Israel said on Sunday it has launched “extensive ground operations” across the Gaza Strip following fierce airstrikes overnight that reportedly killed more than 100 people and forced the closure of the last functioning public hospital in the north.

Israeli ground troops are now operating in both the northern and southern parts of the Palestinian coastal enclave as part of its intensified campaign against Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

The military said that over the past week week it carried out a “preliminary wave” of airstrikes to support the ground forces, targeting more than 670 Hamas positions, including weapons depots, rocket launchers and militant operatives.

“Thus far, the troops eliminated dozens of terrorists,” the statement said.

Casualties in the Gaza Strip are mounting as Israel ramps up its offensive. On Sunday, medics said that some 110 people had died overnight and into Sunday morning, with many more injured.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA, which put the death toll at 108, said most of the victims were women and children. The attack allegedly hit tents sheltering displaced persons.

These accounts could not be independently confirmed.

The Israeli military said in response to an inquiry that it is investigating the incident.

WAFA reported multiple deadly attacks across different areas of the coastal enclave.

No functioning public hospitals in the north

The reported death toll comes as the Hamas-run health ministry said on Sunday that the last functioning public hospital in northern Gaza is no longer operational due to Israeli bombardments nearby.

Heavy fire has cut off access to the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, preventing patients, medical staff and essential supplies from reaching the facility, the ministry said.

With this development, all public hospitals in northern Gaza were said to be out of service.

The IDF has not commented on the report. It has previously accused Hamas of using hospitals to shield military operations, alleging that fighters take cover in medical facilities and store weapons there.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said the stepped up campaign aims to increase pressure on Hamas and secure the release of hostages still being held.

Israeli authorities have said the plans include capturing and holding territory, along with relocating civilians from the north to the south of the strip.

Observers fear the new offensive – named Gideon’s Chariots by the military – will lead to many more deaths in the coastal strip, where people are living in catastrophic conditions.

The Israeli military has not allowed aid deliveries into Gaza for more than two months, accusing Hamas of reselling aid supplies to the increasingly destitute population.

Israel says it killed Hamas leader’s brother

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz believes it is likely that the brother of late Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar was killed in an attack in the Gaza Strip a few days ago, according to media reports on Sunday.

“Although there is no official confirmation yet, all indications are that Mohammed al-Sinwar has been eliminated,” the news website ynet quoted Katz as saying at a committee meeting.

Mohammed al-Sinwar is the younger brother of Yehya al-Sinwar, considered the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. He was killed by the Israeli military in Gaza in October last year. He became head of Hamas’ armed wing after Israel killed Mohammed Deif in July.

Following an Israeli attack on a hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Israeli media reported that the attack was aimed at Mohammed al-Sinwar, but officials had refused to comment.

According to hospital reports, several people were killed in the strike. The Israeli military said it had conducted a “precise attack on Hamas terrorists in a command and control centre.”

According to an unconfirmed Arab media report, the body of Mohammed al-Sinwar was found in a tunnel in Khan Younis. The Israeli military was unable to confirm this when asked on Sunday morning.