Israel-Hamas War: IDF troops launch 'brief ground operation' in Gaza

The Israeli military said its troops and tanks briefly entered northern Gaza overnight into Thursday, hitting several militant targets as a wider ground incursion loomed after more than two weeks of heavy air raids.

Israeli airstrikes have devastated parts of the Gaza Strip, leaving neighbourhoods in rubble, and hospitals in Gaza are struggling to treat masses of wounded with diminishing resources.

The UN warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply curtail relief efforts in the blockaded territory.

And the UN Security Council failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war, rejecting rival resolutions by the United States and Russia.

The war is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday that at least 6,546 Palestinians have been killed and 17,439 others wounded.