Israeli officials vowed on Sunday to press ahead with the offensive on Gaza City, as residents reported heavy air and ground attacks and local authorities said the famine death toll continues to rise.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the assault on the city, which has drawn international alarm and criticism abroad as well as in Israel, will continue. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is acting and will continue to act with full force to defeat Hamas, to secure the release of all the hostages, and to bring the war to an end under the conditions set by Israel," he said.

On Friday, Katz said attack plans had been approved and warned that Gaza City would be razed unless Hamas agreed to Israel's terms to end the war, including the release of all hostages and Israel's permanent security control over the enclave.

The Israeli military said it had expanded its assault on the Jabaliya area in the northern Gaza Strip. "The troops are dismantling terrorist infrastructure above and below ground, eliminating militants, and strengthening operational control in the area," it said in a statement.

It added that expanding combat into additional areas was aimed at preventing Hamas fighters from regrouping. "The troops will continue to operate against the organizations in the Gaza Strip in order to maintain the security of the State of Israel," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday at least eight starvation-related deaths were documented over the past 24 hours, including one child, raising the famine toll since March to 281, among them 114 children.

According to the health authorities, Israeli air strikes and shootings have killed more than 62,000 people in Gaza since October 2023.