Israeli authorities prevented Ayed Ayoub from escaping Gaza's hunger and war with his family for an academic fellowship in France. He finally left last month, after Israel unexpectedly eased its tight control of the border.

As Israel intensified its offensive in Gaza to take "total control" of the Palestinian territory, some of its closest allies, including the United States, might be threatening to withdraw their support from Jerusalem in the face of mass starvation.

The withering Israeli aerial campaign appeared to presage the ground operation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch if no ceasefire and hostage deal were struck by the time Trump returned to the U.