Western nations urge Israel to end Gaza war, condemning civilian deaths and restricted aid near food distribution sites.

The head of a UN office in the Gaza Strip has described an aid distribution scheme run by a rival organization as a "sadistic death trap. " Philippe Lazzarini is the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA),

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli ground troops for the first time Monday pushed into areas of a central Gaza city where several aid groups are based, in what appeared to be the latest effort to carve up the Palestinian territory with military corridors.

The head of the agency that helps oversee international aid deliveries to the territory had criticized the impact of Israeli policy on civilians.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Two years ago, Sarah Qanan was a star high school student preparing for final exams and dreaming of becoming a doctor. Today, the 18-year-old lives in a sweltering tent in the Gaza Strip and says she is just trying to stay alive.

Belgium's King Philippe described abuses in Gaza as a "disgrace to humanity" in a speech on the eve of Monday's national day, unusually direct remarks on international affairs from a monarch who traditionally avoids public politics.

Israeli soldiers shot Palestinians near an Israel-backed food site. On Sunday, they fired at people gathering near a U.N. convoy. Both incidents were symptoms of broader problems.

Belgian prosecutors say police have questioned two Israeli army members attending a music festival over alleged war crimes in Gaza.