Live: Gaza death toll nears 50,700

Hamas has accused Israel of escalating its “war of extermination” in Gaza after an air strike on a UN facility in Deir al-Balah killed a foreign humanitarian worker and wounded five others.

In a statement, Hamas called the attack a “heinous crime” and a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.” The group said it was part of Israel’s “systematic policy” to target civilians and aid workers, aiming to “terrorise” them and worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Hamas said Israel has killed hundreds of Unrwa and relief workers in Gaza since the 7 October 2023 to “tighten the siege” and deprive Palestinians of basic necessities "amidst a disturbing international silence".

The group called on the UN and the international community to take a “clear and decisive stance” against Israel’s actions and hold the Netanyahu government accountable for “crimes against humanity”.

The statement also urged urgent intervention to lift the blockade and ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza’s population.

Amnesty International’s secretary general Agnes Callamard has condemned Israel’s latest assault on Gaza, calling it a “hellish nightmare” for civilians trapped under siege.

“The people of Gaza, who have barely begun to piece their lives back together, are once again facing intense bombardment while still reeling from Israel’s past attacks,” she said.

Callamard also warned that Israel’s renewed offensive puts the lives of the 24 remaining Israeli captives at risk.

“This is also a cruel blow for hostages and Palestinian detainees as well as for their families. We remind all parties that civilian hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians must be released,” she wrote on X.

Israel’s military has pushed back against reports that it struck UN headquarters in Deir al-Balah after Gaza’s health ministry reported that an air strike killed a UN worker and wounded at least four others.

"Contrary to reports, the IDF did not strike a UN compound in Deir al-Balah," the Israeli army said in a statement, urging media outlets to be cautious with "unverified reports".

Israeli air strikes on Gaza today have killed at least 29 people and left several others wounded. The attacks targeted multiple areas across the besieged enclave, Al Jazeera Arabic reported on Wednesday.

Palestinian health officials in Gaza report a devastating toll from Israel’s latest air strikes, with 436 people killed and 678 wounded since Monday night.

Among the dead are 183 children and 94 women, according to the health ministry. The total number of Palestinians killed by Israel since 7 October 2023 has now risen to 49,547.

Israel's renewed war on Gaza, which on Tuesday killed more than 400 Palestinians, including over 100 children, is perhaps the most blatant politically motivated Israeli military move since the beginning of the conflict.

Meanwhile, expulsion orders are forcibly displacing thousands of Palestinians across Gaza once again.

Even Amos Harel, the moderate military commentator for Haaretz, defined the attack as a war for the sake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

It seems that the motivations behind the assault and the manner in which it was carried out are related to political developments inside Israel. 

We can note at least three: Netanyahu’s political survival, his dominance of the military and security services, and the wish to appease allies without provoking the public.

Read more: The political calculations behind Israel's decision to go back to war

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israel and Hamas to restart negotiations over the crisis in Gaza, insisting that diplomacy—not military action—is the only way forward.

"There is no military solution in Gaza," Macron said during a joint press conference in Paris with Jordan's King Abdullah. 

Jordan’s King Abdullah has called for an immediate return to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the urgent resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza.

"Israel's resumption of attacks on Gaza is an extremely dangerous step that adds further devastation to an already dire humanitarian situation," he said during a press conference in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Palestinian health ministry has confirmed that an Israeli strike targeted the UN headquarters in central Gaza, killing one UN employee and wounding five others.

All of the victims were foreign nationals, according to the ministry. Earlier, medics told Reuters that at least five people had been injured in the attack.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is calling for calm as she prepares to visit Lebanon. Speaking ahead of her trip, she warned that the renewed fighting "jeopardises the positive efforts of the Arab states, which together want to pursue a peaceful path for Gaza."

Baerbock urged “all sides” to exercise restraint, uphold humanitarian law, and return to negotiations - a message unlikely to be welcomed in Tel Aviv, where Israel has made clear it has no interest in halting its offensive.

Israeli air strikes on Tuesday killed the sister of Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor's founder Ramy Abdu, alongside her "entire family". 

Abdu said in a post on X that his sister, Nesreen, her husband Mohammed Daoud al-Jamasi and their three  children - Ubaida, Omar and Layan - were killed in the attack along with Ubaida's wife Malak and their children, Siwar and Mohammed.

"Israel may kill us at will, burn us alive, and tear us apart, but it will never succeed in uprooting us from our land. Justice and accountability await - no matter how long it takes," Abdu said in a post on X, which was accompanied by images of his sister, niece and nephew.

In another post, Abdu shared a video of his niece Layan minutes before air strikes near Gaza City in 2021.

Read more: Israeli strikes kill family of prominent Palestinian human rights monitor

Israeli warplanes have pounded multiple areas in Gaza since dawn, killing at least 27 Palestinians, medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic.

The relentless bombardment has left emergency teams struggling to reach the dead and wounded.

Israeli forces have ramped up their assault on Gaza, leaving scores dead and overwhelming rescue efforts, a Civil Defence spokesman told Al Jazeera Arabic.

“The situation is dire,” he said, describing the struggle to pull bodies from beneath the rubble as relentless bombardment continues.

More than 80 women were killed in the latest wave of Israeli attacks, he confirmed, as emergency teams face severe obstacles in reaching the wounded.