More than 30 killed in Israeli air strike on Gaza camp, Arab countries furious

Amidst the ongoing war with Hamas, Israel carried out an air strike on a refugee camp in central Gaza late on Saturday night, in which more than 30 people were killed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East for a diplomatic tour, is facing resentment in meetings with Arab leaders.

Blinken stressed that the US supports a "humanitarian pause" in clashes and bombings to stop civilian deaths in Gaza, however, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out any scope for a ceasefire.

US President Joe Biden recently said progress had been made in achieving a "humanitarian pause", but did not elaborate. "The United States believes all of these efforts will help ease humanitarian disruptions," Antony Blinken said at a media conference in Jordan.

Hamas issued a statement late Saturday night saying that foreigners will not be allowed to leave Gaza until the Israeli army allows injured Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to go to Egypt through the Rafah border for treatment.

Hamas' Gaza Health Ministry said that Israeli air strikes have so far killed more than 9,480 Gazans, mostly women and children. Hamas said that about 12 people were killed in an Israeli attack on a UN school when thousands of people were taking shelter there.

There is anger across the world due to the massive bombing in Gaza and the loss of civilian lives. Large scale demonstrations are taking place against Israel. This has also affected Israel's diplomatic relations around the world. Meanwhile, Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu personally responsible for the deaths of women and children in Gaza. "Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have rejected him," he said.

Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Harzi Halevi visited ground forces inside the strip that completely encircles Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that his forces were "fighting hard" and "are operating in southern and northern Gaza City. The forces have now entered populated areas."

According to US Special Envoy David Satterfield, Israel has described Gaza City as "the center of the Hamas terrorist organization", although 350,000 to 400,000 civilians still live in the city and surrounding areas.

Israel has vowed to root out Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attacks.