Israel has pounded the southern Gaza Strip with more air raids, destroying homes despite its earlier directive for Palestinians residing in the north of the besieged enclave to move there in advance of an expected ground offensive.

Medical staff at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said on Thursday they had received at least 12 dead and 40 wounded.

Sirens wailed as emergency crews rushed to rescue survivors from one building, where many were believed trapped under the rubble of misshapen bed frames, broken furniture and concrete chunks. Nearby buildings had balconies and facades blown off.

The United Nations says about half of Palestinians in Gaza have been made homeless, still trapped inside the enclave, one of the most densely populated places on earth.

Health officials in Gaza say the Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 3,500 people since October 7, when Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented attack inside Israel that has killed some 1,400 people.