Israel has launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group's cross-border attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
The Israeli military says it has taken “operational control” over eastern areas of Bureij refugee camp and the town of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, as dozens of Palestinians were reported killed.
The say troops backed by air strikes had begun an operation against “terrorists and terrorist infrastructure above and below ground".
Residents reported intense bombardment and the charity Médecins Sans Frontières said at least 70 dead people - the majority women and children - had been brought to a local hospital since Tuesday.
It came as US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators met in Doha and Cairo to discuss how to finalise a new ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The US said on Tuesday it was still waiting for a response from Hamas to what it described as an Israeli proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden last week.
Qatar said it had delivered the plan to Hamas representatives and noted that it was also still waiting for a clear position from the Israeli government.
At least 36,580 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Source: BBC News
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