Israel last week warned Palestinians in Gaza to evacuate the northern area of the strip ahead of a potential ground invasion, leading to the displacement of many residents to southern Gaza.
Aid deliveries began moving Saturday into the territory, where water, food and medicine have been in short supply.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday called for protection of civilians and the sparing of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and U.N. premises, from Israeli bombardment.
Hamas’ “reprehensible assault” on Israel “can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres said at a summit Egypt is hosting on the Israel-Gaza war.
Guterres pointed to the “the wider context” of war, saying that the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “the only realistic foundation for a true peace and stability,” according to the Associated Press.