Netanyahu visited Gaza on Monday, vows Israel will ‘intensify’ fighting signalling no end in sight to war

The statement came as Israeli strikes on Monday battered Gaza where health officials reported dozens killed throughout the besieged Hamas-run territory, as the war put a damper on Christmas festivities.

Israeli air strikes kill dozens, Gaza officials say, in Christmas bloodshed

The Gaza health ministry said an Israeli strike late on Sunday killed at least 70 people in Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the territory’s centre.

Camp resident Zeyad Awad said Israel’s army had sown “panic in the hearts of my children” and accused it of targeting civilians “indiscriminately, without mercy”.

The army said it was reviewing the incident and was “committed to international law”.

The ministry also reported an Israeli air strike “targeting a house” in the central Al-Zawaida area which killed at least 12 people including women and children.

And in northern Gaza, the ministry said 10 members of one family were killed in an Israeli strike on their house in Jabilia camp.

An overnight strike on Khan Yunis in the south killed 18 people, according to the health ministry.

AFP was unable to independently verify the tolls.

The World Health Organization said it led missions to barely functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, describing starving people stripping an aid truck of supplies.

The head of the UN health agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said mission participants witnessed “rising desperation due to acute hunger”.

Israel-Gaza war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cast shadow over Christmas

“Partners demand immediate scale-up of food and water to ensure population health and stability,” he added on social media.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen accused the United Nations of “hypocrisy” and called its response to the war a “disgrace”.

Cohen said he had ordered his ministry not to extend one UN employee’s entry visa and to refuse entry for another.

“We will stop working with those who cooperate with the Hamas terrorist organisation’s propaganda,” he said on social media.

Pope Francis deplored “the desperate humanitarian situation” of Palestinians in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the freeing of hostages.

Christmas festivities in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem – revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ – were effectively scrapped amid the conflict, with few worshippers or tourists on the usually packed streets.

Hamas launched a shock attack against Israel from Gaza on October 7, killing about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.

Hamas and other Palestinian militants also took around 250 hostages, of whom 105 have been released and several killed, including by friendly fire.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has led a relentless air and ground offensive that has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins and killed at least 20,674 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

The ministry added that 54,536 people have been wounded since the start of the war, triggered by deadly Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7.

Diplomatic efforts, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, on a new truce to free the remaining hostages held in Gaza have yielded little public progress, although Washington described the talks last week as “very serious”.

Additional reporting by Associated Press