Israel faces growing calls to protect civilians in Gaza as its battle with Hamas encircled the territory’s main hospital, where an aid agency described the situation as “catastrophic”, AFP reports.

Heavy fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces has raged near Gaza’s biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, an AFP correspondent at the scene said, stretching the area’s already crippled health system.

“We call on all international and Arab parties to immediately intervene to stop the targeting of hospitals in Gaza,” said a spokesman for the Gaza health ministry, Ashraf Al-Qudra.

Aid agency Doctors Without Borders said it was “extremely concerned” about the safety of patients and medical staff at Al-Shifa hospital.

“Over the last few hours, the attacks against Al-Shifa Hospital have dramatically intensified,” it said in a statement posted online.