A newborn baby and several women are among at least 82 people who have been killed in Gaza after Israeli strikes overnight, hospital officials said.
It comes as a nurse says conditions at Nasser Hospital are “beyond critical” and the hospital that was once a “major lifeline” is now barely functioning,.
“Many patients die simply because we cannot treat them in time,” the nurse, called Ahmad, told The Independent, as international condemnation over the humanitarian crisis grew.
The UN says Israel's new security processes are preventing vital aid from reaching Palestinians, amid mounting criticism of the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government within Israel.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has claimed that what Israel was doing was “very close to a war crime".
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that despite more supplies arriving in Gaza, none had yet reached the starving population as teams ran out of time after the Israeli military made them transfer the aid onto separate trucks.
Medecins Sans Frontiers said the “ridiculously inadequate” aid being allowed in would keep the population “barely surviving”.
The UK government is facing pressure to sanction ministers in Israel’s government.
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Key Points
- Week-old baby, women among 82 killed in Israeli strikes, health officials say
- Pope Leo appeals for aid access to Gaza
- Interrupted operations and children confronting apolcalyptic scenes: the reality in Gaza
- UN says no aid distributed yet in Gaza
- Former Israeli PM claims current action in Gaza 'is very close to a war crime'
In pictures: Israeli demonstrators attempt to block food aid to Gaza
14:42
,
Rachel Clun
Right-wing. Israeli protesters gathered at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday morning in an attempt to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
Israel said it has let in dozens of UN trucks though this week, but is facing mounting international pressure to increase the aid flow and abandon its intensified military campaign.
Week-old baby, women among 82 killed in Israeli strikes, health officials say
14:25
,
Rachel Clun, AP
A newborn baby and several women are among at least 82 who have been killed in Gaza after Israeli strikes overnight, hospital officials said.
Earlier, officials said 45 had been killed in strikes overnight in Gaza.
More aid trucks left Israel on Wednesday morning, but internal notes circulated among aid groups on Wednesday said that no humanitarian trucks had left Kerem Shalom, the border crossing in southern Gaza that is operated by Israel.
The notes said 65 trucks moved from the Israel side of the crossing to the Palestinian side, but had not made it into Gaza.
It comes after the UN said on Tuesday evening that although aid had entered Gaza, workers had not been able to take it to distribution points after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time.
In pictures: Pro-Palestinians protest at Foreign Office, London
14:02
,
Jane Dalton
Pope Leo's full comments on Gaza aid
13:48
,
Rachel Clun
During his first Wednesday audience in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV appealed for aid to reach those who need it in Gaza.
“The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful,” he said.
“I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the heart-rending price of which is being paid by children, the elderly and the sick.”
Israeli troops blockade hospitals
13:40
,
Jane Dalton
Two of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals have been encircled by Israeli troops, preventing anyone from leaving or entering them, hospital staff and aid groups said this week.
The Indonesian hospital and al-Awda hospital are among the region's only surviving medical centres.
Both have come under fire this week, including shelling at al-Awda today.
A third hospital, Kamal Adwan, is out of service, its director said, citing Israeli troops and drones in its vicinity.
Israeli military says it killed a member of elite Hamas fighting unit in Gaza attacks
13:17
,
Rachel Clun
The Israeli Defence Force says it has killed a member of an elite Hamas military unit in overnight strikes on Gaza.
“Mohammad Shahin, a Nukhba terrorist in Hamas' east Jabaliya Battalion was eliminated. Shahin infiltrated Israel and participated in the brutal October 7 massacre,” The IDF said on social media.
“Over the past day, the IDF struck over 115 terror targets throughout Gaza from the ground, sea and air. The targets included launchers, military structures, tunnels, terrorist cells, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites.”
Gazan hospital officials said more than 45 people were killed in the strikes, including several women and a week-old baby.
In pictures: Demostration outside Foreign Office calling for more UK pressure on Israel
12:51
,
Rachel Clun
A group of pro-Palestine protesters have been demonstrating outside the Foreign Office today, calling for the United Kingdom to place more pressure on Israel to end its operations in Gaza.
Watch: British surgeon in Gaza compares Palestine to ‘slaughterhouse’
12:36
,
Rachel Clun
Who are the Israeli ministers potentially facing UK sanctions?
12:09
,
Rachel Clun
Keir Starmer is on the verge of sanctioning senior members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government - and it’s understood that Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich are at the top of the list.
Ben-Gvir is a far-right politician, who earlier this year resigned from cabinet in response to approved plans to begin a three-phase ceasefire with Hamas. He returned to the government two months later when fighting resumed, as Israeli’s Haaretz reported.
Last week he said the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza should be promoted, the Times of Israel reported.
