Israeli air strikes kill 27 in Gaza Friday amid new truce push

Israel carried out air strikes in Gaza over the past 24 hours in attacks that Palestinian health authorities said had killed nearly 100 people.

The surge in operations and casualties comes amid a renewed push to reach a ceasefire agreement before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office this month, with Israeli mediators dispatched on Thursday to Doha, to resume talks brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

The Gaza health ministry said 27 people were killed early on Friday, after 71 were killed a day earlier including in Al-Mawasi, an area in central Gaza previously declared as a humanitarian safe zone by Israeli authorities.

On Friday, the military told civilians in the area of al-Bureij in central Gaza to evacuate ahead of an operation ordered following rocket attacks from the area.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release for a year with no success and are making another push this month before Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

Ceasefire efforts have continually stumbled on a fundamental disagreement over how to end the conflict. Hamas says it will only accept an agreement and release the hostages if Israel commits to ending the war. Israel says it will only agree to stop fighting once Hamas is destroyed.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for a ceasefire agreement. Trump has said that if there is not a deal to release the hostages before his inauguration, "all hell is going to break out".

Israel's military has entered nearly every part of Gaza but is still fighting Hamas militants who are waging guerrilla warfare across the ruins of the tiny enclave.

Over the autumn, Israel's military resumed intense combat in northern Gaza, which it has repeatedly told all civilians to leave, while still continuing heavy strikes in the south.

In late December single-day death tolls announced by the Gaza health ministry included 48 on Dec. 28, 58 on Dec. 22 and 77 on Dec. 20. The toll rose by 1,124 in December, compared to 1,170 in November and 1,621 in October according to ministry figures.