Israeli forces have advanced into the heart of Gaza City, endangering the lives of Palestinians who have remained there in the hope that mounting pressure on Israel for a ceasefire will mean they will not lose their homes, Reuters reports.
US President Donald Trump met with leaders of Muslim countries at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday for talks aimed at ending the war.
Trump, who has previously condemned moves by a number of countries to pressure Israel by recognising a Palestinian state, said the next meeting would be with Israel.
The Israeli government has urged Gaza residents to move south, but many people hesitated because of the lack of security and widespread hunger there. "We moved to the western part near the beach, but many families didn't have time, the tanks surprised them," said a 35-year-old man.
Israeli forces, who began advancing on the city of more than a million people in August, have ignored calls to halt the offensive, which the government says is aimed at destroying the last bastion of "Hamas".
Medics said at least 20 people were killed and many more wounded when Israeli airstrikes hit a shelter housing displaced families near a market in the city center. Two other people were killed in a nearby house.
In the city's Tel Al-Hawa suburb, tanks entered residential areas and were positioned near Al-Quds Hospital.
Tanks also advanced closer to Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa.
On Monday, Palestinian authorities said tank shelling had damaged Rantisi Hospital and put the nearby Al-Nasr Eye Hospital at risk, forcing it to close. Jordan, which runs a third hospital in the area, said it had moved it further south due to repeated bombardments.
The Israeli army said it would continue to ensure the provision of medical services and the functioning of health facilities in Gaza, and that staff and patients from Al-Nasr and Rantisi had evacuated voluntarily.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Gaza City in the northern enclave in recent weeks, but many others remain because they believe there is no safe place for them.
Seven people were killed in Nuseirat and near Rafah in southern Gaza. The Israeli army says its attacks are aimed at ending Hamas rule. over the enclave.
Israel has been heavily criticized for its military conduct in Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed.
International disillusionment with the war in Gaza has led some Israeli and American allies to recognize a Palestinian state this week. Support for the war in Israel has also faltered, and 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, are still being held by Hamas in Gaza, and 465 soldiers have been killed in combat.
"Hamas" has acknowledged the deaths of some of its military leaders but has not disclosed the number of its fighters killed. The war began when "Hamas" invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.