Israeli forces have stepped up their assault on Gaza City with a wave of heavy air strikes, marking a sharp escalation from previous military operations. Unlike earlier phases of the war, the current offensive has relied heavily on aerial bombardments, with entire apartment blocks and large concrete structures reduced to rubble.

Local media report at least five people killed in attack targeting people fleeing near al-Katiba Mosque in Gaza's Old City

Gaza “will be destroyed” if Hamas does not surrender, Israel’s defence minister warned, after the country launched a major ground offensive into the enclave’s largest city.

Israel has accused the militant group of using the vital port to transfer Iranian weaponry used in recent attacks amid the wider regional war.

The European Commission president, meanwhile, said she would seek sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip. The move adds to Israel’s already unprecedented global isolation as it grapples with the fallout from its strike targeting Hamas leaders in U.S.-allied Qatar.