The Israeli military said it had called up an additional 60,000 reservists and extended the service of 20,000 "as part of the next phase" of Israel's military operation in Gaza.

An Israeli military spokesman says troops will deepen the damage to the "terror infrastructure" held by Hamas.

Palestinian residents of Gaza City have come under relentless Israeli bombardment as the military prepares for a major offensive to seize and ethnically cleanse the area, barring emergency workers from reaching people trapped in the residential Zeitoun neighbourhood.

Israel approved new settlements in the occupied West Bank, while its troops have reached the outskirts of Gaza City. The developments raise questions about the viability of a cease-fire proposal.

Israeli bombardment has created a "catastrophic" situation in the city's Zeitoun neighbourhood, the city's Hamas-run authority says.

Israel is intensifying airstrikes in neighborhoods on the outskirts of Gaza City, raising alarm among residents as the Israeli security cabinet plans to meet Thursday to formally approve plans that would expand the war in Gaza.