Smotrich did not resign as a minister alongside Ben-Gvir, but he is also a far-right politician and a settler living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Haaretz.
Earlier this month, he bragged that Israel was “finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip,” before saying the territory would be “totally destroyed” within months, the Times of Israel reports.
More recently he also vowed to only allow “the minimum necessary” amount of aid into Gaza, the Times said.
Analysis: Netanyahu is turning Israel into a global pariah – the world has finally run out of patience
11:43
,
Bel Trew
The joint statement by the UK, France and Canada – combined with UK sanctions and suspension of trade talks – shows the international community has finally run out of patience with Israel, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew:
Starmer poised to sanction top Israel ministers over Gaza crisis as pressure mounts for tougher UK action
11:25
,
David Maddox
Keir Starmer is on the verge of sanctioning senior members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the crisis in Gaza amid calls from MPs for tougher action against Israel.
Top of the list are understood to be Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as others.
The sanctions are being considered as alarm grows over the fate of thousands of Palestinians as the Israeli Defence Force steps up military operations and supplies continue to struggle to get through.
Read the full report below:
Gaza hospital conditions 'beyond critical'
11:07
,
Bel Trew
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports:
Ahmad, a nurse at Nasser Hospital, said conditions are “beyond critical” and the hospital which was once “major lifeline” in the south but is now barely functioning.
“Many patients die simply because we cannot treat them in time. One of the most painful things to witness today is the suffering of children… we receive dozens of injuries, often with devastating wounds - burns, amputations, and severe head trauma,” he told The Independent from inside the medical centre.
He said that medics themselves are displaced, hungry, exhausted, and mourning the loss of their own families.
“Most of the time, we have patients lying on the floor. Wounds are taking a long time to heal due to severe malnutrition and the toxic effects of the explosives on the wounds. The operating theatres are overwhelmed,” he said.
“There are severe shortages of anesthesias drugs, antibiotics, sterilised instruments, and even basic items. Many procedures are carried out with only the bare minimum. The number of wounded is overwhelming.
“The reality is devastating. The healthcare system is collapsing under the weight of this crisis, and we urgently need support, supplies, and protection for patients and medical staff.”
Interrupted operations and children confronting apolcalyptic scenes: the reality in Gaza
10:52
,
Bel Trew
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports what she is being told from the ground in Gaza:
Khaled Al-Serr, the head of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis — which has been bombed twice in the past week alone and is one of the last remaining hospitals in the south — told The Independent he had to interrupt surgery after learning the Israeli military had issued a forced evacuation order for the neighbourhood where his family were taking shelter.
“I had to leave the surgery to evacuate my family, to remove them from danger and the military actions. But we don’t know where to go - there is no safe place,” he said in desperation, as an Israeli military drone whined in the background.
“Even the so-called humanitarian area in the western part of Khan Younis — in the past two months, we have continuously received cases from bombings in tents located there.”
Children in Gaza, meanwhile, describe apocalyptic scenes.
Sondos, 15, recalls not being able to find h
“My aunt’s house was bombed,” Sondos, 15, told War Child whose staff are on the ground, adding the family could not find her remains for two days.
“Dogs got to it first... Protect us. Help us feel safe again.”
Malak, 13, described being pulled out from under the rubble: “I’ve been injured myself… I now have a metal plate in my arm… No one sees us as we’re torn apart,” Malak said.
Week-old baby and several women among at least 45 dead in Israeli strikes
10:35
,
Rachel Clun
A newborn baby and several women are among at least 45 who have been killed in Gaza after Israeli strikes overnight, hospital officials said.
The fresh strikes overnight into Wednesday come as Israel's war on Hamas shows no signs of relenting, despite a surge in international anger over the country's widening offensive.
Distressing images also showed a two-year-old had been killed in the strikes.
More aid trucks left Israel on Wednesday morning, but internal notes circulated among aid groups on Wednesday said that no humanitarian trucks had left Kerem Shalom, the border crossing in southern Gaza that is operated by Israel.
The notes said 65 trucks moved from the Israel side of the crossing to the Palestinian side, but had not made it into Gaza.
It comes after the UN said on Tuesday evening that although aid had entered Gaza, workers had not been able to take it to distribution points after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time.
Netanyahu says Israel has ‘most moral army in the world’ after Israeli MP says no sane country kills babies
10:18
,
Rachel Clun
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had the “most mortal army in the world” while condemning comments from the country’s opposition leader.
Yari Golan, a retired general, heavily criticised the Israeli action in a radio interview on Tuesday morning.
“A sane country doesn’t engage in fighting against civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby and doesn’t set for itself the goals of expelling a population,” he said on Reshet Bet radio.
Netanyahu pushed back shortly after.
