The fighting, more than nine months since the start of Israel's invasion of Gaza following the October 7 attack, underlined the difficulty the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has in eliminating fighters of the militant Islamist group amid continued resistance.
On Friday, the military said troops battled Palestinian fighters in Khan Younis, a city in the south of the enclave, and destroyed tunnels and other infrastructure as they sought to suppress small militant units that have continued to hit troops with mortar fire.
Palestinian official media said at least 14 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in Khan Younis since dawn on Saturday and their bodies were brought to Nasser Medical Complex.
More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes in the enclave, according to Gaza health authorities, who do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.
Injured people are taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after an Israeli bombing. (EPA PHOTO)
Israeli officials estimate that some 14,000 fighters from militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been killed or taken prisoner, out of a force they estimated to number more than 25,000 at the start of the war.
The military said on Saturday its calls to evacuate were communicated to the population via several mediums in order to mitigate danger to civilians.
UN and humanitarian officials accuse Israel of using disproportionate force in the war, which it denies.
Israel's military blames Hamas for putting civilians in harms way, accusing it of operating within densely populated neighbourhoods, schools and hospitals as cover, something the group denies.
About 1200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage in the October 7 Hamas-led raid on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.
