Protests supporting Gaza take place in Europe

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that creates a national security guarantee with Qatar, saying that any armed attack on Qatar will be considered a threat to the U.S.

The order is sweeping, saying that "the United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States."

In the event of an attack, the order says that the U.S. will "take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability."

The order directs the U.S. secretary of state, defense secretary and the director of national intelligence to make a contingency plan with Qatari officials "to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to any foreign aggression against the State of Qatar."

The order comes after an Israeli strike on Qatari soil last month. After Israel's strike on Qatar, the White House said that Trump spoke to the Qatari emir and prime minister and assured them that such a thing will not happen again on their soil.

Iran also fired missiles at a U.S. military base inside Qatar in June.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

Israel Defense Forces continue to operate at "full force" in Gaza City, the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday, warning that Israel will tighten the siege around city and anyone leaving it will be forced to pass through checkpoints.

"This is a last chance for Gaza residents who are interested in moving south and leaving Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City itself in the face of IDF activity that continues at full strength," Katz said.

"Those who remain in Gaza will be terrorists and supporters of terror," Katz said.

Israeli forces killed 51 Palestinians and wounded 180 others in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, Gaza's Hamas-run Ministry of Health said Wednesday afternoon.

That brings the Palestinian death toll in Gaza since the ongoing war began on Oct. 7, 2023, to 66,148, according to the health ministry.

Among those killed over the past day were four people trying to collect humanitarian aid, while 57 others were injured, the health ministry said.

Two people, including a child, also starved to death over the past 24 hours, the ministry said on Wednesday.

That brings the total number of starvation deaths since Oct. 7, 2023, to 455, including 151 children, according to the health ministry.

-ABC News' Samy Zyara and Morgan Winsor

The Global Sumud Flotilla entered what it called the "high-risk zone" surrounding the Gaza Strip late on Tuesday, the organization said on its social media pages.

The flotilla is headed towards Gaza with humanitarian aid supplies and aims to break the naval blockade placed there by Israel’s military.

The group reported an increase in drone activity over the flotilla as it approached Gaza. Israel has said it will not allow the flotilla’s vessels to reach the strip.

Early on Wednesday, the flotilla posted a statement alleging an "intimidatory operation" by Israeli ships, with two of its lead vessels reportedly "aggressively" circled by Israeli warships while onboard communications were remotely disabled.

Israel, Italy and the Vatican all made offers to help distribute the aid from the flotilla in a way that Israel's government would accept, but the flotilla has been proceeding closer to its destination point.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned those participating in the flotilla that going forward with their plan would "undermine any possibility of a ceasefire," in a post on X.

"The truth is simple: that aid can be delivered without risk through the secure channels already in place. Insisting on wanting to force a naval blockade means making oneself -- knowingly or not -- an instrument of those who want to undermine any possibility of a ceasefire," Meloni said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for the flotilla to transfer the aid through "the Port of Cyprus, the Ashkelon Marina, or any other port in the region into Gaza," in a post on X Tuesday.

"The U.S., Israel, and leaders from the Middle East and around the world are trying to bring an end to the war," Saar said. "The focus should be on de-escalating, not on orchestrating provocations."

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman