At least 22 children were killed in Gaza early Wednesday in a punishing series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, according to local hospitals and health officials.

The strikes killed at least 60 people in total, Gaza's Health Ministry reported, including 10 people in the southern city of Khan Younis. The strikes came a day after Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage in a deal brokered by the United States, and as President Donald Trump was visiting Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was "no way" Israel would halt its war in Gaza, dimming hopes for a ceasefire.

The Israeli military refused to comment on the strikes, but had warned residents of Jabaliya to evacuate late Tuesday night due to Hamas infrastructure in the area, including rocket launchers.

In Jabaliya, rescue workers smashed through collapsed concrete slabs using hand tools in order to remove bodies of some of the children who were killed.

Israel threatens to escalate operations in Gaza In comments released by Netanyahu's office Tuesday, the prime minister said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza "with great strength to complete the mission... It means destroying Hamas."  

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in a 2023 intrusion into southern Israel. 

UN says Israel ‘unashamedly’  blocking aid 

United Nations: The United Nations' top humanitarian official blasted Israel on Tuesday for "deliberately and unashamedly" imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians, including the risk of famine. Tom Fletcher, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, briefed members of the Security Council, describing this work as a "grim undertaking" since Israel began blocking all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza more than 10 weeks ago. He went as far as saying that the council must "act now" to "prevent genocide."