Gaza war: Biden tells Netanyahu ceasefire deal is urgent

In Gaza on Wednesday, at least 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes, Hamas-run health authorities said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it hit around 30 targets across the territory, including tunnels, launch sites and an observation post.

The targets included the UN-run Salah al-Din school in Gaza City, which the IDF said was used by “Hamas operatives” as a “hideout”. The strike killed at least four people and wounded 15, the Hamas-run Civil Defence service said.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, said that children were killed in the strike and some were “burnt to death”.

“Gaza is no place for children anymore. They are the first casualty of this merciless war,” he said, adding that “a ceasefire is beyond overdue”.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October by Hamas gunmen, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

More than 40,223 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not give details of civilian and combatant deaths. The UN human rights office says most of those killed were women and children.

Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement also exchanged fire on Wednesday, with Israel saying it hit a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in the Bekaa Valley overnight. The Lebanese health ministry said one person was killed and 30 others injured.

In response, Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, said it targeted Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights with a rocket barrage. Israeli authorities said two homes were hit and one person was injured.