At least 70 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn on Friday, and casualties continue to mount.
More than half of the casualties were in Gaza City and northern Gaza, but deadly attacks took place across the Palestinian Strip, including in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.
The Israeli military said troops were operating in the Shaboura and Tal as-Sultan areas near Rafah, as well as in northern Gaza, where Israel has taken control of large areas east of Gaza City.
On Friday, Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, repeated that Israel intended to achieve its war aims.
“The [Israeli army] is currently working towards a decisive victory in all arenas, the release of the hostages, and the defeat of Hamas in Gaza,” he said in a statement.
