Gaza's civil defence agency reported at least 42 people killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday, as the Israeli army prepared for a new assault on the Palestinian territory's largest city.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said there had been several air strikes around Gaza City – which the military is gearing up to capture – including one in the Al-Sabra neighbourhood that killed eight people.
Attacks were also reported elsewhere across the territory, he said, with the "total tally currently rising to 42 dead".
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the figure, but said on Sunday that its forces have returned to combat in the Jabalia area in recent days, to dismantle militant tunnels and strengthen control of the area.
It added that the operation there "enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas."
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Israel approved a plan this month to seize control of Gaza City, describing it as the last bastion of Hamas militants. It is not expected to begin for a few weeks, leaving room for mediators Egypt and Qatar to try and resume ceasefire talks.
'Death follows us everywhere'
"The situation is extremely dangerous... Each day, each minute, there are bombings, martyrs, death and blood – we can't take it anymore," Al-Sabra resident Ibrahim Al-Shurafa told AFP, explaining strikes and shelling were ongoing.
"We don't know where to go. Death follows us everywhere," he added.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.
The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's offensive has killed at least 62,686 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters)
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