Israel-Hamas war | World leaders seek pause to fighting to allow aid into Gaza

International calls for pause in Israel-Hamas fighting to allow aid into Gaza. 704 Palestinians, including 305 children, killed in 24 hrs. U.S. and Russia lead calls for pause; U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agree on broader diplomacy to prevent conflict from expanding.

The United States and Russia led international calls for a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas to allow aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, as Israel maintained its bombardment of the enclave where Palestinians are living in harrowing conditions.

A total of 704 Palestinians, including 305 children, were killed on October 24, the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said, a toll the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said was the highest reported in a single day since the conflict began nearly three weeks ago.

Reuters could not independently verify these figures.

Israel launched the strikes on Gaza after Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli towns on October 7 in a rampage that killed 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

Follow live updates from the Israel-Hamas war on October 25

World leaders are now seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading across a region key to global energy supplies.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone on October 24 and agreed on broader diplomacy "to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," the White House said.