Israel's defence minister has said troops will remain in so-called security zones they have established by seizing large areas of Gaza even after an end to the war.
Israel Katz said the zones would provide a "buffer" to protect Israeli communities "in any temporary or permanent situation", and that "tens of per cent" of the Palestinian territory had been added since the Israeli offensive resumed three weeks ago.
Israel would continue its six-week blockade of humanitarian aid to pressure Hamas to release hostages, he said, despite the UN warning of "devastating" consequences.
On Wednesday Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) became the latest international organisation to sound alarm at the impact of Israel's campaign, saying that Gaza had been "turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance".
"We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza," Amande Bazerolle, the charity's emergency co-ordinator in Gaza, said.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has said more than 1,650 people have been killed since the war resumed on 18 March.
Hospital officials said at least 24 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Wednesday.
The majority of those reported killed were in Gaza City, in the north.
They included 10 members of the Hassouna family, mostly children and women. One of them was Fatema Hassouna – a young writer and photographer.
The BBC has asked the Israeli military for comment on the strike.
