New Delhi, July 24 -- More than 100 charity and human rights groups say Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation. Israeli strikes meanwhile killed another 21 people overnight and into Wednesday, according to local health officials.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the groups' criticism and accused them of "echoing Hamas' propaganda."

The Trump administration's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was set to meet with a senior Israeli official about ceasefire talks, a sign that lower-level negotiations that have dragged on for weeks could be approaching a breakthrough.

Israel's war in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has killed more than 59,000 Pa...