Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent days as Israel has intensified air strikes, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

The fast, initiated by Veterans for Peace, an anti-war organization, and a dozen Christian organizations, intends to raise awareness of the famine looming over Gaza.

Efron, who lives in Israel, used to be a researcher at the RAND Corporation, and has advised the United Nations, where she worked on issues relating to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. She was also formerly a reservist for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories,

The Israeli PM says if there is an opportunity for a temporary ceasefire and a hostage release deal, Israel will be open to this.

A U.S.-backed organization aims to start work in the Gaza Strip by the end of May overseeing a new model of aid distribution in the Palestinian enclave, but the United Nations says the plan is not impartial or neutral,

The UN said Wednesday that it had started handing out supplies from around 90 truckloads of aid into Gaza. This marks the first delivery since an Israeli blockade began in early March. As famine looms and international pressure mounts,