Gaza鈥檚 civil defence agency said Israeli strikes had killed at least 52 people since dawn Thursday across the territory, where Israel has ramped up its military offensive in recent days.
Agency official Mohammed Al-Mughayyir said there had been 鈥�52 martyrs and dozens injured as a result of air strikes carried out by the occupation in various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn today鈥�.
The Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for 14 neighbourhoods of northern Gaza, as it pressed a renewed offensive that has drawn international condemnation.
The warning came hours after the United Nations said it had collected and begun distributing around 90 truckloads of aid in Gaza, the first such delivery since Israel imposed a total blockade on the territory on March 2.
Under global pressure for an end to the blockade and the violence, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was open to a 鈥榯emporary ceasefire鈥� in Gaza, but reaffirmed the military aimed to bring the entire territory under its control.
In an Arabic-language statement on Thursday, the military said it was 鈥榦perating with intense force鈥� in 14 areas in the northern Gaza Strip, accusing 鈥榯errorist organisations鈥� of operating there.
The army issued a similar warning for northern Gaza on Wednesday evening in what the army said was a response to rocket fire.
It later announced three more launches from northern Gaza, but said the projectiles had fallen inside the Palestinian territory.
After Israel announced it would allow in limited aid, the United Nations 鈥榗ollected around 90 truckloads of goods from the Kerem Shalom crossing and dispatched them into Gaza鈥�, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres.
In Gaza, the Hamas government media office reported the arrival of 87 aid trucks, which it said were allocated to international and local organisations to meet 鈥榰rgent humanitarian needs鈥�.
Netanyahu said it was necessary to 鈥榓void a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action鈥� in Gaza.
Palestinians have been scrambling for basic supplies, with Israel鈥檚 blockade leading to critical food and medicine shortages.
Israel has meanwhile kept up its bombardment, with Gaza鈥檚 civil defence agency reporting at least 19 people had been killed in Israeli attacks on Thursday.
Umm Talal al-Masri, 53, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza City, described the situation as 鈥榰nbearable鈥�.
鈥楴o one is distributing anything to us. Everyone is waiting for aid, but we haven鈥檛 received anything,鈥� she said.
鈥榃e barely manage to prepare one meal a day.鈥�
UN agencies have said that the amount of aid entering Gaza falls far short of what is required to ease the crisis. 鈥業 am tormented for my children,鈥� Hossam Abu Aida, another resident of the Gaza Strip, said.
鈥楩or them, I fear hunger and disease more than I do Israeli bombardment,鈥� the 38-year-old added.
The army stepped up its offensive at the weekend, vowing to defeat Gaza鈥檚 Hamas rulers, whose October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
Israel has faced mounting pressure, including from traditional allies, to halt its expanded offensive and allow aid into Gaza.
European Union foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to review the bloc鈥檚 cooperation accord with Israel.
Israel鈥檚 foreign ministry has said the EU action 鈥榬eflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing鈥�.
Sweden said it would press the 27-nation bloc to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers, while Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador.
Hamas鈥檚 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead.
Gaza鈥檚 health ministry said Thursday at least 3,613 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war鈥檚 overall toll to 53,762, mostly civilians.
