As we reported earlier, Israel has ordered everyone in Gaza's north to evacuate the region, including those in hospitals.

But that task is "almost impossible", says spokesperson for the World Health Organisation, Tarik Jašarević and the organisation is calling on Israel to reconsider that order.

"There are patients who are there that cannot simply be moved, many there are on mechanical ventilators, there are newborns on incubators, people in unstable conditions, and it's very difficult to move them," he told the BBC.

"We are calling on Israel to reconsider this order," he said.

Jašarević said four trucks of surgical and trauma materials, as well as medicines for chronic diseases were brought into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing recently, "but that is not nearly enough".

He said there were more trucks with supplies ready to go on the Egyptian side of the border, but lacked security guarantees that the supplies could be safely brought in.

Since the Hamas attacks of 7 October, Israel has bombarded Gaza and amassed troops by the border, in apparent preparation for a ground offensive.

In separate interviews, two spokespersons for the Israel Defence Forces addressed the question of when such an offensive would take place.

Lt Col Peter Lenner told the BBC's Newshour that the timing would take into account efforts to release the dozens of hostages held by Hamas.

"The ground offensive, if it happens, will be at the best operational time," he says.

Meanwhile Lt Col Jonathan Conricus told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that "the war will end" if Hamas surrenders and releases their hostages.

If Hamas refuses, Conricus said, "we will probably have to go in and get it done".

"The end state of this war is a dismantled Hamas that never ever will have the ability to threaten any Israeli civilian," he said.

On Sunday, Israel carried out airstrikes across Gaza that continued into the night.

Pictures filed by news agencies show collapsed buildings and injured people.

Warning: some readers may find these images upsetting.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

A doctor at Al-Shifa hospital has told the BBC's Newshour programme about the dire conditions they're facing. His interview was done several hours ago, before the latest reported explosions near Al-Shifa, which is the area's main medical centre.

The hospital has run out of bandages to dress wounds, as well as pins and rods to fix fractures, says Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah.

"The disintegration of the system continues. We have more and more wounded come in," he says.

The electricity supply is also a concern, especially for patients who are in intensive care. "Without electricity this hospital is just a mass grave," he says.

Hospital staff are working 16 to 18 hour shifts while worrying about the safety of their families, he adds.

The latest episode of Newscast features the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, who's currently in Ashkelon.

Among other aspects of the Israel-Hamas war, she discusses:

• Israel's attacks on what it said was a terrorist compound in Jenin, in the West Bank
• Hostages and their effect on military tactics
• The BBC's Rushdi Abualouf who she describes as being a devoted father - he has shared how his family, who usually live in Gaza City, are getting on

You can listen to the latest episode right here.

In the last few hours there have been reports of explosions near several hospitals in Gaza. It's still unclear if there are any casualties.

The hospitals include Al-Shifa, the largest medical complex in Gaza, as well as Al-Quds and the Indonesian Hospital, according to the Reuters news agency citing Palestinian media.

On its Telegram channel, Hamas has published a video which it claimed was an Israeli airstrike near Al-Quds. It also published pictures of a destroyed building, claiming it was behind the Kuwaiti Hospital. We are not able to independently verify the video and pictures at this point.

The BBC has asked the Israel Defense Forces to confirm if they have launched airstrikes on targets in those areas, and they've told us they are checking.

We'll bring you the latest developments once we know more.

Hospitals across Gaza are desperate for supplies, and despite the first 20 aid trucks entering from Egypt on Saturday, no fuel has entered Gaza since the conflict began.

On Sunday, Unicef warned that 120 babies in incubators - including 70 premature newborns also on ventilators - are dependent on machines linked up to backup generators which were deployed when Gaza's electricity supply from Israel was switched off.

Gaza director for charity Medical Aid for Palestinian, Fikr Shalltoot, said premature babies may not survive if the generators stop running.

"On that ward there is a 32-week-old baby who doctors managed to save after its mother was killed in an air strike," she told the BBC. "The mother and whole family died but the baby was saved."

Fuel trucks were earlier seen near the Rafah crossing but there's been no confirmation that they've been able to cross into Gaza.

