Israeli Tank Attack Kills 20 in Gaza, Calls for Humanitarian Pause Grow

 Israeli tank fire struck a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid at a roundabout in Gaza City on Thursday, killing at least 20 and wounding 150, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The death toll from a strike the day before on a crowded shelter in Gaza has also risen to 12, with over 75 wounded, according to Thomas White, a senior official with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). The agency did not directly blame Israel, but the Israeli military has tanks, making them the only party to the conflict that operates them. The Israeli military stated that it has "currently ruled out" their involvement in the strike, but is still investigating.

It said the building might have been hit by a Hamas rocket. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting, urging Israel to fully restore water, fuel, and electricity supplies to Gaza. In related news, a delegation from Yemen’s Houthi rebels met with the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow to discuss the military escalation in the Red Sea, the ongoing war in Gaza, and recent missile attacks on ships. This comes just a week after a delegation from the Palestinian militant group Hamas visited Moscow for similar discussions.

Also, the first group of Palestinian children has arrived in Italy for medical treatment, as part of a program initiated by the Italian Defense Ministry. The children are being transferred for care at hospitals in Bologna, Florence, and Rome. Furthermore, in the United States, growing numbers of Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, are joining an effort to block a Biden administration move that could reduce congressional oversight of U.S. military aid to Israel. They are calling for aid to Israel’s military to be subject to the same level of congressional involvement as other foreign militaries.