A boy cooks near debris in Gaza City, Jan. 7, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The United Nations called on Wednesday for the entry of more aid into Gaza and accused Israel of denying several aid missions into the Palestinian enclave.

Obstacles by Israeli authorities prevented UN aid teams from delivering desperately needed humanitarian relief inside Gaza, effectively cutting off five hospitals in the north from access to "lifesaving medical supplies and equipment," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

"Requests had been denied five times since Dec. 26 to reach the Central Drug Store in Gaza City and Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, further north," OCHA said.

Despite Israel's promises to decrease the intensity of the strikes, the Israeli strikes have intensified on Wednesday. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), about 150 locations were struck over the last day. In Khan Younis, soldiers uncovered an underground tunnel where Hamas held hostages in "inhuman conditions," IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari told a press briefing.

Defying international calls for a ceasefire, the chief of staff of the IDF Herzi Halevi, while touring the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, said that the army "must continue the effort and destroy the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas."

Wartime Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said in a public statement that Hamas has effectively lost control over "large parts of the enclave," adding that Israel needs to continue the fighting. "If we stop now, Hamas will resume its control," he said.

At nightfall, the wartime cabinet convened to discuss a new Qatari proposal for a deal with Hamas, a government official confirmed to Xinhua. The proposal includes the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from Gaza, the departure of Hamas leaders from the Palestinian enclave and the release of the hostages held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said at a press conference in Beirut that the group will not agree to any deal that won't include a complete cessation of fighting.

According to figures released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Wednesday, more than 14,000 rockets were fired at the country since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Oct. 7. About 1,200 people, including 790 civilians, were killed in the initial attack as hundreds of Hamas fighters and Gazans raided southern communities. At least 12,326 Israelis have been injured, including 3,900 minors.

Hamas took 253 people hostage. A total of 132 people are still held in Gaza, including 19 women, five children, 10 elderly, eight Thais, a Nepali, a Tanzanian, and a French/Mexican.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Health Ministry reported that the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression has risen to 23,357 and about 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.3 million population is displaced as entire neighborhoods have been levelled by the Israeli bombardments.

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