Israel-Palestine live: Thousands in state of panic as Israel continues to strike hospitals

The Israeli military's spokesperson has issued a new warning for residents in northern Gaza to leave and head south, telling them that by doing so they would receive humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medicine.

“Tomorrow [Sunday], the humanitarian efforts to Gaza, led by Egypt and the United States, will be expanding,” spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a message recorded on Saturday.

Since the Rafah border with Egypt was reopened on 21 October, only 84 trucks have been allowed into Gaza, according to Doctors Without Borders.

Another military spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Sunday there would be a widening of humanitarian efforts.

Good morning MEE readers. It is now just past 8am in Gaza on the 23rd day of war since 7 October.

After a two-day near communication blackout, internet connectivity was partially restored on Sunday morning, leading to a wave of journalists and social media users in Gaza posting online that they are alive, and Palestinians from around the world getting in touch with their loved ones in the enclave.

However, the partial restoration of the internet will also pave the way to reveal the true death toll that occurred. Since the internet was knocked out on Friday, Israel began the heaviest bombardment of the Gaza Strip so far and also began land incursions into Gaza.

Here's what you may have missed over the past several hours:

• Scores of Palestinians were reported killed by Israeli air strikes across Gaza on Sunday morning. The exact death toll is unclear, with reports of people still trapped under rubble.

• In announcing what he referred to as the second phase of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war would be "long and difficult".

• Tens of thousands of protesters have been holding pro-Palestine rallies across major US cities, including New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Not to mention, for the second time more than 100,000 protesters gathered in London in support of Palestine.

• Israeli forces stormed several cities in the occupied West Bank, including Jenin and Nablus. In the Askar camp near Nablus, Israeli vehicles were met with an explosive device. Several Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Sunday morning.

• The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said that three of its ambulances are no longer operational due to a lack of fuel, and added that only three percent of Gaza's medical sector needs have been met with the aid that has come in.

• Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is reportedly expected to visit Washington on Monday.

For updates around the clock, follow MEE's live blog and our social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

Al-Qassam Brigades released a video statement from its spokesperson, Abu Obeida, in which he responded to Israel's expanded ground operations, hit out at Arab countries for a lack of humanitarian assistance, and blamed Israel for the failure to achieve an agreement over a prisoner swap.

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel's military had begun its second phase of the war, and would expand ground operations into Gaza.

In response to this, Abu Obeida said: "We are still waiting for him.

"We will make him taste, by the strength of God, a defeat greater than what he expects or fears."

He also hit out at the Arab world for not providing enough humanitarian assistance for the civilians of Gaza.

"To the leaders of our Arab nations... We do not ask you to mobilise your armies and tanks, God forbid, to defend the children of Arabism and Islam in Gaza," Abu Obeida said.

"But have you reached the point where you cannot send relief and humanitarian aid?"

Several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Tunisia, have sent aid to Egypt in order for it to cross into Gaza. However, aid entering the Rafah border crossing has been limited.

In his third point, Abu Obeida said that there were "numerous contacts regarding the prisoner issue" and a chance to strike a deal. However, he blamed Israel for its failure, saying Israel was not willing to agree to terms.

As Israeli forces continued to storm cities in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, at least three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire.

Israeli forces shot dead a young Palestinian man during a raid in Askar camp in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

In Beit Rima, which is north of Ramallah, another Palestinian was killed while a third was killed in Tammoun, located in the Tubas governorate.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has said that the amount of aid that has entered Gaza only meets about three percent of the enclave's medical sector needs, several Palestinian media outlets reported.

According to Doctors Without Borders, only 84 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was reopened on 21 October.

US Congressman Max Miller, a Jewish lawmaker with the Republican party, called on Israel to re-occupy Gaza, saying that Israel will get bigger after its assault on the enclave.

"Israel will get a lot bigger. Not a lot smaller. And we will take back that land," he told the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual summit, as reported by Haaretz.

The lawmaker previously said that "Gaza will be turned into a parking lot" amid Israel's aerial bombardment of the besieged enclave.

After reporting that at least a dozen Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes on Sunday morning, the Palestinian news agency Wafa updated that number to more than 100 Palestinians killed.

In al-Shati camp, the news agency reported that the number of Palestinians killed was in the dozens, and bodies were still stuck under the rubble.

In al-Zaytoun neighbourhood in Gaza City, Israeli air strikes hit several homes and killed at least 30 citizens, while wounding others.

In the Jabalia refugee camp, located in northern Gaza, Israeli air strikes targeted 110 homes, and killed at least 45 people.

The news agency also reported that Israeli air strikes destroyed a residential square in Bir al-Naja in northern Gaza, killing dozens.

In Khan Younis and Rafah, about 57 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes on Sunday. The majority of those who were killed were displaced.

The exact death toll from Saturday night and early Sunday morning remains unclear, however, internet connectivity has been partially restored in the enclave.

In a televised address on Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military opened a "second stage" in the war on Gaza by sending ground forces into the besieged enclave.

Netanyahu said the next phase of the war would include expanding Israeli attacks from the ground, air, and sea. The Israeli military said it was gradually expanding ground operations inside Gaza, but stopped short of calling it an invasion.

“It will be long and difficult,” he said. “We are ready.”

“This is the second stage of the war, whose objectives are clear: to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and bring the hostages home,” he said.

The ongoing aerial bombardment of Gaza in recent days has been the most intense residents have witnessed since the start of the war.

Netanyahu said he is determined to bring back all Israeli hostages, and added that the ground operation “will help us in this mission”. Hamas has said it is ready to immediately release all hostages in exchange for the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has risen to more than 7,700 people since the war began, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

At least 19 citizens were killed by Israeli air strikes hitting several areas in Gaza on Sunday morning, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The agency reported that nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes on two homes in al-Magrafa and al-Nuseirat in central Gaza, while dozens of others were injured.

Another nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombing in Bir al-Naja in northern Gaza.

Intense aerial bombardment continued throughout the hours of Sunday morning.

An Israeli air strike that hit a house in Khan Younis killed one Palestinian.

Internet connectivity has partially been restored in Gaza, according to reports from Palestinian media outlets and journalists.

The details of this limited restoration are unclear.

On Saturday afternoon, the streets of major cities across the US were filled with tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators.

A mass demonstration of thousands marched on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, in demand of a ceasefire in Gaza as Israel has expanded ground operations on the besieged enclave.

The demonstration was one of several mass protests to take place over the past two weeks in the city, which has seen tens of thousands coming onto the streets in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

In San Francisco, around 15,000 people rallied in support of the Palestinians in Gaza facing aerial bombardment and an Israeli ground invasion.

“Our elected officials need to take a stand. The world is watching a genocide unfold. From Ramallah to London to NYC, the world is rising to defend Gaza,” said Lara Kiswani, executive director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, one of the organisers for the San Francisco protest.

“We are taking a stand to say no to genocide, no to war, no to invasion. Ceasefire now.”

Israeli forces stormed the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

According to Wafa, eyewitnesses reported that a large number of Israeli forces stormed several neighbourhoods in Jenin.

Videos shared on social media showed Israeli vehicles hit with an explosive device.

Saudi Arabia's defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is expected to visit Washington on Monday for meetings with senior officials in the Biden administration, according to a report from Axios.

The visit had already been scheduled for some time, sources familiar with the trip told Axios, but it would come as Israel expanded ground operations into Gaza this weekend.

Axios reported that Khalid bin Salman is expected to meet with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, defence secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and several senators.

The White House told Reuters it had nothing to confirm when asked about the reported visit.