This handout satellite picture shows the damage around the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City's al-Rimal district (AFP)
Israeli forces are carrying out a "precise and targeted" military operation against Hamas "in a specific area" inside the Al Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.
The army said in a statement the operation is "based on intelligence information and operational necessities".
The IDF forces "include medical teams and Arabic speakers who have undergone specific training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the aim of not causing any harm to civilians who are used by Hamas as human shields".
The statement came shortly after the spokesman for the Hamas Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that Israel had informed officials that it would raid the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in the coming minutes.
On Tuesday, the US accused Hamas of running a "command and control center based from Al-Shifa Hospital."
Hamas has, however, denied militarising hospitals.
Medical officials in Gaza say more than 11,000 people are confirmed dead from Israeli strikes, around 40 per cent of them children, and countless others were trapped under rubble.
US President Donald Trump called off plans for renewed military strikes on Iran at the last minute on Thursday, saying negotiations with Tehran had advanced to the highest levels of Iran's leadership and had been approved by a broad coalition of regional powers.
A US jet fired two missiles into the engine room of the tanker Jalveer off Oman on Thursday, US Central Command confirmed, as authorities said the 20 crew members were safe after the third strike on Indian-crewed tankers this week.
British defence minister John Healey quit on Thursday in a dispute over military spending, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to commit the government resources that are needed to defend the country at a time of heightened threat.
A false alarm at the Pentagon following an air quality warning briefly triggered a partial shelter-in-place order on Wednesday at the US military's headquarters, as first responders worked to rule out exposure to hazardous materials, officials said.
The United States will hit Iran "very hard tonight" and will soon take control of the Middle Eastern country's oil and gas infrastructure and markets, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
The US and Iran have traded air attacks on Thursday for a second straight day, with President Donald Trump vowing further strikes if Tehran does not immediately agree to a peace deal.
Bahrain's Interior Ministry said on Thursday that an 11-year-old girl suffered minor injuries, while vehicles caught fire and homes were damaged in Hamad Town and the capital Manama after debris fell from Iranian drones that were intercepted and destroyed.
Philippine law enforcement launched on Thursday an investigation into the deaths of two student athletes from a top university basketball team, in a case that has drawn widespread attention in a country where the sport is hugely popular.
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Trump cancels US strikes on Iran, citing progress in talks
US confirms third strike on Indian-crewed tankers this week
UK defence minister Healey quits, says PM Starmer's plans fail to keep country safe
False alarm at the Pentagon triggers brief shelter-in-place order
Trump says US will hit Iran 'very hard', take control of energy infrastructure
US and Iran trade attacks for a second day, undermining shaky ceasefire
Bahrain says debris from intercepted Iranian drones injures child, damages homes
Philippines launches probe into deaths of two athletes from top basketball team
