Gaza death toll crosses 20,000

Hamas announced on Wednesday that at least 20,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war with Israel.

The statement came as the Ministry of Health said at least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a series of Israeli air strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt and later said at least 30 more people were killed in an Israeli strike that hit two houses east of Khan Yunis.

Meanwhile, a United Nations Security Council vote on a United Arab Emirates draft text to boost aid to the Gaza Strip and ask the UN to monitor humanitarian aid deliveries to 2.3 million people in the Palestinian enclave has again been delayed at the request of the US, diplomats said on Wednesday.

"Negotiations are ongoing and need more time. A rushed vote does not seem like it will end well," a UN diplomat familiar with negotiations told Reuters, referring to a possible US veto of the draft resolution.

The UN Security Council will try once again to pass the resolution on Thursday.

After more than a week of negotiations and several days of vote delays, diplomats said the US is unhappy that the draft asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to establish a UN mechanism in Gaza "to exclusively monitor all humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza provided through land, sea and air routes of those States that are not parties to the conflict".

Washington is also wary of a reference to a cessation of hostilities and a demand for Israel and Hamas to allow and facilitate "the use of all land, sea and air routes to and throughout the entire Gaza" for humanitarian aid deliveries, diplomats said.

Currently Israel monitors the limited humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries to Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.

Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the UAE's representative at the Security Council, said they're working hard to reach an agreement.