The Israeli army is seeking to free around 240 hostages, both civilians and troops, captured by Hamas during the attacks. AFP reports.

On Thursday, the military said it killed dozens of enemy fighters.

“IDF fighters continue to advance in the Gaza City area and conduct face-to-face battles with Hamas terrorists and deepen the fighting,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists.

“During the night the forces fought against many terrorists who tried to ambush them. At the end of a battle that lasted several hours and included ground fighting and fire support from aircraft and a missile ship, many terrorists were killed.”

Now gruelling urban warfare lies ahead deeper inside Gaza, where Hamas is fighting from a tunnel network spanning hundreds of kilometres (miles). Global concern has risen sharply over Israel’s response, in which the army says it has struck more than 12,000 targets so far.