The Israeli military has urged residents in northern Gaza Strip to evacuate southward within three hours by traveling on a certain route. It is unknown how many people have heeded the advisory.
The military announced on social media that Salah Al-Din Street, a thoroughfare running north to south through the strip, will be available as a humanitarian route between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.
The military later accused the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas of firing mortars and missiles toward Israeli soldiers who were guarding the route. The military said Hamas is preventing residents from acting in the interest of their own safety.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society released detailed information about the deadly incident in which 15 people died when Israeli forces struck two ambulances in an area near Al-Shifa Hospital, one of the largest medical centers in Gaza.
The organization said one of the ambulances was carrying a 35-year-old woman in a critical condition with shrapnel wounds to her chest and leg. The information was released in response to Israel's claim that Hamas fighters were on board the ambulances.
The Israeli military said it will provide detailed information about the incident.
The Israeli troops continued a fierce offensive on Saturday mainly in northern Gaza, targeting Hamas strongholds and destroying its underground tunnels.
The central parts of Gaza were temporarily engulfed in white smoke amid intense Israeli air raids.
An explosion at a UN-run school in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza killed at least 15 people and injured 70 others on Saturday. Many displaced people were reportedly taking shelter there.
Health authorities in Gaza say the hostilities that started on October 7 have left 9,488 people dead and more than 2,000 others unaccounted for in Gaza.
On the Israeli side, at least 1,400 people have been killed, and more than 240 have been held hostage in Gaza.