Two of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals have been encircled by Israeli troops, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the facilities, hospital staff and aid groups said this week, as Israel pursued its renewed offensive into the devastated Palestinian territory.

More now from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who says the UK and their French and Canadian allies are “horrified by the escalation from Israel”. Speaking in the House of Commons, he repeats the government’s demand for a ceasefire as the “only way to free the hostages” and says that humanitarian assistance to Gazans must be scaled up.