Israeli attacks killed at least 39 Palesitnians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, while the hunger crisis as a result of the ongoing blockade has been described as "something akin to doomsday" by UNRWA.
At least 21 Palestinians were killed since early on Wednesday morning, medical sources on the ground said.
Heavy strikes targeted residents in central Gaza's Nuseirat neighbourhood, spreading panic and fear among displaced Palestinians.
Airstrikes also targeted south of Khan Younis, which has seen intense bombing in recent days, killing at least one and wounding scores of people.
This comes as UNRWA continues to highlight the hunger crisis in Gaza as the blockade on the Strip enters its 60th day.
Jonathan Fowler, UNRWA’s senior communications manager, called the dire humanitarian situation the "worst" it has been since Israel launched its military onslaught on Gaza on 7 October 2023, in an interview with the Turkish Anadolu agency.
Fowler said that some Palestinians are finding themselves going hungry for periods as long as 50 days, due to a lack of food in the enclave.
"The specter of famine looms over Gaza. Never before in the world has an entire population been placed at such risk."
Multiple NGOs have warned that a famine is imminent in the Gaza Strip as a result, and multiple cases of death due to malnutrition have already been reported.
UNRWA said on Wednesday that some families in the Gaza Strip are forced to eat "whatever they can find," even if the food has expired or is not safe for consumption.
Fowler also warned of the "serious repercussions" the siege will have on Palestinians’ health, particularly among children as malnutrition cases increase.
He labelled the international community’s failure to prevent the escalation of the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "scandalous".
ICJ hearing on Israel's obligations
The latest developments come as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is holding its third day of hearings on Israel’s humanitarian obligations to Palestinians in Gaza, as its military onslaught persists.
The US and Hungary are the countries due to speak on Wednesday, and are likely to defend Israel.
"The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through direct negotiations between the parties on the basis of international law," Hungarian diplomat Gergo Kocsis told the court.
Palestinian official Ammar Hijazi on Monday said Israel was blocking humanitarian aid "as a weapon of war" and highlighted UN agencies’ inability to feed Palestinians as many have been forced to shut down bakeries.
The hearings, which began on 28 April, are expected to last five days.
US State Department to eliminate US Palestine security role
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly considering slashing the US coordinator role for the West Bank and Gaza in an apparent overhaul of staff, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing US, Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The role, headed by Lieutenant General Michael Fenzel, coordinates between Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and Israel – a controversial topic among Palestinians as security cooperation between the two often leads to the targeting of Palestinian resistance fighters.
Fenzel was reportedly informed last week that his position will be cut, with an announcement expected in the coming weeks, the sources said.
The sources reportedly raised concerns over Fenzel’s expected sacking, as it could lead to a "further destabilisation" in the occupied West Bank, as Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip remains ongoing.
One US Senator, Jon Ossoff, urged Rubio not to eliminate the "essential role," Axios said, calling the idea "unwise and self-defeating" at a time of "intense conflict and crisis."
In parallel with the onslaught in Gaza, Israel has also launched an intensified crackdown on the occupied territory, where over 900 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians. Over the course of the war, Israel has targeted fighter groups such as the Jenin Brigades and Lions Den, sometimes in cooperation with the PA.