Israel pressed ahead with its intensified military offensive in Gaza on Tuesday, despite growing international criticism, launching airstrikes that Palestinian health officials say have killed at least 85 people, reports UNB via AP.
Israeli authorities reported allowing in dozens of aid trucks, although the United Nations says the aid has yet to reach civilians in need.
According to the U.N., two days after limited humanitarian aid began entering the territory, none of it has reached residents of Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade for nearly three months. Experts warn that many of the region's 2 million residents are facing extreme food insecurity and risk of famine.
Under mounting international pressure, Israel this week permitted a "minimal" amount of aid into the enclave after weeks of blocking the entry of food, medicine, and fuel in an effort to pressure the Hamas militant group.
But U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that new Israeli security procedures—requiring aid workers to unload and reload supplies onto separate trucks—have hindered distribution.
COGAT, the Israeli body overseeing humanitarian operations in the occupied territories, reported that five trucks entered Gaza on Monday and 93 on Tuesday.
However, the U.N. confirmed only a few dozen trucks entered on Tuesday, far short of the 600 trucks per day that entered during the last ceasefire in March.
The aid reportedly included baby formula, flour for bakeries, food for soup kitchens, and medical supplies. The U.N. says baby formula is being prioritized, but distribution has been stymied by delays at military checkpoints.
Dujarric described the aid clearance process as "long, complex, complicated and dangerous." COGAT did not immediately comment on the new procedures.
UK suspends trade talks, imposes sanctions
The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced the suspension of its free trade negotiations with Israel and imposed new sanctions targeting Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The move followed sharp criticism from the U.K., France, and Canada over Israel's military actions in Gaza and its conduct in the West Bank.
"I want to put on record today that we're horrified by the escalation from Israel," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament.
The sanctions target three Israeli settlers and several organizations, including one led by prominent settler activist Daniella Weiss. In response, Weiss declared that hundreds of families are ready to move into Gaza to establish new settlements.
Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the sanctions as "unjustified and regrettable," and disputed that trade negotiations were even ongoing.
Domestic criticism mounts in Israel
Criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza has begun to surface domestically as well. Yair Golan, a retired general and leader of the opposition Democrats Party, sharply condemned the government's approach.
"A sane country doesn't engage in fighting against civilians, doesn't kill babies as a hobby, and doesn't set for itself the goals of expelling a population," Golan told Reshet Bet radio.
Golan's remarks were among the strongest internal rebukes of the war to date. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the statements as "wild incitement" and accused Golan of echoing antisemitic blood libels.
Golan, who rejoined the fight after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack, said he would not remain silent as the country strayed from moral and strategic clarity.
More Civilian Deaths as Strikes Intensify
Meanwhile, airstrikes across Gaza continued to inflict heavy civilian casualties. In the northern part of the territory, strikes hit a family home and a school-turned-shelter, killing at least 22 people, most of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Strikes in Deir al-Balah and the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp killed a combined 28 people, while two attacks in Khan Younis killed 10. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas infrastructure and blames the group for operating in civilian areas.
More than 300 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched the new phase of its offensive over the weekend, health officials said.
Ceasefire talks stall
Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday recalled Israel's top negotiating team from Qatar, citing a lack of progress in ceasefire negotiations. A working-level delegation remains in Doha.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said a "fundamental gap" remains between Israel and Hamas, and none of the recent proposals have succeeded in bridging it.
Hamas, for its part, accused Israel of "falsely portraying participation" in the talks while refusing to engage seriously.
War's toll deepens
The war, now in its eighth month, began with Hamas' deadly October 7 incursion into southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 hostages. Hamas is still holding 58 captives, about a third of whom are believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has devastated much of Gaza. The Health Ministry in the enclave reports more than 53,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally.
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