Global pressure mounts for ceasefire as Israel, US face growing isolation over Gaza offensive

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Israel and the United States find themselves increasingly isolated amid international calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, as a non-binding vote at the United Nations is anticipated to pass later today.

Israel, asserting that its offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers could extend for weeks or months, faces growing criticism for the ongoing conflict.

Israel's offensive in the Palestinian territories has resulted in unprecedented death and destruction. With over 18,000 Palestinians killed, primarily women and minors, and more than 80 per cent of the population of 2.3 million displaced, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming proportions.

Large portions of northern Gaza have been devastated, and hundreds of thousands have sought refuge in shrinking safe zones in the south. The health care system and humanitarian aid operations in Gaza have collapsed, raising concerns about starvation and the spread of disease among displaced individuals in overcrowded shelters and tent camps.

Overnight strikes in southern Gaza, an area designated for civilian shelter, resulted in at least 23 casualties, according to reports from an Associated Press correspondent at a nearby hospital.

In northern Gaza, Doctors Without Borders reported that a surgeon at Al-Awda hospital was wounded by a shot from outside the facility. The hospital has allegedly been under "total siege" by Israeli forces for a week, though there has been no immediate comment from the military.

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Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in a briefing on Monday, indicated that the current phase of heavy ground fighting and airstrikes could persist for weeks. He suggested that lower-intensity fighting against "pockets of resistance" would follow, with Israel maintaining security control over Gaza indefinitely, as stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The United Nations secretary-general and Arab states have garnered international support for an immediate cease-fire, with a non-binding vote on a similar resolution scheduled at the General Assembly today. However, the U.S. vetoed such efforts at the UN Security Council last week.

As global pressure for a cease-fire intensifies, Israel and the U.S. face increasing isolation, while concerns rise about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The conflict's toll on civilian lives and infrastructure has prompted calls for an end to hostilities and a focus on reaching a diplomatic solution. (With inputs from AP)