Gaza rescuers say 44 killed as Israel steps up offensive

Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 44 people on Tuesday across the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, where Israel has intensified a military offensive aimed at crushing Hamas.

Aid trickled into the Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time in more than two months, following intense international condemnation over Israel’s total blockade that has sparked shortages of food and medicine.

The Israeli army stepped up its military offensive in Gaza on Saturday, saying it…