“The IDF is the most moral army in the world, and our soldiers are fighting in a battle for our very existence,” Netanyahu said on X.
“While we are waging a multi-sector war and leading complex diplomatic efforts to free our hostages and defeat Hamas, Golan and his friends on the radical left are echoing the most despicable anti-Semitic blood libels against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel.”
But defending his comments later in the day, Golan said his criticism was directed at the government, not the military.
“I said this morning that we are a sane country that does not kill children. When ministers in this government celebrate the death and starvation of children, we must say so,” he said, the Times of Israel reported.
Pope Leo makes 'fervent appeal' for aid access to Gaza
10:03
,
Rachel Clun
The new Pope Leo XIV has appealed for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, Reuters reports.
"I renew my fervent appeal to allow for the entry of fair humanitarian help and to bring to an end the hostilities, the devastating price of which is paid by children, the elderly and the sick," the pope said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.
‘Ridiculously inadequate’ aid allowed into Gaza will keep population ‘barely surviving’, aid organisation says
09:46
,
Rachel Clun
Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) has decried the small amount of aid being allowed in was a “smokescreen” to pretend the blockade was over.
Pascale Coissard, MSF emergency coordinator in Khan Younis accused Israel of making aid a “tool to further Israeli forces’ military objectives”.
“The Israeli authorities’ decision to allow a ridiculously inadequate amount of aid into Gaza after months of an air-tight siege signals their intention to avoid the accusation of starving people in Gaza, while in fact keeping them barely surviving,” he said.
MSF pointed out that before October 2023, the UN reported that 500 aid trucks were entering Gaza each day, and said the current authorisation of 100 trucks a day was “woefully inadequate”.
After phone call, Israel agrees to let in aid from United Arab Emirates
09:31
,
Rachel Clun
Israel has allowed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza following a phone call between the two nations.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, spoke with Israeli foreign affairs minister Gideon Sa’ar over the phone to secure the deliveries, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
During the call the deputy prime minister stressed the importance of “ensuring the urgent, sustainable, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian, relief, and medical assistance to the brotherly Palestinians in the Strip”.
Following the discussion the UAE said Israel agreed to allow an urgent delivery of aid.
“The aid will address the food needs of approximately 15,000 civilians in the Gaza Strip in the initial phase,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Former Israeli PM claims current action in Gaza 'is very close to a war crime'
08:58
,
Rachel Clun
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has claimed that what Israel "is doing now in Gaza, is very close to a war crime".
Olmert, who was prime minister between 2006 and 2009, said that it was "a war without a purpose - a war without a chance of achieving anything that can save the lives of the hostages."
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, he added: "From every point of view, this is obnoxious and outrageous.
"We are fighting the killers of Hamas, we are not fighting innocent civilians," he said. "And that has to be clear."
His comments came as Israel allowed some aid to begin to return to Gaza following an 11-week blockade, and after Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would take full control of the territory.
WHO head urges better access to healthcare in Gaza
08:46
,
Rachel Clun
The WHO director-general has pleaded for the remaining healthcare facilities in Gaza to be protected, with several medical facilities, incuding three hospitals, included in the evacuation zone announced by Israel on Tuesday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Kamal Adwan Hospital was closed due to nearby hostilities while the Indonensian Hospital remains accessible.
“Al-Awda, the last functioning hospital in North Gaza, is overwhelmed and at risk of closure due to insecurity and access constraints,” he said.
Ghebreyesus added that eight primary care centres, nine medical points and one non-functioning hospital were in evacuation zones announced in southern Gaza on Monday.
“Intensified Israeli ground operations and new evacuation orders in Gaza are stretching the health system beyond the breaking point,” he said.
“Even if health facilities are not attacked or forced to evacuate, hostilities and military presence obstruct patients and staff from accessing care, and WHO from resupplying hospitals, which can quickly make them non-functional.”
He continued: “We’ve seen this too many times — it must not be allowed to happen again. WHO urges for the immediate protection of health care. Hospitals must never be militarised or targeted. Ceasefire!”
In pics: Israel continues its offensive on Gaza
08:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
EU to review ties with Israel amid 'catastrophic' Gaza situation
08:10
,
Alex Croft
Last night, news emerged that the EU will review its ties with Israel due to the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza, according to the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas.
Kallas said a "strong majority" of the ministers meeting in Brussels favoured such a review of the agreement with Israel, known as an association agreement, in light of events in Gaza.
The review is backed by 17 of 27 EU members, and would focus on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in the agreement.
Ms Kallas told reporters: "The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The aid that Israel has allowed in is of course welcomed, but it's a drop in the ocean. Aid must flow immediately, without obstruction and at scale, because this is what is needed.”
