Israeli strikes kill 17 in Gaza as hospital evacuated

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 17 Palestinians, eight of them at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City, medics say, as the Israeli military orders the evacuation of a hospital in the north.

Palestinian medics said eight people, including children, were killed in the Musa Bin Nusayr School that sheltered displaced families in Gaza City.

The Israeli military said in a statement the strike targeted Hamas militants operating from a command centre embedded inside the school.

It said Hamas militants used the place to plan and execute attacks against Israeli forces.

Also in Gaza City, medics said four Palestinians were killed when an air strike hit a car.

At least five other Palestinians were killed in two separate air strikes in Rafah and Khan Younis south of the enclave.

In the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, where the army has operated since October, Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said the army ordered staff to evacuate the hospital and move patients and injured people toward another hospital in the area.

Abu Safiya said the mission was "next to impossible" because staff did not have ambulances to move the patients.

The Israeli army has operated in the two towns of north Gaza, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, as well as the nearby Jabalia camp for almost three months.

Palestinians have accused Israel of carrying out acts of "ethnic cleansing" to depopulate those areas to create a buffer zone.

Israel denies this and says the campaign in the area aimed to fight Hamas militants and prevent them from regrouping.

It said its forces have killed hundreds of militants and dismantled military infrastructure since that operation began.

Armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said they killed many Israeli soldiers in ambushes during the same period.

Mediators have yet to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas.

Sources close to the discussions told Reuters on Thursday Qatar and Egypt had resolved some differences between the warring parties but sticking points remained.

Israel began its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel says about 100 hostages are still being held, but it is unclear how many are alive.

Authorities in Gaza say Israel's campaign has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians and displaced most of the population of 2.3 million.

Much of the coastal enclave is in ruins.