According to local residents, the latest attacks destroyed many houses in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes for designated shelters in the west of the city. Gaza health officials say at least 55 people were killed in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours.

Israeli forces also bombarded areas in the northern and central Gaza Strip, killing Palestinians. The Israeli military said its operations targeted areas believed to be used by members of Hamas to launch rockets toward Israel.

Israeli media reported that Israeli officials have decided not to send negotiating representatives back to Qatar on Thursday as previously announced. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in the US, delivered a speech on Wednesday to US lawmakers outlining a plan to "demilitarize" and “deradicalize” post-conflict Gaza and the possibility of a future military alliance between Israel and the US’s Arab allies.

Reacting to Netanyahu's statement, Hamas said the speech demonstrated that the Israeli leader doesn’t want to reach a ceasefire agreement.