In Gaza, 45 Killed In Strikes As Desperately Needed Aid Fails To Reach Palestinians

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — Despite growing international condemnation of Israel’s escalating offensive, Israeli airstrikes persisted in bombarding the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The strikes resulted in the deaths of a minimum of 82 individuals, which included several women and a newborn infant, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry and local hospitals.

While Israel initiated the entry of numerous humanitarian trucks into Gaza on Tuesday, the aid has yet to reach the Palestinians facing urgent needs. Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the U.N.’s humanitarian agency, mentioned that no trucks were received on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom, the Israeli border crossing in southern Gaza. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, stated that its staff waited for hours to collect aid at the border crossing but were unable to do so on Tuesday.

In a separate incident, a group of diplomats visiting Jenin, a city in the Israel-occupied West Bank, came under fire, according to the Palestinian Authority. The diplomats were on an official mission to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin when gunfire erupted. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the diplomats.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have taken steps in response to Israel’s military actions, with the U.K. halting free trade talks and the EU reviewing trade agreements with Israel. The international community faces mounting pressure to address the situation and bring an end to the conflict.

The ongoing hostilities have had devastating consequences, with hospitals in northern Gaza facing encirclement by Israeli forces and reports of desperate food shortages among Gaza’s 2 million residents. The conflict, marked by retaliatory strikes and civilian casualties, has left many in urgent need of aid and relief.