for early elections after a sharp disagreement over a Gaza ceasefire deal, throwing the government into turmoil.

Yemeni rebels are planting landmines around the key port of embattled Hodeida, employees said Wednesday, as a loyalist push to take the insurgent-held city appears to have stalled.

The Huthi rebels, who seized the Red Sea city in 2014, have claimed the mining of areas across Hodeida province, airing footage late Tuesday of what they said were landmine explosions targeting pro-government forces.

A ceasefire held Wednesday after the worst escalation between Israel and Gaza militants since a 2014 war, but the situation remained volatile and the deal provoked sharp disagreement within the Israeli government.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has called on the country's Druze community to do military service, days after members of the minority were released following a mass abduction in July by the Islamic State group.

Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip announced an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel on Tuesday after a severe escalation of violence threatened to descend into full-blown war.

The groups, including Hamas, issued a joint statement saying they would abide by the ceasefire as long as Israel did the same. Israel had not commented on the announcement.

Diplomatic efforts appeared to have eased fighting in Yemen's Hodeida Tuesday, as Britain said the Saudi-led coalition had agreed to the evacuation of wounded rebels from the country ahead of proposed peace talks in Sweden.

After nearly four years of conflict in Yemen, home to what the U.N. calls the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe, the United States and Britain are now pressing Saudi Arabia and its allies to end the war against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The main players in the Libya crisis met in Sicily on Tuesday for Italian-sponsored talks aimed at kickstarting a long-stalled political process and triggering elections despite searing emnities in the divided country.

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed's new government has won a vote of confidence in parliament at a time of tensions between the premier and the president in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.