The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said renewed Israeli strikes and a crippling siege exacerbate humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

In a statement, UNRWA said it currently runs 115 shelters across Gaza, with over 90,000 displaced people living in them.

"An already dire situation is deteriorating due to bombardment and the siege blocking the entry of humanitarian and commercial supplies," it added.

A former senior Israeli diplomat said the war in Gaza has created a deep divide among Israeli society, with pressure mounting on the government in Tel Aviv from both the public and the military to bring the hostages home, even at the cost of halting the military assault.

Support is growing for a petition launched by approximately 1,000 current and former Israeli Air Force reservists calling for the return of all hostages, even if it means ending the war. The petitions have now received over 122,000 signatures, with support from across Israeli society, including navy personnel, armoured units, military intelligence, army doctors, intelligence personnel, academics, retired foreign ministry officials, teachers, parents and others.

Alon Liel, a former director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry and charge d'affaires in Ankara, is among 110 retired ambassadors who have signed a letter calling for an end to Israeli attacks on Gaza to ensure the safe return of hostages.

Speaking to Anadolu, Liel said Israeli leaders should prioritise the lives of the remaining 59 hostages.

The Yemeni Houthi group announced targeting the vicinity of Ben Gurion airport in central Israel with a ballistic missile.

Spokesman Yahya Saree said the operation hit "a military target" near the airport using the Zulfiqar ballistic missile.

Sirens were sounded across central Israel and in West Jerusalem area. The missile was intercepted by Israeli air defences, according to the Times of Israel news website.

Two former employees at Microsoft who were fired in 2024 for organising a vigil in support of Palestinians have accused the company of being complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza and systemic apartheid in the occupied West Bank.

Hossam Nasr, a software engineer, and Abdo Mohamed, a data scientist, told Anadolu that Microsoft's technological services, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), translation and data storage, have become essential tools used by the Israeli military to intensify its war against Palestinians.

The speaker of Qatar's Shura Council called for coordinated parliamentary action to pressure the international community into compelling Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Parliamentary Group in Solidarity with Palestine in Istanbul, Hassan Al-Ghanim said statements of condemnation are no longer sufficient, given the scale of the tragedy in the enclave, where more than 51,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

The territory has been rendered uninhabitable with shortages of food, water, shelter and almost no or little health facilities. Parliaments must now act together to pressure the international community into forcing Israel to stop its assault on Gaza, he added.

A French foreign ministry spokesperson said the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where Israeli attacks continue, is an obligation.

"The entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, ensuring full access, and refraining from targeting aid organisations working to deliver this assistance is an obligation," Christophe Lemoine told a weekly press briefing.

Lemoine, responding to a question by Anadolu on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and growing international criticism, said: "We have for many months been advocating for the unhindered and full delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza."

China said it is "playing a positive role to ease tensions" as the US accused a Chinese firm of helping Yemen's Houthis attack American warships in the Red Sea.

A Chinese satellite company linked to the country's military is supplying Houthis in Yemen with imagery to target US warships and international vessels in the Red Sea, according to American officials cited by the Financial Times.

Asked for a response at a press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: "I'm not familiar with the specifics you mentioned. Since the situation in the Red Sea escalated, China has been playing a positive role to ease tensions."

The spokesman instead accused the US of escalating tensions, referring to sanctions against the group and the bombing campaign it has launched since March 15.

At least 49 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting residential areas across northern and southern Gaza, including major attacks that killed two entire families, according to medical sources.

Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Damascus for a formal meeting with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed Alsharaa.

The two are expected to discuss bilateral relations and latest developments surrounding the Palestinian cause, according to state media.

Palestine's Ambassador to Syria Samir Rifai confirmed the visit, but did not provide details on the agenda of the meeting.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz condemned Israel's policy of starving Palestinians in Gaza, saying it has "become an openly declared policy and even a source of pride" in recent months.

In an editorial titled "Israel must stop starving Gaza", the newspaper said that "under the auspices of Israel's nightmare government and the Trump administration – Israel's starvation of more than two million Palestinians has been fully normalized".

"This policy is based on a populist and false narrative that links humanitarian aid for Gazans to Hamas' military capabilities. The result is a continuing humanitarian crime," said the newspaper of record.