Image source, .

Image source, Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaffirmed Canada's support for Israel to defend itself in accordance with international law, and his concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza while speaking to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

In a post on X, Trudeau said the pair "spoke about hostages held by Hamas, and the need for their immediate release," as well as voicing his support "for the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security".

Speaking on Thursday, Trudeau had said he was not ready to accept the US finding that Palestinian militants were behind a deadly blast at the crowded Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City.

But on Saturday, Canada's National Department of Defence said Israel was not behind the blast.

In a statement the defence department said analysis carried out by the country's intelligence command indicated a "high degree of confidence that Israel didn't strike the Al-Ahli hospital on 17 October".

Hamas blamed Israel for the attack, while Israel blamed Hamas.

• What video, pictures and other evidence tell us about Al-Ahli hospital blast

Image source, PA Media

Good morning to our readers in Asia and Oceania. Israel's bombardment of the Gaza strip appears to be continuing for the 16th night - there are some reports coming in now and we're looking into them.

Meanwhile, here's what else happened on Sunday evening:

• A second humanitarian convoy comprised of 14 trucks carrying aid was allowed to enter Gaza, bringing what Martin Griffiths, the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, called a "small glimmer of hope" to people in the territory
• President Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and later said the two had "affirmed that there will now be a continued flow of this critical aid to Palestinians in need"
• Oxfam's humanitarian lead, Magnus Corfixen, told the BBC that "letting in a few trucks a day is simply not sufficient" and called for aid agencies to be given "unfettered access" to Gaza
• Israel's far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said there should be no guarantee of "continuous aid" to the territory unless Hamas agrees to release all the hostages it still holds
• The leaders of the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy used a joint call to reiterate their support for Israel's "right to defend itself against terrorism" but also call for "adherence to international humanitarian law"
• Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced that they will visit Israel next week
• Israel's military said its aircraft had struck two Hezbollah cells inside Lebanon that were planning to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets towards Israeli territory
• Reports of thousands of people gathering in London's Trafalgar Square to call for the safe return of the hostages from Gaza. Protesters carried pictures of those being held and heard speeches from MPs and leaders from the Jewish community

Stay with us as our teams in Singapore and London bring you the latest.

A total of 4,651 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict broke out on 7 October, the territory's health ministry has said.

The ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said in a statement, external that those killed included 1,873 children, 1,101 women, and 1,677 men.

It added that, of the total death toll, 839 had been killed in southern Gaza, to where people in the north have been told to flee.

The ministry also said that 14,245 people had been injured.

Israeli aircraft struck two Hezbollah cells inside Lebanon early on Monday, the country's military has said, marking the latest in a series of exchanges across the shared border amid the conflict in Gaza.

Israel said one cell was located near the Israeli border town of Mattat, while the other was in the disputed Shebaa Farms region.

It said both cells had been hit before they were able to carry out planned launches of anti-tank missiles and rockets toward Israel.

Lebanon's state-run news agency NNA reported an Israeli air strike on the outskirts of Aitaroun, a village in southern Lebanon that sits around 13km (eight miles) north east of Mattat. It was not immediately clear whether it was referring to the same incident.

There were no immediate reports of anyone being injured in the strikes.

Image source, Getty Images

The leaders of the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy spoke on Sunday about the Israel-Gaza conflict and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

A statement from the White House said President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and the other leaders used the call "reiterate their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism" but called for "adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians".

"They welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages," the statement added.

"The leaders welcomed the announcement of the first humanitarian convoys to reach Palestinians in need in Gaza and committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs.

Israel says military campaign in Gaza could take monthspublished at 00:22 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

00:22 BST 23 October 2023

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant says the military’s campaign in Gaza “may take a month, two or three, but at the end there will be no more Hamas".

Gallant was speaking after operational briefing at the Israeli Air Force Operations Command and Control Centre.

“In terms of the operational aspects of manoeuvring, at the end of the day, nothing will stop the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)", he said.

“This should be our last manoeuvring operation in Gaza, for the simple reason that afterwards there will be no more Hamas.”

