Israel imposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip on Monday, cutting off the water supply and bombing targets in the crowded Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise attack. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the humanitarian situation in Gaza was already extremely dire and would only deteriorate exponentially.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Israel against "indiscriminately" attacking civilians in its war with Hamas militants in Gaza.
The number of dead in the conflict has surpassed 1,500, with more than 120,000 people displaced in Gaza. Most of the patients arriving at hospitals in Gaza have sustained second-and third-degree burns and amputations.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, said it shelled Israeli barracks after three of its members were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
In the occupied West Bank, 17 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli security forces.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have condemned the abduction of Israeli civilians by Hamas and called for diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
Qatar is attempting to mediate between Hamas and Israeli officials, and negotiations are reportedly moving positively.
Several airlines have suspended flights to and from Israel.
The EU has halted development aid payments to the Palestinians and said it was placing 691 million euros of support “under review”.
The Arab League will hold an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to discuss “Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip”.
On late Sunday, an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting failed to unanimously take a position against Hamas, a setback to the US and Israel, as Russia and China urge the members to take a broader view of the situation to resolve the decades-long crisis.
US President Joe Biden planned to convene a call on Monday with leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom – the so-called “Quint” countries – to discuss the coordinated response to violence unfolding in Israel. The conversation is expected to focus on how best to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Israel.
