Israeli air strikes kill 40 in Gaza, say hospitals, while aid blockade continues

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After 19 months of war, Gaza is in dire crisis.

More than 52,000 people have been killed by the Israeli offensive, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and those who have survived do so in extreme conditions.

Overnight, another 26 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza, our correspondent reports.

Since mid-March, Israel has prevented food, medication and other aid from entering Gaza.

There has been international condemnation of the blockade, including from the UN, which has said that Gaza’s population of around 2.1 million is at “critical risk” of famine and faces “extreme levels of food insecurity”.

Aid agencies have told the BBC that people are starving, that they are sick from contaminated water, and that they suffer with treatable diseases.

Today, the BBC is dedicating a special day of coverage to providing a window into life inside Gaza under war.

Israel does not allow international journalists into Gaza, so we’re relying on messages, voice notes and pictures being sent to us by Gazans directly.

Stay with us as we bring you their stories.