Israeli strikes intensified on Wednesday, despite widespread international condemnation of Israel’s expanding military operations. These strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 82 individuals, including women and a week-old baby, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry and local hospitals.

While Israel began permitting humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza on Tuesday, this aid has yet to reach Palestinians facing dire circumstances.

According to Jens Laerke, the U.N. humanitarian agency’s spokesperson, no trucks were received on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, which is the Israeli border crossing into southern Gaza.

U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated on Tuesday that although aid had entered Gaza, personnel were unable to transport it to distribution points after the Israeli military required them to reload the supplies onto different trucks, and workers ran out of time.

The Israeli defense body responsible for Gaza humanitarian aid stated that trucks entered on Wednesday morning, but it was unclear if that aid would be distributed further within Gaza. UNRWA reported that its staff waited several hours to collect aid at the border crossing on Tuesday but were unable to do so.

A small group of Israeli activists, protesting Israel’s decision to allow aid into Gaza while Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages, attempted to obstruct supply trucks on Wednesday morning but were stopped by Israeli police.

Diplomats come under fire in Jenin

The Palestinian Authority reported that a group of diplomats came under fire during a visit to Jenin, a city located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The diplomats were on an official mission to assess the humanitarian situation in Jenin when gunfire erupted.

An aid worker, who requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions, mentioned that a delegation consisting of approximately 20 diplomats from regional, European, and Western countries were near the refugee camp entrance when they heard gunshots on Wednesday. She confirmed that no one sustained injuries.

The Israeli military reported that the delegation “deviated from the approved route” and that Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to move them away from the area. The military issued an apology and stated they would contact all countries involved in the visit.

Footage depicts diplomats taking cover as rapid gunfire was heard. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the firing of even warning shots as unacceptable and urged Israel to conduct an investigation.

The Italian government, led by Premier Giorgia Meloni, also demanded an explanation, noting that its vice consul was among those who came under fire.

Jenin has been a focal point of Israel’s extensive crackdown on West Bank militants since earlier this year.

On January 21 — shortly after its ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza — Israeli forces raided Jenin, continuing a pattern of operations conducted since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. This fighting displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians, marking one of the largest West Bank displacements in recent years.

International pressure on Israel

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom suspended arms exports licenses to Israel due to its escalating offensive. This action followed a commitment from the U.K., Canada, and France to take concrete steps to encourage Israel to halt the war. Separately, the European Union was reassessing an EU agreement governing trade relations with Israel in light of its conduct in the Gaza war, according to its foreign policy chief.

Israel maintains it is prepared to end the war once all hostages held by Hamas are returned home and Hamas is either defeated, exiled, or disarmed. Hamas has stated its willingness to release the hostages in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory and an end to the war. It rejects demands for exile and disarmament.

Israel recalled its senior negotiating team from ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, opting to leave lower-level officials in place. Qatari leaders, who are mediating the negotiations, indicated a significant divide between the two parties.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes persisted throughout Gaza. In the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israel recently ordered new evacuations in anticipation of a potential expanded offensive, 24 people were killed, including 14 members of the same family. A week-old infant was killed in central Gaza.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strikes but has stated that it is targeting Hamas infrastructure and has accused Hamas militants of operating from civilian areas.

Desperate need for food

Experts have cautioned that many of Gaza’s 2 million residents are at high risk of famine. At a displacement camp in Gaza City, a charity organization distributed thin, watery lentil soup.

Somaia Abu Amsha served small portions to her family, mentioning that they have not had bread in over 10 days and cannot afford rice or pasta.

“We only want the war to end. We don’t need charity kitchens. Even dogs wouldn’t eat this, let alone children,” she said, gesturing toward the soup.

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday appealed for aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the “heartbreaking” suffering of its people during his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Hospitals surrounded

Israeli troops have also surrounded two of the remaining functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, according to hospital staff and aid organizations this week.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday urged world leaders to take immediate action to end Israel’s siege on Gaza. He made the appeal during a visit to Beirut, where he was expected to discuss the disarmament of Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s refugee camps.

“It is time to end the war of extermination against the Palestinian people. I reiterate that we will not leave, and we will remain here on the land of our homeland, Palestine,” Abbas said, demanding the immediate entry of aid, the release of detainees, and a full withdrawal from Gaza.

The Gaza war was triggered by an attack on southern Israel led by Hamas militants, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the abduction of 251 others. The militants continue to hold 58 captives, with about a third believed to be alive, after most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has caused widespread destruction in Gaza and resulted in the deaths of over 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.

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