Israel-Gaza live updates: Israel 'deepening the war' in Gaza: Netanyahu

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution calling for urgent steps to allow safe, unhindered and expanded humanitarian access throughout Gaza.

Thirteen nations voted in favor, none voted against and two -- the U.S. and Russia -- abstained.

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UN Security Council passes Gaza aid resolution

The resolution called for urgent steps to allow safe, unhindered and expanded humanitarian aid throughout Gaza.

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U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. abstained from the vote because "the Council was not able to condemn Hamas' horrific terrorist attack on Oct. 7."

"I can’t understand why some Council members are standing in the way, and why they refuse to condemn these evils unequivocally," she said. "I will never understand why some Council members have remained silent in the face of such evil."

In response to the resolution passing, the Red Cross said in a statement that it welcomes the demands for humanitarian access, the release of hostages and for international humanitarian law to be upheld.

But with the Gaza death toll climbing and the living conditions continuing to deteriorate, "much more is clearly needed," the statement said. "The only way fully to protect Palestinian lives, enable a sufficient humanitarian response, and offer the best chance of hostage release, is to stop the fighting."

"The failure of the [U.N. Security Council] to demand an immediate and sustained ceasefire is unjustifiable," the Red Cross said.

Israeli forces -- which are "almost in full operational control" of northern Gaza -- are continuing to fight on the ground in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, and are now "preparing to expand operations" to more parts of southern Gaza, said Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

This week, in Issa in the south of Gaza City, Hagari said Israeli forces found and destroyed an underground tunnel that was hundreds of meters long and had command and control rooms.

Asked about Israel’s investigation into how Hamas pulled off its Oct. 7 attack, Hagari noted, "Some areas of [Hamas'] tunnels were attacked in the past and restored -- we will examine why we estimated that the restoration would take longer."

The surviving members of Kibbutz Reim have relocated as a unified group to temporary housing in Tel Aviv. The move creates a "first-of-its-kind urban kibbutz," according to a statement from the kibbutz.

The families will live in a compound that includes two buildings and a community center, similar to what the original kibbutz had. The new temporary housing will also connect the survivors to services including psychological support and a local school.

-ABC News’ Becky Perlow

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. is “leading the world” in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the crisis worsens by the day.

“Nobody can look at the images coming out of Gaza and … not feel a sense of pain and anguish for so many innocent people that have been displaced from their homes, families killed, many wounded,” Kirby said.

ABC News asked Kirby about a letter sent to President Joe Biden this week from a group of House Democrats that raised concerns with Israel's military operation in Gaza. The lawmakers called the civilian death toll in Gaza unacceptable and urged Biden to work to shift Israel’s strategy.

Kirby acknowledged, “We don't believe you're going to be able to wipe out the ideology that inspires Hamas through military action."

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UN says more than half a million people in Gaza are starving

ABC New’s foreign correspondent Britt Clennett reports from Tel Aviv, Israel, on the latest cease-fire and hostage negotiations as the humanitarian crisis gets worse in Gaza.

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-ABC News’ Lauren Peller