Israeli strikes hit Gaza on Saturday after renewed US criticism over its conduct of the conflict and a UN warning of “epic” disaster if an outright invasion of crowded Rafah city occurs, AFP reports.

AFP journalists reported the strikes in various sectors of the coastal territory, where the UN says aid is blocked after Israeli troops defied international opposition and entered eastern Rafah this week, effectively shutting two crossings.

A long-awaited US State Department report on Friday said Israel likely violated norms on international law in its use of weapons from the United States — its main military supplier — but it did not find enough evidence to block shipments.

The State Department submitted its report two days after President Joe Biden publicly threatened to withhold certain bombs and artillery shells if Israel goes ahead with an all-out assault on Rafah, where the United Nations said 1.4 million had been sheltering.

After rising criticism from Washington over the civilian impact of Israel’s onslaught against Hamas, the threat was the first time Biden raised the ultimate US leverage over Israel — its military aid which totals $3 billion annually.