Mohammed el-Mougher, head of the supplies department at the Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza, says Israeli forces have advanced towards eastern Deir el-Balah, forcing Palestinians to leave their homes, Al Jazeera reports.

“The hospital received tens of martyrs and wounded people following the Israeli attacks. The ambulance and civil defence teams are still recovering martyrs and injured people from under the rubble,” el-Mougher told Al Jazeera.

“The capacities are very weak and there are only three fire engines in the central governorate. We are facing a lot of challenges and we can’t reach every place.”

He added that Israeli forces had evacuated the al-Qastal neighbourhood without warning and without “declaring it a red zone”.