Jerusalem/Cairo (Reuters) - After six months of conflict in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike that killed a group of aid workers highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis and the lack of a clear resolution to a conflict that is isolating Israel.
The attack on Monday night, which claimed the lives of seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid group staff, including six foreigners, has sparked outrage even among some of Israel's closest allies.
This incident has increased pressure to end the ongoing conflict.
Israel's military has admitted that the strike was a mistake and has apologized for the "unintentional" deaths of the seven aid workers, who included citizens of Britain, Australia, Poland, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, and a Palestinian colleague.
However, this apology has done little to alleviate growing international concern.
Public opinion in traditionally friendly countries like Britain, Germany, and Australia has turned against Israel's campaign in Gaza, which was launched after an attack by Hamas on October 7.
President Joe Biden, facing increasing pressure from his supporters to end the conflict, expressed outrage over the convoy attack. Following a call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the White House demanded "concrete and measurable steps to reduce civilian harm" and stated that future U.S. support would depend on Israel's actions.
Netanyahu subsequently ordered the reopening of the Erez crossing into northern Gaza, the temporary use of Ashdod port in southern Israel, and increased access for Jordanian aid through the Kermen Shalom crossing in southern Gaza.
With Gaza in ruins, the majority of its 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced from their homes and rely on aid for survival.
This is a bitter reality during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims worldwide consume traditional meals and desserts to break their fast after sunset.
Um Nasser Dahman, a 33-year-old resident of Gaza now living in a tent camp in the southern city of Rafah with her family of five, expressed disappointment: "We used to be well-off before the war, but now we are dependent on limited aid and our relatives."
Even before the convoy attack, Israel was diplomatically isolated, with the UN General Assembly repeatedly calling for humanitarian ceasefires and urging increased aid deliveries to Gaza to prevent famine.
While Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters and destroyed most of its fighting units, Israeli troops are still engaged in battles in northern and central Gaza, areas that were supposedly cleared in the early stages of the war.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has resisted calls to change course, insisting that Hamas remains an existential threat to Israel that must be eliminated before lasting peace can be achieved.
Despite public support for the war's aims, Netanyahu faces a growing protest movement and calls for new elections, which polls suggest he would lose heavily.
"I feel strongly that all those outside of Israel calling for a ceasefire do not understand the situation here," said Wendy Carol, a 73-year-old writer and start-up founder from Jerusalem.
"We've had so many incursions and invasions, and we will stand as a democratic, Jewish country."
However, she added, "I do not trust the prime minister.
He is a divisive force in this nation, and many, many people feel that way, of all backgrounds."
While peace talks have been ongoing, hopes for a breakthrough to secure a ceasefire and the return of hostages have been repeatedly dashed.
Hamas leaders say they can continue fighting for much longer. "Six months have passed, and Al-Qassam Brigades is still able to resist the Zionist occupation army," said senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri.
The conflict began after a Hamas-led attack in which more than 250 hostages were seized and approximately 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli counts, in the deadliest single-day loss of life in Israel's history.
The campaign has been the bloodiest ever for the Palestinians, with Gaza health authorities reporting more than 33,000 deaths so far.
While Palestinian casualty figures do not typically differentiate between fighters and civilians, Israel claims that more than 10,000 fighters have been killed, a figure not confirmed by the militant groups.
However, according to United Nations figures, more than a third of the dead have been children.
The scale of the casualties has sparked global alarm and calls for an end to the conflict, but for the people of Gaza, the wait for peace continues.
"I believe everything has an end; the war will end," said Um Nasser Dahman in Gaza. "But when?"