TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli gunfire killed at least 25 people seeking aid in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials and witnesses said, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will “allow” Palestinians to leave during an upcoming military offensive in some of the territory’s most populated areas.

At least 20 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to local medical sources. Seven people were killed north-west of Gaza City at a humanitarian aid distribution site.

An airstrike on Gaza City killed at least 12 people as the conflict entered a new phase with an Israeli offensive to rid the city of Hamas and free hostages.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had approved the framework for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas condemned what it called "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions in Gaza City.The approval for the expanded offensive comes days after Israel's security cabinet called for the seizure of Gaza's largest city,

International news outlets depend on Gaza journalists to learn what is happening inside the enclave. Now, the Israeli army has killed prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif.

Israel’s security cabinet has voted to expand the war in Gaza, marking a major escalation at a time when it is under intense domestic and international pressure to end the conflict.