Rafah

Air and artillery strikes pounded targets in Gaza Sunday as U.N. chief Antonio Guterres called for a surge of aid into the besieged territory he said was stalked by "horror and starvation".

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to visit Egypt's border with Gaza on Saturday, after Israel said it would send in troops to fight Hamas in the nearby city of Rafah, even without U.S. support.

Russia and China utilized their veto power to block the UN Security Council's draft resolution proposed by the United States, which aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. According to reports from the BBC and AFP, cited by BTA, Moscow accused Washington of engaging in a "hypocritical spectacle" by failing to exert pressure on Israel.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has announced that the Israeli army has begun its aggression on Rafah and launched airstrikes in the southern Gaza city without any prior notice or "waiting for permission from anyone."

A first boat loaded with 200 tonnes of food aid was making slow progress towards the Gaza Strip on Thursday as efforts grew to bring more humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory besieged by Israel.

The first day of Ramadan came and went in Gaza, with residents marking a joyless iftar against a backdrop of famine, disease and displacement as the war in the besieged territory ground on more than five months after it began.

As the Muslim world welcomed the start of the holy month on Monday, Gazans faced continued Israeli bombardments and a spiralling humanitarian crisis.

The head of the European Commission said on Friday a maritime aid corridor could start operating between Cyprus and Gaza this weekend, part of accelerating Western efforts to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.

"We do not believe that an operation, a major military operation, should continue in Rafah unless there is a clear and enforceable plan to protect these civilians, to move them to safe places, feed them, train them and house them," the White House adviser Sullivan told national security, reported Reuters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined a vision for the future of the Gaza Strip following the conflict with Hamas, marking the first time he has presented such a plan, according to Haaretz.

Israel launched air strikes Thursday on southern Gaza's Rafah after threatening to send troops into the city, where around 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter from around the territory.

Global powers trying to navigate a way to end the Israel-Hamas war have so far come up short, but a U.S. envoy was expected in Israel on Thursday to try to secure a truce deal.