But the Israeli foreign ministry dismissed the critique by Ms Kallas: "We completely reject the direction taken in the statement, which reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing," it said in an X post late on Tuesday.
Trump wants Israel to 'wrap up' Gaza offensive – report
08:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US president Donald Trump is reportedly “frustrated” by the ongoing war in Gaza and wants Benjamin Netanyahu to end the offensive.
"The president is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza," one White House official told Axios.
In days after his trip to the Middle East, the US president is reportedly considering a plan to permanently relocate as many as a million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya.
White House sources told NBC News that the idea had been discussed with Libya’s leadership and is being seriously considered.
In exchange, the Trump administration would release billions of dollars of funds to Libya that the US froze more than a decade ago.
Oil prices surge amid reports of Israel preparing to strike Iran
07:58
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices jumped today after reports suggested Israel is making preparations to possibly strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
Multiple US sources told CNN that the Trump administration has obtained new intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
The US officials cautioned the broadcaster that it was not clear that Israeli leaders had made a final decision.
The "chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear facility has gone up significantly in recent months,” said another person familiar with US intelligence on the issue.
“And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely.”
Children among 20 killed Wednesday morning - medics
07:43
,
Alex Croft
Several children are among more than 20 people killed by Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday morning, medical sources in Gaza have said.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, 11 were killed and 13 injured in an attack on the Nabhan family home in Jabalia al-Balad, in northern parts of the strip.
Three children were among five killed when a house was bombed in Deir al-Balah, in the centre of the strip.
Seven more were killed in southern parts of Gaza, around Khan Younis.
Wafa also reports that Israel has demolished several buildings west of the town of Beit Lahia, in the north of the enclave.
UK minister: ‘Israel has gone beyond self defence’
07:27
,
Alex Croft
Steve Reed has described the situation in Gaza as “intolerable” and said Benjamin Netanyahu is making things worse, not better.
The environment secretary doubled down on Sir Keir Starmer’s condemnation of the Israeli prime minister, calling for him to halt renewed hostilities.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “We are working closely with our allies and there are other allies as well who are trying to apply pressure on the Netanyahu government.”
And he added: “This has gone beyond self defence on the part of Israel, this is an attack that we can no longer tolerate.”
Full list of UK sanctions against Israel over Gaza
07:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The UK has announced further sanctions and a suspension of trade negotiations with Israel, as it condemned its “monstrous” 11-week aid blockade and renewed military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Foreign secretary David Lammy announced a series of measures on Tuesday as the UN warned that 14,000 Palestinian babies could die by Thursday unless action is taken to ease the crisis in which civilians are severely malnourished.
He announced the suspension of trade talks, imposed sanctions on three individuals and four entities involved in the settler movement, and said Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions were “wholly disproportionate” and “utterly counterproductive”.
More here.
Israel says it is sending aid into Gaza as fresh strikes kill 85 Palestinians
06:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel pressed ahead on Tuesday with its new military offensive in Gaza despite mounting international criticism, launching airstrikes that health officials said killed at least 85 Palestinians.
Israeli officials said they also allowed in dozens more trucks carrying aid. Two days after aid began entering Gaza, the desperately needed new supplies have not yet reached people in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade for nearly three months, according to the United Nations.
Experts have warned that many of Gaza's 2 million residents are at high risk of famine. Under pressure, Israel agreed this week to allow a "minimal" amount of aid into the Palestinian territory after preventing the entry of food, medicine and fuel in an attempt to pressure the Hamas militant group.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that although the aid has entered Gaza, aid workers were not able to bring it to distribution points where it is most needed, after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time.
COGAT, the Israeli defence body that oversees humanitarian aid, said five trucks entered Monday and 93 trucks entered Tuesday. But Ms Dujarric said the UN confirmed only a few dozen trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday.
The aid included flour for bakeries, food for soup kitchens, baby food and medical supplies. The UN humanitarian agency said it is prioritising baby formula in the first shipments.
Watch: UK hits Israel with further sanctions and suspends trade talks over Gaza violence
06:00
,
Athena Stavrou
Lammy ‘begged’ to ‘save children’s lives’ in Gaza as MPs call for tougher action
05:40
,
Athena Stavrou
The Foreign Secretary has been “begged” to “save children’s lives” in Gaza as MPs from across the Commons urged him to refer to Israel’s actions in the region as a “genocide”.
David Lammy announced new measures against Israel but Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat backbenchers urged him to go further.
A number of MPs called on the Foreign Secretary to suspend all arms sales to Israel, sanction Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and to recognise a Palestinian state.
Backbenchers shouted “genocide” as Mr Lammy said in his opening statement: “We must call this what it is.
“It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”
Israeli politician accuses Netanyahu government of 'kill[ing] babies as a hobby'
05:19
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
