Palestinian officials said Friday that the death toll has now exceeded 20,000—around 1 per cent of the territory’s prewar population. Meanwhile, Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crammed into shelters and tent camps as winter descends, raising fears about the spread of disease.

The United Nations says more than half a million (more than 1 in 4) people are starving in Gaza because not enough food has entered the besieged territory as Israel keeps up its blistering campaign of airstrikes and ground operations. But the UN Security Council again delayed a vote on a new resolution to halt the fighting in some way, which would allow for an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries.