Israel forged ahead with its air and ground offensive Wednesday in Gaza, drawing international outrage and rare criticism from the US over the killing of thousands of civilians. The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to demand a humanitarian cease-fire in a strong demonstration of global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but the assembly’s messages are important barometers of world opinion.

Just hours before the vote, US President Joe Biden warned that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza. The war has resulted in the deaths of over 18,400 Palestinians, as per the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.Agencies