There is no letup in Israel's aggressive bombardment in the Gaza Strip where at least 50 innocent Palestinian citizens lost their lives in just one hour, says Ashraf al-Qedra, a spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The development follows a very tough day where 700 people were martyred - the highest single-day death toll since Israel began pounding the besieged territory already grappling with severe shortages of food, water, and fuel, with torn-apart streets reduced to graveyards, and hospitals struggling to handle ever-increasing casualties.
On Tuesday, following two weeks of Israeli shelling, UN agencies implored "on our knees" for emergency aid to be granted free entry into Gaza, claiming that more than 20 times the amount of current deliveries were required to maintain the Palestinian population.
Israel has issued a new evacuation warning to Gaza, as it continues bombing the besieged enclave, with the Palestinian death toll standing at 5,791 including 1,292 women and 2,360 children on Tuesday.
At least 18,000 Palestinians have also been injured in the Israeli strikes.
Doctors in the war-torn Gaza on Tuesday reported that hundreds of patients are flooding hospitals with symptoms of illnesses brought on by extreme congestion and poor cleanliness in the shelters during the heaviest-ever Israeli bombing, in addition to the war-wounded.
The most intensive bombardment ever seen in Israel has led to almost 1.4 million people seeking safety in temporary shelters, which has led to this situation.
In this heavily populated area of Palestine, numerous humanitarian organisations have repeatedly expressed worry about an impending public health disaster.
On Tuesday, the Saudi foreign minister and a number of other Arab leaders demanded an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza and the removal of the blockade.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan advocated an urgent cease-fire in the conflict-torn area during a meeting of the UN Security Council, stressing that there would not be peace in the area without a fair resolution to the Palestinian problem.
Standing next to his Arab counterparts, the Jordanian minister of foreign affairs, Ayman al-Safadi, stated that they are attempting to prevent the war from spreading throughout the region.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned it would be forced to stop working across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday unless there were urgent fuel deliveries to the war-torn territory.
"If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip as of tomorrow night," UNRWA said on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
Aid agencies have sounded the alarm about the lack of fuel, which is used to power vital services in Gaza such as hospitals which are relying on generators.
"Time is running out. We urgently need fuel," Juliette Touma, UNRWA communications director, told AFP.
Six hospitals across Gaza have already shut down due to the lack of fuel, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
The WHO said it had on Monday, with UNRWA support, delivered limited supplies for ambulances to four hospitals in southern Gaza.
"However, this is only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours," WHO said earlier on Tuesday.
At the weekend, the first aid delivery entered Gaza since the October 7 war erupted between Israel and Gaza´s Hamas rulers, but it did not include fuel.
Speaking at the UN headquarters, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the limited supplies amounted to "a drop of aid in an ocean of need".
"Without fuel, aid cannot be delivered, hospitals will not have power, and drinking water cannot be purified or even pumped," he told the Security Council.
The Israeli army deluged the Gaza Strip with leaflets on Tuesday urging residents to provide information about the hostages held by Hamas in return for financial rewards, AFP journalists reported.
The messages were dropped by Israeli aircraft amid the waves of air strikes targeting Gaza, which Hamas health officials said have martyred more than 5,000 people.
"If you want a better future for yourself and your children, do the right thing and send us safe and useful information about kidnapped people in your area," said the Arabic message on leaflets seen by AFP.
"The Israeli army promises to do everything to preserve your security and that of your homes, as well as a financial reward," the leaflet added. "We guarantee you total discretion."
The document provided a telephone number along with details regarding Telegram, Whatsapp and Signal messaging services, where information could be sent about the hostages.
The Israeli army confirmed the launch of the effort.
France on Tuesday showed solidarity with Israel in a press conference in Jerusalem.
Israel has issued a new evacuation warning to Gaza, as it continues bombing the besieged enclave, with the Palestinian death toll standing at 5,791 including 1,292 women and 2,360 children on Tuesday.
At least 18,000 Palestinians have also been injured in the Israeli strikes.
Israel declared on Tuesday that it would not be reducing its shelling of the besieged Palestinian enclave as relentless airstrikes left at least 200 martyred in Gaza in the last 24 hours.
After two weeks of heavy Israeli attacks, Gaza was left in a humanitarian crisis with the US pressing Israel to allow more aid into the region.
However, amid the deadliest episode of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades, there didn't seem to be much chance of a ceasefire anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the death toll of Palestinian civilians continued to increase drastically as Israeli attacks devastated Rafah and Khan Younis, claiming more than 50 lives overnight.
According to the Gaza health ministry officials, at least 200 people have been martyred in Israeli strikes in Gaza in the last 24 hours.
Those who have escaped death are facing hunger and struggling to get basic necessities, such as clean water and medicines.
More than 60% of Gaza residents needed food aid even before the latest Israeli bombing campaign started on October 7 in the wake of deadly Hamas attacks inside Israel.
Gaza health ministry also said that more than 18,000 people have been injured, putting hospitals on the brink of collapse, Al Jazeera reported.
Hamas on Monday night released two elderly hostages who were airlifted to an Israeli hospital to be reunited with family during the early hours of Tuesday, as the US demanded the release of 200 other captives before Gaza ceasefire talks are considered, AFP reported.
Early on Tuesday, a military helicopter brought freed hostages Nurit Cooper, aged 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, aged 85, to a medical centre in Tel Aviv. Their release comes days after two other women — American citizens — were freed.
