Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had launched “extensive strikes” as part of a fresh offensive in Gaza. The announcement came as Gaza's Health Ministry said 153 had been killed and 459 wounded in Israeli attacks since Friday.
The army said on Telegram it had begun the “initial stages” of the offensive, known as Operation Gideon’s Chariots.
The operation is part of “the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip, with the goal of achieving all the war’s objectives, including the release of the abducted and the defeat of Hamas,” it said in a post in Arabic.
A separate statement in English said the army was “mobilising troops to achieve operational control in areas of the Gaza Strip.”
Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli strikes on Gaza had killed 100 people on Friday, while the army said its forces had “struck over 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip” in 24 hours.
More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's war in Gaza. The Israeli military began its campaign after Hamas-led militants attacked the south of Israel and killed about 1,200 people.
On Friday, the UN's relief chief said that time should not be wasted on a disputed US-backed proposal to deliver aid to Gaza, while the world body has a proven plan and 160,000 pallets of relief ready to enter the Palestinian enclave.
“To those proposing an alternative modality for aid distribution, let’s not waste time. We already have a plan,” Tom Fletcher said as Israel blocked the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza for the 75th day in a row.
Washington announced in recent days that the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a newly established, US-backed organisation, would be delivering food into the enclave by the end of May. The mechanism, which was approved by the Israeli security cabinet, will have US contractors protected by the Israeli military delivering aid in certain parts of the enclave to ensure it does not fall into the hands of Hamas. The UN and international aid organisations have criticised the new plan, saying it would militarise humanitarian assistance.
“We have the people. We have the distribution networks. We have the trust of the communities on the ground. And we have the aid itself - 160,000 pallets of it - ready to move. Now,” said Mr Fletcher. “We demand rapid, safe, and unimpeded aid delivery for civilians in need. Let us work.”
US President Donald Trump earlier on Friday acknowledged that people in Gaza are "starving" but defended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said he was in a "tough situation".
"Gaza is a nasty place," Mr Trump told Fox News, adding "it’s been that way for years".
