Israeli strikes on Gaza continue as army prepares to expand offensive

A wave of Israeli strikes hit several areas across Gaza on Monday as Israel prepares the expansion of its ground offensive aimed at taking control of Gaza City.

Some Gaza City residents said it was the worst bombardment they had experienced in weeks.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society shared in a post on X that seven people were killed and 41 were injured, all arriving at Gaza City's Al-Quds Hospital.

It said ambulances "continue to transport the wounded as the shelling persists, while medical teams work around the clock to manage the growing number of casualties despite challenging conditions and scarce resources.

The PRCS also transported nine bodies and two more injured people to Al-Shifa Hospital, it said in a separate post.

Five Al Jazeera media workers were also killed by Israel in a strike on a press tent near Al-Shifa Hospital, drawing condemnation from press rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Further south in Khan Younis, seven Palestinians were killed in another overnight Israeli strike, according to the Nasser Hospital, where the bodies were brought.

The seven, all members of the same family, were killed in a strike on a residential building in the western part of the city, according to reports.

The dead included a grandfather, his four children, a grandchild and another relative.

The strikes come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his government's plans on Sunday to expand a military offensive into Gaza City, one of the few areas of the territory not already under Israeli military control.

The Israeli army is to move forward with the operation despite mounting calls from many of the country's closest allies to end the war. The plan also faces opposition within Israel from families of the remaining 20 or so living hostages held by Hamas, as well as members of the security establishment who say there is little to gain militarily at this point.

Netanyahu's plans have drawn increasing international condemnation from some of Israel's closest allies.

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron called the move “a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen” and a "move towards a never-ending war" in a statement sent to reporters.

Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview with domestic media that Israel has "lost reason and humanity", calling the situation "unacceptable" and "pure denial of the law and the founding values of our civilisation."

Asked about sanctions, he said, "decisions must be made that force Netanyahu to think."

Israel’s air and ground offensive in Gaza has already displaced most Palestinians and pushed the territory toward famine.