Israel’s foreign minister has said it will continue the war in Gaza “with or without international support”.
A ceasefire at this stage of the conflict would be “a gift” to Hamas and allow it to return, Eli Cohen warned.
Israel is facing mounting pressure over the number of Palestinian civilians killed by its military in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian crisis there.
On Tuesday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
And in his strongest comments yet, US President Joe Biden said Israel was losing support worldwide because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza.
According to the BBC, intense fighting continued in both the north and south of Gaza on Wednesday, while heavy rains worsened conditions for the hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are living in makeshift tents or out in the open.
A senior UN aid official also warned that the Palestinian territory faced a “public health disaster” because of the collapse of its medical system and the spread of infectious diseases in overcrowded shelters.
