322 'killed or missing' as Israel launches wave of airstrikes in Gaza

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The UN's humanitarian coordinator for occupied Palestinian territory has branded the airstrikes in Gaza "unconscionable".

Muhannad Hadi called for an immediate end to hostilities and the "restoration of basic services" into Gaza.

"This is unconscionable. A ceasefire must be reinstated immediately. People in Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering," he said.

"An end to hostilities, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of the hostages and the restoration of basic services and people's livelihoods, are the only way forward."

We've just heard from the editor of The Jerusalem Post, who has been speaking to Sky News Breakfast presenter Wilfred Frost.

Zvika Klein says evacuation orders issued by the IDF for parts of Gaza implies a "full-force attack" is coming.

He argues the airstrikes and potential land invasion would be "legitimate" due to the breakdown in ceasefire talks with Hamas - which Israel blames on the militant group. 

"This is something Israel cannot continue with - a ceasefire that has no benefits to the Israeli side, but is only quiet for the citizens of Gaza," he says.

He adds that Israel is "very aware" of international criticism towards these types of attacks, but says the Trump administration has "created support within the West" for Israel that was not as staunch before.

The Israeli army has issued evacuation orders for a number of areas in Gaza - after the ceasefire agreement allowed hundreds of thousands of people to return to their homes across the enclave.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee shared the order on X along with a map that shows the entire Gaza border as "dangerous combat zones".

The order tells people to leave the neighbourhoods of Beit Hanoun, Khuza'a, Abasan al-Kabira and al-Jadida and head to shelters in Gaza City and Khan Younis.

"Continuing to remain in the designated areas puts your life and the lives of your family members at risk," it adds.

Reacting to this development, our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall says it would appear to signal the beginnings of an Israeli land force entering the enclave.

"If you're going to have a major ground offensive, and if it could from all angles, I think they would look to force Gazan civilians into humanitarian zones," he says.

"That would give the IDF some freedom of operation, freedom of movement, in open areas."

 We are beginning to see images of the destruction caused by the overnight strikes on Gaza.

The images below show the damage in the al Mawasi refugee camp in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Images depicting the human toll are also coming through to photo agencies this morning:

Israel attacked Gaza overnight to pressure Hamas to continue the ceasefire under its terms, Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall reports from Jerusalem.

Describing the events, he says Israel has resumed its military operation in "a very big way", not just with airstrikes, but with tank artillery and naval ships off the coast to hit "all parts" of Gaza.

He says the timing of the attacks were "something of a surprise" and that "very few people" in IDF and Israel political circles were told about the plan in order to retain the element of surprise.

"The reason for doing it now, the Israelis say, is because talks weren't progressing sufficiently and, in their opinion, there was a major difference of opinion between Hamas and Israel as to how the ceasefire should continue."

Bunkall says Israel and Hamas disagreed over key aspects of the deal set out by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

"There was this difference of opinion, and it looks like Israel is now striking Hamas in order to put pressure on Hamas to bend to that will. 

"Now, if that doesn't happen, the IDF has spent the last two months drawing up plans for a major operation in Gaza. 

"So I think we would see a land campaign again in Gaza if Hamas does not bend to what Israel is demanding of it."

Gaza's Hamas-run government media office says the number of people killed and missing after Israeli airstrikes this morning is more than 322.

The Hamas-run health ministry said earlier that at least 200 people had been killed.

The government media office called the attacks a "blatant violation of all international and humanitarian conventions".

It says most of those killed and missing are "women, children and the elderly" and that many victims remain unrecovered.

The statement adds that efforts to recover victims have been hampered due to the "complete paralysis" of the transport sector caused by a lack of fuel.

It calls on the international community and the UN to "break their silence and take immediate action".

The deputy interior minister in Gaza, who headed Hamas's police and internal security services, has reportedly been killed in a strike.

Mahmoud Abu Wafah was the highest-ranking Hamas security official in Gaza.

Yousef Munayyer, senior fellow at the Arab Centre Washington DC, has told Sky News that he believes Israel did not abide by the ceasefire agreement before the airstrikes.

"Even when this ceasefire was supposedly in place, the Israelis had not ceased fire and had killed some 150 Palestinians as well as failed to fully live up to their agreed-upon obligation when it came to the facilitation of aid," he says.

Munayyer adds there were "horrific images" coming out of Gaza "at a time when people were hoping for a little bit of reprieve during the holy month of Ramadan".

Joe Truzman, senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, has spoken to Sky News about Israel's aims.

"[Benjamin Netanyahu] has the families, the hostage families, that have been asking him and demanding this ceasefire because they need to get their loved ones back," he said.

"But at the same time, which is very important here, is that ... at least one of Israel's main war objectives is for Hamas not to rule the Gaza Strip after the war is over.

"What Hamas wants is quite the opposite - they want to continue to rule the Gaza Strip. So this is a problem that mediators up to this date have not been able to answer."

Truzman added: "I think Israel is trying to put this pressure back onto Hamas. Whether it's going to work or not, I couldn't tell you.

"However, I think we've reached this point where one way or the other, one side is going to break."