Strikes kill another 20 in Gaza; Israel says just the beginning

Israeli strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, local health workers said, as the Israeli military resumed its bombardments and issued new orders for residents to evacuate combat zones.

A foreign staffer was killed and five others were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the site of a United Nations headquarters in central Gaza City.

The Israeli military denied in a statement that it had struck the UN compound in Deir al-Balah.

Israeli airstrikes killed more than 400 people on Tuesday, in one of the highest single-day death tolls since the beginning of conflict.

Israeli PM Netanyahu warned the onslaught was “just the beginning”.

Israel has accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields. The Palestinian Islamist group denies the accusations and accuses Israel of indiscriminate bombings.

Israel does not want Hamas to play any role in the enclave when the war is over.

India expresses concern

India expressed concern over the latest situation in Gaza. “We are concerned over the situation in Gaza. It is important that all hostages are released,” the MEA said. “We also call for supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza to be sustained,” it added.