Army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that Palestinian militants are now operating in the area only sporadically and “without commanders”.

He said Israel had killed around 8,000 militants in north Gaza. The BBC cannot independently verify this number.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are now focused on dismantling Hamas in south and central Gaza, he said.

Israel has killed more than 22,000 people since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. On Saturday it said it had recorded more than 120 deaths over the past 24 hours.

The territory has been devastated and most of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced.

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