Israeli tanks invaded the northern Gaza Strip overnight in what military leaders are calling a “targeted” raid ahead of a much larger ground invasion. The incursion comes as Israel continues to bombard the whole of the Gaza Strip for a 20th consecutive day by air, land and sea. The Palestinian death toll has soared to more than 7,000, including over 2,900 children.
The U.N.’s refugee agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, says it has been sharing its own dwindling supplies of fuel to keep life-saving hospital equipment running and aid deliveries moving. An UNRWA spokesperson asked the Associated Press, “Do we give for the incubators or the bakeries? It is an excruciating decision.”
On Wednesday, Oxfam accused Israel of intentionally starving Gaza’s 2.3 million people. Oxfam’s regional Middle East director said, “The situation is nothing short of horrific — where is humanity? Millions of civilians are being collectively punished in full view of the world, there can be no justification for using starvation as a weapon of war.”