The minister expressed his appreciation to the Air Force and said the next stage, a widely-anticipated ground operation, “will come soon”.

How soon remains unclear.

In the next two days, visits are expected from the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the French President Emmanuel Macron.

Image source, Getty Images

Israel's far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has said there should be no guarantee of "continuous aid" to Gaza unless Hamas agrees to release all the hostages it continues to hold.

Ben-Gvir released a statement on X, external, formerly known as Twitter, following the news that a second UN convoy of 14 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had been allowed to enter Gaza on Sunday.

"Any agreement on 'continuous aid to Gaza' that does not include the release of all our abductees is a continuation of the concept that led us to where we are," he said.

"Humanitarian only in exchange for the release of all the abductees!"

A first convoy of 20 trucks carrying aid were allowed to enter Gaza on Saturday. Before the conflict, around 500 trucks of aid entered Gaza every day, according to the UN.

Hamas continues to hold around 200 people kidnapped during the 7 October attacks hostage.

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent, in Jerusalem

More than two weeks after the shocking massacres of 7 October, Israel’s National Centre of Forensic Medicine says hundreds of bodies are yet to be identified.

The centre says it has treated 870 out of the 1,400 victims, and is working around the clock to identify victims and provide closure to grieving families.

According to the foreign ministry, the nature of the killings - which included shootings, stabbings, burning and decapitation - is making identification extremely difficult.

Dr Hagar Mizrahi, head of the medical division of Israel's ministry of health, says the past two weeks have been daunting.

“I have never encountered such severe horrors as I have encountered since the incident on 7 October,” he says. “The human soul is unable to cope with the atrocities committed.”

Israelis are concerned that parts of the world have still not properly understood the brutal reality of what happened on that day, just over two weeks ago.

Tomorrow, journalists have been invited to a screening of body-cam footage retrieved from killed Hamas gunmen.

The invitation says the footage includes “documentation of murder and other visually disturbing materials".

Image source, Getty Images

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Israel this week, according to a statement, external from the Israeli leader's office.

The two leaders will "arrive on Monday and Tuesday" and meet him, the statement says.

Separately, Rutte's office said he would travel to Israel for talks on Monday with Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Elyseé later confirmed that Macron will also visit this week.

Netanyahu spoke to both European leaders today as well as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the statement also said.

These are the latest in a series of diplomatic visits following last week's trips to Israel by UK PM Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

As night fell in Gaza earlier, thousands of displaced Palestinians did something that has become a daily occurrence: took shelter on the grounds of a United Nations school.

This one is in the city of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where the Israeli military has told people living in the north of the region to flee for their own safety.

Hundreds of thousands have arrived there since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel earlier this month, and Israel retaliated.

Here's a look at the school in Khan Younis where dozens of people are living as the war enters its third week.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

We have some reaction to those trucks getting into Gaza, from Oxfam's humanitarian lead, Magnus Corfixen, who told the BBC it's good that more aid reached Gaza but it's not enough.

"Oxfam of course welcomes that another aid convoy of 14 trucks have passed into Gaza as well as the 20 trucks yesterday [Saturday]," he says, "but we must also say that it's a drop in the ocean considering the large-scale humanitarian needs there currently are within Gaza."

Without a ceasefire to enable more aid to be safely delivered, he goes on, the situation will not improve - particularly "when bombs are failing on humanitarian workers and civilians" in Gaza. Corfixen adds:

Image source, Reuters

Following the news that more aid has arrived in Gaza, US President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have insisted there will be "continued flow of this critical assistance" into the region.

In a call between the two leaders, Biden welcomed the first two aid convoys into Gaza since Hamas’s attacks on 7 October.

In a statement, he said the humanitarian aid - food, water and medical supplies - had crossed the border into Gaza and is being distributed to Palestinians in need.

The leaders also discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages being held by Hamas, according to an official handout of their conversation.

The UN's humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths says the second convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza has entered the Palestinian enclave.

Fourteen trucks have gone in, a day after the first 20 aid trucks crossed the Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza.

Griffiths, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, posted on X to say the move was: