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Israel is escalating its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants. The war is rapidly raising the death toll in Gaza, and the US fears the fighting could spark a wider conflict in the region.<\/p>\n
Gaza\u2019s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the Hamas attack on Israeli towns on October 7. The aid convoys allowed into Gaza so far have carried a fraction of what\u2019s needed, and the UN said distribution will have to stop if there\u2019s no fuel for the trucks.<\/p>\n
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Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Twenty trucks were unable to transport aid to Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the United Nations said as US President Joe Biden dubbed humanitarian efforts to deliver help via a crossing from Egypt as \u201cnot fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope the materials can enter Gaza tomorrow,\u201d said UN aid spokesperson Eri Kaneko. She did not say why the trucks had not been able to cross into Gaza from Egypt on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The war, in its 18th day Tuesday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 5791 Palestinians have been killed and 16,297 wounded. In the occupied West Bank, 96 Palestinians have been killed and 1650 wounded in violence and Israeli raids since October 7.<\/p>\n More than 1400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the initial Hamas rampage. In addition, 222 people including foreigners were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, Israel\u2019s military has said. Four of those have been released.<\/p>\n Several dozen people held a vigil outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday to remember the thousands of Palestinian children killed by Israeli airstrikes.<\/p>\n Palestinians injured in Israeli air raids arrive at Nasser Medical Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The group, organised by the Medical Aid for Palestinians charity, had written the names of dead children on their palms and held a minute of silence.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been an outpouring, justifiably, for those Israeli citizens who have been taken hostage,\u201d said Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat member of Parliament, who has family in Gaza. \u201cI think it\u2019s also equally important to show the depths of humanity for all those affected. \u2026 We\u2019re going to be writing the names of one of the children on our hands to mark our respects for not just the children, but everyone who was an innocent civilian who has died in this conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 40 per cent of the 5700 reported killed in Gaza have been children.<\/p>\n The vigil was held the same day families of Israelis killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants in October 7 raids spoke at the Israeli Embassy in London.<\/p>\n More than 1400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians who died in the rampage and more than 220 were captured and taken back to Gaza.<\/p>\n The spokesman of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group says Israel is acting in a way that shows it does not care about the lives of hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n Abu Hamza said in a statement released by the group on Tuesday that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza indicates the Israeli government \u201cdoes not want the prisoners (hostages) to see sunlight\u201d.<\/p>\n His comments came a day after the militant Hamas group released two Israeli women who were held hostage. Last week, Hamas released an American woman and her teenage daughter as part of a mediation by Qatar.<\/p>\n AP<\/strong><\/p>\n Get a note directly from our foreign <\/i><\/b>correspondents <\/i><\/b>on what\u2019s making headlines around the world. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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