Gaza鈥檚 civil defence agency said Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed at least 44 people across the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, where Israel has intensified a military offensive aimed at crushing Hamas.
Aid trickled into the Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time in more than two months, following widespread condemnation of Israel鈥檚 total blockade that has sparked severe shortages of food and medicine.
On Tuesday, a UN spokesman said it had received permission to send another 鈥榓round 100鈥� trucks of aid into Gaza.
The Israeli army stepped up its offensive at the weekend, vowing to defeat Gaza rulers Hamas whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
Strikes overnight and early Tuesday left 鈥�44 dead, mostly children and women, as well as dozens of wounded鈥�, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said.
Bassal said 15 people were killed when a gas station was hit near the Nuseirat refugee camp and 12 others in a strike on a house in Deir el-Balah, both in central Gaza.
Eight people were killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, further north, Bassal said.
The Israeli military said it had 鈥榮truck a Hamas man who was operating from within a command and control centre鈥� within the school compound. There was no comment on the other incidents.
In a statement Tuesday, the military announced strikes on more than 鈥�100 terror targets鈥� in Gaza over the past day.
At the bombarded gas station, Nuseirat resident Mahmoud al-Louh carried a cloth bag of body parts to a vehicle.
鈥楾hey are civilians, children who were sleeping. What was their fault?鈥� he said.
Israel鈥檚 security cabinet approved earlier this month a plan to expand the military offensive, which one official said would include the 鈥榗onquest鈥� of Gaza and the displacement of its population.
On Monday prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel 鈥榳ill take control of all the territory of the strip鈥�, as the intensified military campaign prompted international alarm.
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely halted the war.
Netanyahu said it was necessary for Israel to prevent famine in Gaza for 鈥榩ractical and diplomatic reasons鈥�, after his government announced it would allow limited aid into the besieged territory.
鈥業mages of mass starvation鈥� could harm the legitimacy of Israel鈥檚 war effort, Netanyahu said.
On Friday, president Donald Trump of the United States, Israel鈥檚 close ally and main arms supplier, said that 鈥榓 lot of people are starving鈥� in Gaza. The World Health Organisation later warned that the territory鈥檚 鈥榯wo million people are starving鈥�.
Britain, France and Canada issued a harsh condemnation of Israel鈥檚 conduct of the war, slamming its 鈥榚gregious actions鈥� in the expanded offensive and the 鈥榳holly inadequate鈥� resumption of aid.
They warned of 鈥榗oncrete actions鈥� if Israel did not ease its offensive and allow more aid in.
Netanyahu called their joint statement a 鈥榟uge prize鈥� for Hamas.
Qatar, which has been involved in mediation efforts throughout the war, said on Tuesday that Israel鈥檚 offensive had undermined chances for a ceasefire.
鈥楾his irresponsible, aggressive behaviour undermines any potential chance for peace,鈥� Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said.
Ending more than two months of a complete blockade, Israel said the first five aid trucks entered Monday carrying supplies 鈥榠ncluding food for babies鈥�.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said that the trucks allowed it on Monday were 鈥榓 drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed鈥�.
AFP could not independently verify how many aid trucks had entered Gaza.
Fletcher told the BBC on Tuesday that 14,000 babies could die in the Palestinian territory in the next 48 hours if aid did not reach them in time.
The Hamas attack in October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead.
Gaza鈥檚 health ministry said Tuesday at least 3,427 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war鈥檚 overall toll to 53,573.