The office of Israel's prime minister said Cooper and Lifshitz would receive medical treatment and be reunited with family. The women were wheeled into the facility on a stretcher and wheelchair, as relatives gathered nearby.
On Monday, another six UNRWA staff were reported to be killed, bringing the total to 35 staff killed since 7 October.
While Hamas released Cooper and Lifshitz on Monday citing "compelling humanitarian" reasons, after mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Israelis have been holding demonstrations in Tel Aviv, calling for a ceasefire with the release of all hostages.
Lifshitz recounted being bundled onto the back of a motorbike and stolen away to Gaza.
"They loaded me on a motorcycle sideways so I wouldn't fall, with one terrorist holding me from the front and the other from behind," she told local media.
"They crossed the border fence into the Gaza Strip, and at first they held me in the town of Abesan, which is near Be'eri. After that, I don't know where I was taken."
A US official has revealed that Marine Corps Lt Gen James Glynn, former commander of Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), will provide counsel to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as they prepare for a possible ground invasion in Gaza.
With extensive experience, including commanding MARSOC and combat experience in Iraq, Glynn is expected to offer advice on the "big picture" surrounding the Gaza conflict. The US official believes that Glynn's expertise will help lead the IDF's efforts to recruit and retain new Marines.
However, the National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, did not confirm Glynn’s position when asked about his role in advising the Israelis but instead stated that the Biden administration had sent a few relevant military officers to Israel.
According to Kirby, these military officers had the appropriate experience to advise on the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting and may conduct in the future. Kirby also confirmed that these officers would ask the hard questions, similar to the ones that have been asked of the Israeli counterparts since the beginning.
The US official said these included questions about how Israel planned to avoid civilian casualties, a number that has soared as the IDF bombards the coastal enclave, CNN reported.
Glynn's role is separate from the special operations forces sent by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to assist Israel with intelligence and hostage rescue efforts. It is unclear when Glynn arrived or how long he is expected to stay.
As tensions continue to rise in the Gaza Strip, the US and its allies have been urging Israel to be transparent about its goals in the region. However, the US has also cautioned against a prolonged occupation of Gaza and placed significant emphasis on avoiding civilian casualties.
Despite the lack of clarity about Israel's intentions, US officials believe that completely eradicating Hamas will be a difficult task.
While Israeli officials have publicly stated their intention to eliminate Hamas and its infrastructure, they have not discouraged the use of ground forces in Gaza during private discussions.
As Israeli troops massed on borders await orders for a ground invasion of Gaza, the World Bank’s president believes the war between Israel and Hamas could deal a "serious" blow to global economic development.
"What just happened recently in Israel and Gaza — at the end of the day you put all this together, I think the impact on economic development is even more serious," World Bank President Ajay Banga, told an investor conference in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
He added: "I think we're at a very dangerous juncture."
Banga was speaking at the annual Future Investment Initiative, often referred to as "Davos in the Desert".
More than 6,000 delegates are registered for the three-day event that will feature appearances by global banking chiefs and the presidents of South Korea, Kenya and Rwanda, organisers say.
The shocking violence in Israel and Gaza stands in stark contrast to the vision of a more stable and prosperous Middle East championed by Saudi Arabia, which this year rebuilt ties with Iran and was in talks towards recognising Israel before the fighting broke out.
Saudi Arabia has in recent weeks condemned violence against civilians in Gaza and affirmed its support for the Palestinian cause.
A source familiar with discussions on possible normalisation with Israel told AFP this month that the process had been paused.
The war comes halfway through the Vision 2030 reform agenda championed by the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which is intended to transition the world's biggest crude oil exporter away from fossil fuels.
Saudi officials have signalled they intend to forge ahead with their reform plans despite fears of wider regional turmoil.
Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of the deep-pocketed Saudi Public Investment Fund, referred only obliquely to the Israel-Hamas war in his comments on Tuesday, though he did warn about challenges presented by high-interest rates.
"As central banks have tightened monetary policy in an effort to slow inflation, businesses and governments around the world have been adjusting to this new reality. This has been the fastest rate increase since the early 1980s and has caused significant and unpredictable disruptions," he said.
Yet he voiced optimism that "even in a high-interest rate environment we can see the acceleration of growth and productivity"
Chief among those considerations may be the labyrinth of tunnels and strong points that Hamas is believed to have developed to thwart any Israeli invasion. However, there are also fears about how Hamas's allies around the Middle East would respond to a ground war.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War has reported an uptick in attacks on Israeli and US targets from Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
There are daily cross-border clashes between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
At least 41 people have been martyred in Lebanon, according to AFP, including at least four civilians and a Reuters journalist.
Four people have been martyred in Israel, including three soldiers and a civilian.
The pace of evacuations has increased on both sides of the border, with the UN saying nearly 20,000 people had fled villages in south Lebanon as the fighting rages.
Israel has also ordered the evacuation of thousands of people from a string of communities near its northern border. But not everyone has left, with some such as 62-year-old peach farmer Moshe Dadoush, refusing to go.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. But I have to stay here," he told AFP. "I wouldn't leave for one simple reason: it's here where I grew up. I have nowhere else to go but this country."
Onlooking tourists warned woman to step away from giant bull
Slovakia media says attack was carried out by 71-year-old former security guard who shot premier five times
US President, Republican candidate to engage in US Elections debate
Saudi Arabia is building Neom megacity worth $1.5 trillion
Mukesh Ambani's daughter could not make it to Met Gala 2024 in NYC
UK downs student visas by 80%
