An Israeli soldier gestures towards a tank crew member as it crosses a road amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near Israel's border with southern Gaza, in Israel, December 4, 2023. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)

The United States said it was too soon to say whether Israel was doing enough to protect civilians and that it expected Israel not to strike zones it has identified as safe.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Israel to avoid further action that would make the already dire humanitarian situation in Hamas-run Gaza worse, and to spare civilians from more suffering.

Israel largely captured the northern half of Gaza in November, and since a week-long truce collapsed on Friday they have swiftly pushed deep into the southern half.

In eight weeks of conflict, the Gazan health ministry said  nearly 15,900 Palestinians, 70% of them women or under 18, have been killed.