Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has threatened to annex parts of Gaza unless Hamas releases the remaining Israeli hostages held in the Palestinian territory.
The warning came as Israel stepped up the renewed assault it launched on Tuesday, shattering the relative calm that had reigned in Gaza since a 19 January ceasefire.
It comes as Israeli strikes killed 11 people, Gaza's civil defence agency said, three in pre-dawn strikes and eight more during the daytime.
Yesterday, it had reported a death toll of 504 since the bombardment resumed, one of the highest since the war began more than 17 months ago with Hamas's attack on Israel.
"I ordered (the army) to seize more territory in Gaza... The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel," Mr Katz said in a statement.
Should Hamas not comply, Mr Katz also threatened "to expand buffer zones around Gaza to protect Israeli civilian population areas and soldiers by implementing a permanent Israeli occupation of the area".
The Israeli military called on residents of the Al-Salatin, Al-Karama and Al-Awda areas of southern Gaza to evacuate their homes ahead of a threatened strike today.
Images from northern Gaza showed donkey carts piled high with belongings as residents fled their homes along rubble-strewn roads.
Israel resumed intensive bombing of Gaza on Tuesday, citing deadlock in indirect negotiations on next steps in the truce after its first stage expired early this month.
Its resumption of large-scale military operations was coordinated with US President Donald Trump's administration but drew widespread condemnation.
Turkey condemned what it said was a "deliberate" attack by Israel on a Turkish-built hospital in Gaza.
"We strongly condemn the destruction by Israel of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital," its foreign ministry said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed "concern" over the fresh Israeli assault in a telephone call Friday with the ruler of Qatar, one of the mediators of the January ceasefire.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed concern about the government's actions in a video statement yesterday, saying it was "unthinkable to resume fighting while still pursuing the sacred mission of bringing our hostages home".
Thousands of protesters have rallied in Jerusalem in recent days, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resuming military operations without regard for the safety of the hostages.
Fuel shortages affecting ambulance services in Gaza
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross has said that less than half of emergency vehicles run by the Palestinian Red Crescent are operational in Gaza due to fuel shortages.
Of 53 vehicles in total, 23 remain operational after aid supplies into Gaza, including fuel, were halted in early March, IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa told reporters in Geneva.
"It is having a devastating impact. If an ambulance doesn't have gasoline fuel then there are entire communities that are calling the emergency services and are not getting any answer," he added.
Palestinians with everyday health needs as well as those injured by a renewed wave of Israeli airstrikes on the enclave are being impacted by the reduction in vehicles, the IFRC said.
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'If Ireland doesn't act now, who will?' - Trócaire CEO
Trócaire CEO Caoimhe de Barra said that the impact of resumption of Israeli military strikes and the lack of aid supplies in Gaza has been devastating.
She said that 200 children had been killed in the last three days, meaning hundreds of families are grieving the loss of their children, on top of those already grieving the loss of 17,000 children since the war began.
Ms de Barra said that destruction was continuing on the ground in Gaza and people have lost hope that the war will end.
She said that Trócaire and its partners will not give up on their humanitarian work there while risking their own lives even though this now has "become incredibly difficult".
She added that before Tuesday, partners were able to deliver food to people at risk of famine, and medics were providing prosthetics to those who had lost limbs, but that has since stopped.
"The supplies, that are very limited that are in Gaza are about to run out and this is causing absolutely critical humanitarian need.
"Israel knows that it has the full protection of the US government, there is very little pressure from outside."
She called on the Irish Government here to step up and to do even more and demonstrate that there are consequences of occupation.
She said that now was the time to advance the Occupied Territories bill adding that Israel's actions are leading to genocide.
"If Ireland doesn’t act now, who will?" she concluded.
