This past week, the reported death toll in Gaza reached 30,000 after Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians who were pulling food off an aid convoy in Gaza City. More than 100 people were killed. This prompted the U.S. to complete its first airdrop into Gaza with the help of the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The drops consisted of 38,000 meals, which were deployed along the enclave's coast. According to the U.N.'s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a quarter of Gaza's roughly 2.2 million people are "one step away from famine."
Last Monday, President Biden was optimistic about reaching a deal on a potential cease-fire, however Israel has yet to confirm their plans moving forward. The proposed cease-fire, according to Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, would free Israeli hostages held by Hamas and allow more aid to enter Gaza.
Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz at the White House Monday, in hopes of securing the deal. On Sunday, she called for an immediate, temporary cease-fire in Gaza to facilitate a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Harris also urged Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza to alleviate the "immense scale of suffering" among Palestinians.
Here is a look at what photojournalists on the ground documented this past week:
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