Over 100 aid and human rights groups warned Wednesday that "mass starvation" is accelerating in Gaza, as the U.S. announced its top envoy would travel to Europe for talks on a potential cease-fire and humanitarian corridor.
Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where more than 2 million people are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials after 21 months of conflict.
But it denied blocking supplies, announcing that 950 trucks' worth of aid were in Gaza and waiting for international agencies to collect and distribute it.
"We have not identified starvation at this current point in time, but we understand that action is required to stabilize the humanitarian situation," an unnamed senior Israeli security official was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel.
On the ground, the Israeli military said it was operating in Gaza City and the north, and had hit dozens of targets across the Palestinian territory.
