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Israeli fire kills 11 Palestinians as tanks push into central Gaza camp

Israel is focusing its operations in the north and centre to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping

Israeli forces sent tanks into the western side of Gaza's Nuseirat camp on Monday in a new incursion into the enclave's central area, and Palestinian medics said Israeli military strikes had killed at least 11 people since Sunday night.

Residents said Israeli tanks opened fire as they rolled into that sector of the camp, one of the Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee sites, causing panic among the population and displaced families.

One resident, Zaik Mohammad, said the tanks' advance was a complete surprise.

"Some people couldn't leave and remained trapped inside their homes, appealing to be allowed out, while others rushed out with whatever they could carry as they fled," Mohammad, 25, who lives 1km away from the targeted area, told Reuters via a chat app.

With the war in Gaza now in its 14th month, Israel is focusing its operations in the north and centre in what it says is a campaign to stop Hamas militants waging attacks and to prevent them from regrouping.

Tens of thousands of Palestinian residents have been told to evacuate the areas, fuelling fears that they may never be allowed to return.

The already slim chances of a ceasefire receded further at the weekend when mediator Qatar said it was suspending its efforts until both Israel and Hamas showed greater willingness to reach an agreement.

In attacks overnight and into Monday, medics said seven people were killed in Nuseirat in two separate Israeli airstrikes, one that hit a tent encampment.

In the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, where Israeli forces have operated since October 5, medics said four people were killed in an Israeli air strike.

At Kamal Adwan Hospital near Beit Lahiya, medics said Israeli fire from a drone wounded three medical workers in the facility.

There was no Israeli comment on Monday's violence.

The Israeli military said it killed a senior commander of the Islamic Jihad group, an ally of Hamas, Mohammad Abu Skhail, in a strike on Saturday at a command centre inside a compound that previously served as a school in Gaza City. Palestinian medics said the attack killed six people.

Israeli forces have besieged the three hospitals in and around Jabalia for several weeks and hospital officials have refused orders to evacuate the facilities or leave their patients unattended despite the lack of food, medical, and fuel supplies.

The Israeli military accuses Hamas of exploiting Gaza's civilian population for military purposes, a charge the militant group denies.

The army sent tanks into Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia camp in northern Gaza over a month ago. It said it had killed hundreds of militants in Jabalia and around it since the raids began.

The armed wings of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad said their fighters carried out ambushes, mortar fire, and anti-tank rocket attacks, claiming to have killed many Israeli soldiers in recent weeks.

On Monday, the Israeli military said it had expanded the "humanitarian zone" in the enclave. It also said it would allow more tents, shelter materials, food, water, and medical supplies to enter.

Its forces "will continue to work to achieve the war's objectives, including dismantling Hamas and returning all the abductees," it said.

Palestinian and United Nations officials say there are no safe areas in the enclave, home to more than 2.1 million people and now largely in ruins.

The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing another 253 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's military campaign has leveled much of Gaza and killed around 43,500 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say.