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At risk of starvation, Israel closes aid route to Palestinians in Gaza

At risk of starvation, Israel closes aid route to Palestinians in Gaza

Israel has closed crossings into northern Gaza, cutting off the most direct route for aid to reach hundreds of thousands of people at risk of starvation, after airstrikes and shelling killed dozens more people in the devastated Palestinian territory.

The move to close the crossings on Thursday will increase diplomatic pressure on Israel as attention shifts from its brief conflict with Iran back to the violence and dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

During the 12 days that Israel was fighting Iran, more than 800 Palestinians were killed in Gaza - either shot while desperately searching for food in increasingly chaotic circumstances, or in successive waves of Israeli attacks and bombings.

Pedro Sánchez, Spain's prime minister and an outspoken critic of Israel's offensive, on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a "genocide."

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