Up to 21,000 children missing since Israel launched Gaza war

Up to 21,000 children are unaccounted for since Israel launched war on Gaza on October 7, according to Save the Children, Al Jazeera reports. 

The advocacy group calls for a ceasefire to look for the missing children.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says intense fighting in Gaza is nearly over, but insists war will continue even if a ceasefire deal is agreed with Hamas. The Palestinian group says Netanyahu’s comments shows he rejects proposal laid out by Biden on May 31.

Meanwhile, two more babies have died from malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, bringing the known death toll from hunger and thirst to 31, health officials say.

A joint investigation by Al Jazeera and Forensic Architecture has found that an Israeli tank fired at six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab’s family car likely from 13-23 metres (42-75 feet).

At least 37,598 people have been killed and 86,032 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.