Powerful explosions were heard in the Gaza Strip early Thursday as Israeli forces continued a new ground offensive in Gaza City, while overnight strikes in the Palestinian territory killed at least 16 people, hospital officials said.
Hundreds of thousands of people continue to remain in the city, now in ruins from nearly two years of war and struggling with hunger.
The latest Israeli operation, which began on Tuesday, further escalated the conflict that has roiled the Middle East and is likely to push any ceasefire even further out of reach.
The Israeli military, which says it wants to destroy Hamas' military infrastructure, has not given a timeline for the offensive, but there were indications it could last months.
Many have tried to move out of the city, once home to 1 million people, in the southern Gaza Strip after calls from the Israeli military for a complete evacuation.
The ministry announced on Wednesday that the death toll has risen to 65,062, with 165,697 injured since 2023.
Israel's offensive has devastated vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of extreme hunger.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilian or militant casualties, but has said that women and children account for about half of the dead.
The Gaza war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251 others. 48 hostages, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, remain in Gaza.