'At least 93 killed' in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Friday

Israeli strikes on Gaza killed at least 93 people and injured hundreds on Friday, according to local medics.

Heavy strikes were reported in the northern town of Beit Lahia and the nearby Jabalia refugee camp. Israel said it had killed several militants in an observation compound.

Its forces also struck Khan Younis and the outskirts of Deir al Balah in southern Gaza. Officials at Gaza's Indonesian Hospital said at least 66 bodies had been brought there, while 16 are said to have been taken to the Nasser Hospital further south.

More than 250 people have now been killed in Israeli strikes since Thursday, according to local health authorities. Israel, which had dropped leaflets on Beit Lahia ordering residents to leave, said its airforce had struck more than 150 military targets across Gaza in recent days.

This week, Israel said it had bombed the European Hospital because it was home to an underground Hamas base, but expert analysis has cast doubt on its evidence. Read more:How Israel has escalated Gaza bombing campaign Tom Fletcher, head of the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, warned the Security Council this week it must "act now" to "prevent genocide" - a claim Israel vehemently denies.

Donald Trump spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as he wrapped up his trip to the Middle East. In Abu Dhabi, the US president said: "We're looking at Gaza, and we got to get that taken care of.

"A lot of people are starving, a lot of people. There's a lot of bad things going on." While most of his four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates focused on trade deals, he also chose to recognise the new government in Syria and urged Iran to engage in nuclear talks.

There had been hope Mr Trump's visit could bring about a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli aid blockade of the territory is now in its third month.

Israel says the blockade is to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages and that it won't allow aid back in until a system is in place that gives it control over distribution. Earlier this week, a new humanitarian organisation said it expected to begin operations before the end of the month after what it described as key agreements from Israeli officials.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - which has US backing - identified several US military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort. Many in the humanitarian community, including the UN, said the system does not align with humanitarian principles and will not be able to meet the needs of Gaza's people.

The war began when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel. Israel has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of May that Israel was planning an expanded offensive against Hamas as his cabinet approved plans that could involve seizing the entire Gaza Strip and controlling aid. A defence official said at the time that it would not begin before President Trump finished his visit to the Middle East..