Israeli strikes kill 120, damage hospital in northern Gaza

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 120 Palestinians over the last 48 hours and hit a hospital on the northern edge of the enclave, wounding medical staff and damaging equipment, Palestinian medics said on Saturday.

Among the dead were seven members of one family whose house was hit overnight in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, the health officials said. The rest were killed in separate Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza.

At the same time, Israeli forces deepened their incursion and bombardment of the northern edge of the enclave, their main offensive since early last month.

Israel's military says it aims to prevent Hamas fighters from waging attacks and regrouping in the area. Local residents say they fear the aim is to permanently depopulate a strip of territory as a buffer zone.

At Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza that is barely operational, director Hussam Abu Safiya said the ongoing Israeli bombardment appeared aimed at forcing hospital staff to evacuate - something they have refused to do since the incursion began.

"Yesterday (Friday), from the afternoon until midnight, the bombardment directly targeted the entrance to the emergency and reception area several times," he said in a statement, adding that 12 staff members including doctors and nurses were injured.

The strike also caused significant damage that disrupted the electrical generator, oxygen supply network and water supply, he added.

Asked to comment on Abu Safiya's statement, the Israeli military said that following an initial review it was "not aware of a strike in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital", adding that it does everything possible to avoid harming civilians.

Israel's 13-month campaign in Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people and displaced nearly all the enclave's population at least once, according to Gaza officials.

A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, Abu Ubaida, said later on Saturday that a female Israeli hostage in the group's custody had been killed in northern Gaza in an area under attack by Israel's forces.

"The life of another female prisoner who used to be with her remains in imminent danger," he added, accusing the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being responsible and of undermining efforts to end the war.

A group representing hostages' families did not immediately reply to a request for comment.