Palestinians in northern Gaza have been told to move south as Israel’s military declared it would be expanding its ground operations “tonight”.

The Israel Defence Force (ADF) made the announcement on Saturday morning (AEDT) as it intensified its strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said its attacks on Gaza had been increased “in recent hours” and ground forces would be ramping up “in a very significant way”.

“In continuation of the offensive activity we carried out in the last few days, the ground forces are expanding the ground activity this evening,” he said.

Hagari further accused Hamas of waging war from Gaza’s main hospital and exploiting civilians as human shields.

He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings he said showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide its tunnels and operational centres.

Meanwhile Palestinians in Gaza have been completely cut off from the outside world with no internet and phone connections.

The Palestine Telecommunications Company confirmed the “complete interruption of all communication and internet services with the Gaza Strip in light of the ongoing aggression”.

Israel has been poised for an apparent ground invasion aimed at wiping out the militant group Hamas, with nearly 100,000 troops massed near the border.

But the US and Arab countries have been urging Israel to delay any operation that could cause more civilian deaths in the densely populated coastal strip and potentially ignite a wider conflict.

Tensions in the region were raised again on Friday (AEDT) when the US fired at targets in Israel’s neighbour Syria in retaliation for attacks on American forces.

US President Joe Biden ordered strikes on two weapons and ammunition facilities used by Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

An opinion poll on Friday suggested almost half of Israelis now want to hold off on a ground invasion out of fears for at least 224 hostages reported to be held there.

An official of the militant Hamas group conditioned the release of the hostages in Gaza to a ceasefire in Israel’s bombardment.

A Palestinian woman makes bread as food supplies dwindle in Gaza. Photo: Getty

Gaza’s 2.3 million civilians are growing more desperate under a siege that has cut supplies of power, water, food, fuel and medicine.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says more than 600,000 Gazans have been made homeless.

Ten more trucks of food and medical supplies arrived in Gaza from Egypt, along with 10 foreign doctors who were the first to enter since Israel tightened its blockade nearly three weeks ago, a Palestinian official said.

Calls for restraint stem not only from concern for Gaza’s civilians and Israeli hostages, but also fears that the crisis could spark conflict across the Middle East.

Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli troops in at least two areas in the Gaza Strip, the latest of several small-scale incursions, Hamas-affiliated media reported. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the reports.

Residents of central Gaza said they had heard an apparent exchange of fire as well as heavy shelling and air strikes along the border, with Israeli planes dropping flares and bombs.

Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades said Israeli forces had attempted to land on a beach at the southern end of the Strip.

Israel says its fighter jets have struck three senior Hamas operatives.

Israel said its fighter jets had struck three senior Hamas operatives who played significant roles in the October 7 attack, though there was no confirmation by Hamas.

In early afternoon, rocket sirens sounded throughout southern Israel and an Israeli medic said three people had been wounded when a missile hit Tel Aviv.

Israel says Hamas killed some 1400 people including children in its October 7 rampage.

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said 7326 Palestinians had been killed in the retaliatory air strikes, including around 3000 children.