Israel has pressed on with its bombing of Gaza after saying its campaign to destroy Hamas has left the Palestinian group on the “verge of dissolution”, AFP reports.

Humanitarian leaders fear the besieged territory will soon be overwhelmed by disease and starvation, and are piling diplomatic pressure on Israel to boost efforts to protect civilians.

Fighting raged on today, with Hamas saying clashes had taken place in central Gaza and witnesses reporting deadly Israeli strikes in the south of the territory.

Israeli air strikes killed at least 12 people in the southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt, where tens of thousands of people are seeking shelter, official Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

Strikes on Monday targeted Gaza’s main southern city of Khan Younis, now the epicentre of the fighting.