High casualty figures reported in fresh Israeli attacks on Gaza

Renewed Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have resulted in numerous fatalities, according to Palestinian sources.

The al-Awda Hospital said on Thursday that seven people were killed and 18 others injured in shelling in the central Gaza Strip near a distribution point for aid supplies.

There were also many dead and injured - including children - in attacks in Gaza City and Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to medical circles.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said they are examining the reports.

Israel has announced its intention to capture Gaza City and is already in the suburbs, according to military sources.

The aim of the advance is to free the remaining hostages and dismantle the Palestinian militant Hamas organization.

Residents have reported intense attacks around the city.

The Gaza war was triggered by the attack by Hamas and other Islamist groups on Israel on October 7, 2023. In the unprecedented massacre, the militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 as hostages to the Gaza Strip.

Since then, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed. The tally does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but the figures are seen as credible by the United Nations.