
Israel's army issues evacuation warning for parts of Gaza City
Hamas says it's ready to resume talks for a permanent ceasefire amid growing international pressure.
Gaza's death toll surpasses 54 000 as criticism mounts over aid access and deadly incidents near relief centres.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation order for residents of parts of Gaza City on Friday ahead of an attack, as it presses an intensified campaign in the battered Palestinian territory.
'This is a final and urgent warning ahead of an impending strike,' army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said.
The army 'will strike all areas from which rockets are launched.'
The evacuation order comes at the beginning of the Eid al-Adha holiday, one of the main religious festivals of the Muslim calendar.
The Israeli military has recently stepped up its campaign in Gaza in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war.
READ | US slaps sanctions on ICC judges in 'clear attempt to undermine' actions against Netanyahu, Israel
International calls for a negotiated ceasefire have grown in recent weeks.
Hamas's lead negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya said on Thursday that the Palestinian Islamist group was ready to enter a new round of talks aimed at sealing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Talks aimed at brokering a new ceasefire have failed to yield a breakthrough since the last brief truce fell apart in March with the resumption of Israeli operations in Gaza.
Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement late last month, but a deal proved elusive, with each side accusing the other of scuppering a US-backed proposal.
Israel has faced mounting pressure to allow more aid into Gaza, after it imposed a more than two-month blockade that led to widespread shortages of food and other essentials.
READ | Gaza doctors give their own blood to patients after scores gunned down seeking aid
It recently eased the blockade and has worked with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to implement a new aid distribution mechanism via a handful of centres in south and central Gaza.
But since its inception, the GHF has been a magnet for criticism from the UN and other members of the aid world - which only intensified following a recent string of deadly incidents near its facilities.
Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1 218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4 402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, taking the war's overall toll to 54 677, mostly civilians.
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