Israeli attacks have created deplorable conditions across Gaza, but humanitarian groups say the month-long siege of towns in the north have essentially rendered the area unlivable.And they accuse Israel's military of inflicting starvation and destruction to ensure hundreds of thousands of Palestinians can never return to their homes.

The Israeli military said on Friday it was planning to reopen the Kissufim crossing into central Gaza to increase the flow of aid into the southern end of the Gaza Strip. The move comes amid growing international pressure on Israel to get more aid into Gaza,