Israel expanded its military assault deeper into the northern Gaza Strip as the U.N. and medical staff expressed fears over airstrikes hitting closer to hospitals, where Palestinians have sought shelter alongside the wounded. Relief workers said the largest convoy of humanitarian aid to arrive in Gaza still fell far short of needs. The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war exceeds 8,000, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them civilians slain in the Hamas rampage that started the fighting Oct. 7. In addition, 239 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.
