Israeli forces have stepped up their assault on Gaza City with a wave of heavy air strikes, marking a sharp escalation from previous military operations. Unlike earlier phases of the war, the current offensive has relied heavily on aerial bombardments, with entire apartment blocks and large concrete structures reduced to rubble.

The killing of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk has drawn mourning from the forum representing families of hostages still held in Gaza for 706 days.

Gaza City has been filled with so many tents because it was one of the few areas of the enclave that was still accessible to Gazans. Most of Gaza has been under evacuation orders or part of an Israeli militarized zone.

As Israel insists the whole population of Gaza City must leave, the BBC visits new aid sites the army claims will help them.

Palestinians were forced to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip ahead of the Israeli ground offensive as strikes and explosions continued across Gaza City on Friday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which has organized dozens of boats to sail to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid, said that one of its main vessels was targeted in a drone strike just after midnight local time on Tuesday while docked near the Tunisian capital.

Organisers said two boats were hit in separate incidents; Tunisian authorities disputed the first and have not commented yet on the second.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned residents of Gaza City on Monday to leave now, hours after Israel said it would ramp up airstrikes on the enclave.

Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate the city and go to the southern Gaza Strip, but many residents say it is no safer for them there.

Italy has told Israel to respect the rights of Italians taking part on an activist flotilla that is trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

MSNBC's Chris Hayes informed viewers on Tuesday that the network amplified incorrect claims that a young Gazan boy was killed by Israeli Defense Forces.

BBC News has confirmed the identities of 10 members of the Infidels Motorcycle Club working in Gaza for UG Solutions - a private contractor providing security at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, where hundreds of civilians seeking food have been killed in scenes of chaos and gunfire.