(MENAFN) At least 67 Palestinians were killed on Saturday as Israeli air and drone strikes pummeled multiple areas across the Gaza Strip, according to eyewitness accounts and medical sources. The surge in violence came as Israeli forces reissued evacuation warnings to residents of Gaza City, urging them to flee south amid what the army has described as an expanding military operation.

Most of Saturday’s deaths occurred in Gaza City, where 44 people were confirmed dead in a series of coordinated attacks targeting homes, shelters, and civilian gatherings.

In the Al-Tuffah district, nine members of the al-Jamal family died when their home was hit in an airstrike. Meanwhile, five others were killed in a separate strike on the residence of Majed Abu Salmiya, located in the Al-Shati refugee camp. Abu Salmiya is the brother of Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Shifa Hospital.

Two children were killed when Israeli gunfire struck the Al-Mu’tasim School, a shelter near Yarmouk Stadium housing displaced civilians. In the Al-Samra neighborhood, one woman was fatally shot and others wounded during gunfire near the Jordanian Hospital.

Near the Islamic University, women and children were injured after a strike hit a tent for displaced families. Elsewhere in Gaza City, 23 additional deaths were reported following airstrikes in several neighborhoods.

An attack near Abu Hamid junction, close to Al-Shati camp, left four more Palestinians dead and several wounded.

In a statement, the Civil Defense Service reported that Israeli drones "fired randomly at homes" in both the northern and southern parts of the city, inflicting further civilian injuries.

Late Friday, Israeli warplanes conducted a “fire belt” bombardment in Tel al-Hawa, while ground forces detonated booby-trapped robotic vehicles in the Sheikh Radwan and Al-Nafaq Street areas.

Israeli forces also dropped leaflets over the Al-Shati camp, reiterating orders for residents to move southward.

The military earlier declared plans for a “large-scale ground operation” in Gaza City on Tuesday, although local reports suggest that only limited incursions have occurred, beginning Wednesday night and focused mainly in northern sectors of the city.

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