Gaza: Another airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis has killed at least 17 people, with several members of the same family among the victims.

The attack, which occurred early Friday, is the latest in a series of Israeli airstrikes that have pushed deeper into the northern part of the Palestinian territory.

The assault comes after Israeli airstrikes on Thursday killed over 100 Palestinians, bringing the total death toll in the past two weeks to hundreds. Israel has escalated its operations to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages taken during the group's October 2023 attack.

As part of its renewed offensive, Israeli forces have entered northern Gaza to expand a "security zone," with the military ordering mass evacuations from parts of northern Gaza.

The UN estimates that around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel resumed combat operations after the breakdown of a ceasefire with Hamas last month.

Israel has declared plans to take control of large areas of Gaza and create a new security corridor across the territory. To increase pressure on Hamas, Israel has enforced a blockade on food, fuel, and aid for over a month, leaving civilians in desperate need as resources dwindle. Human rights groups have condemned the tactic as a war crime.

Hamas has refused to release the remaining hostages unless Israel agrees to release Palestinian prisoners, establish a permanent ceasefire, and withdraw from Gaza. The group has also rejected demands to disarm or vacate the territory.

The Israeli military has reported killing a senior Hamas commander in a strike on the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have expanded a buffer zone within Gaza, recaptured sections of the Netzarim corridor, and effectively split northern and southern Gaza.

According to the US-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), more than 300 airstrikes were recorded in just 10 days at the end of March — nearly 10 times the number seen in February ¹.