U.N. Ramps Up Pressure for Gaza Cease-Fire as Israel Races to Eliminate Hamas  

The Israeli war effort in Gaza intensified as the country’s leaders try to achieve their goals before international and domestic pressures force an end to active combat.

The rising number of airstrikes and close-quarters fighting in both north and south Gaza has worsened a humanitarian disaster that had already been unfolding for two months. The accelerating death toll and levels of hunger, disease and disorder also add to pressure on Israel to more quickly achieve its war aims of removing Hamas from power and killing its leaders, along with freeing the remaining 137 hostages taken during the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel