Deir al-Balah, Gaza (AP) — Hospitals in Gaza reported that Israeli strikes overnight and into Wednesday resulted in the deaths of at least 45 individuals, including women and a week-old infant. This escalation occurs amid Israel's ongoing military campaign against Hamas, despite increasing international criticism regarding the offensive.
On Tuesday, Israel began allowing a limited number of humanitarian trucks to enter Gaza, but aid organizations reported that this assistance has not reached the Palestinians who urgently need it. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric indicated that, although humanitarian aid was entering Gaza, aid workers faced challenges in transporting it to critical distribution points. This was compounded by the Israeli military’s requirement for supplies to be transferred to separate trucks, which resulted in time constraints that left aid unfulfilled.
Internal communications from aid groups revealed that no humanitarian trucks had successfully left the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza. A total of 65 trucks reportedly moved to the Palestinian side of the crossing but did not proceed further into Gaza. The Israeli defense authority overseeing humanitarian efforts stated that trucks were entering Gaza on Wednesday morning; however, it remained unclear if the supplies would be distributed effectively. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees waited for several hours to begin aid distribution but reported an inability to do so on Tuesday.
In a separate diplomatic development, the United Kingdom suspended free trade talks with Israel due to its intensifying military operations in Gaza. This action followed commitments from the U.K., Canada, and France to pursue concrete measures urging Israel to halt its military action. Furthermore, Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, announced that the EU is currently reviewing its trade agreements with Israel in light of the war's conduct.
In statements regarding the ongoing conflict, Israel asserted that it would cease military operations only when all hostages taken by Hamas are returned and when the militant group is either vanquished, exiled, or disarmed. In contrast, Hamas indicated its willingness to release hostages in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal and an end to hostilities, firmly rejecting any conditions regarding exile or disarmament.
Additionally, Israel withdrew its senior negotiating team from ceasefire discussions in Doha, Qatar, opting to leave lower-level officials in place instead. Meanwhile, airstrikes continued across Gaza. In the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli authorities have ordered new evacuations in anticipation of an expanded offensive, 24 individuals lost their lives, including 14 from a single family. A week-old infant was among those killed in central Gaza.
The Israeli military had not issued an immediate comment on these recent strikes but has previously stated that it is targeting Hamas infrastructure, accusing the militants of operating within civilian populations. This protracted conflict began with a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities, primarily civilians, and the abduction of 251 individuals. Currently, 58 hostages are still believed to be held, with around one-third of them thought to be alive, as many were released during ceasefire agreements or negotiations.
As Israel's retaliatory operations have continued, the toll in Gaza has escalated dramatically, with Gaza's Health Ministry reporting over 53,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly involving women and children. This current count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, further complicating the narrative around the conflict.
