Heavy bombardment continued across the Gaza Strip amid reports of a series of deadly incidents since dawn, Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reports from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza.

Two children were killed following an Israeli air strike on a residential house in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, at the eastern end of Gaza City.

Further south, the city of Khan Younis witnessed a series of deadly attacks in the past few hours. The Israeli military struck a makeshift tent in the coastal area of al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, killing at least five Palestinians, including a woman and two children.

According to Azzoum, witnesses report that booby-trapped explosives have been used to blow up entire residential neighbourhoods, as the Israeli military says it is concentrating operations in Khan Younis, targeting Hamas.

Civilians continued to bear the brunt of these ongoing ground operations. A series of explosions were heard in Deir el-Balah, as residents reported a wave of panic and families were forced to flee in search of safety.