Sharjah 24 – AFP: Israel pressed its Gaza offensive Saturday, with Hamas authorities reporting heavy shelling in several cities hours after world powers demanded more aid be allowed into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The health ministry in Gaza said 18 people were killed in a strike on a house in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, as other targets were hit up and down the strip.
The Israeli army said late Friday it had destroyed a "strategic" tunnel complex, a "Hamas headquarters and eliminated terrorists" in operations in Gaza City, where its forces have been locked in street-to-street fighting with Hamas gunmen.
The health ministry in Gaza said more than 400 people had been killed in Israeli bombardments over 48 hours.
The latest violence comes after the UN Security Council approved a resolution demanding "immediate, safe and unhindered" deliveries of life-saving aid be rushed to Gaza "at scale".
The resolution was passed after members wrangled for days over its wording.
At Washington's insistence, the Security Council watered down some provisions, and avoided calling for a ceasefire that would stop the 11-week-old war, which began on October 7.
It is still unclear what, if any, impact the vote will have on the ground.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a ceasefire was still needed, arguing aid could not be adequately delivered while the bombs were falling.
"The way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid," he said.
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