Israel-Hamas war: 5 key developments from past 24 hours

The Gaza conflict raged for a 27th day on Thursday after the 7 October attacks when the Hamas terrorist group stormed the border, killing 1,400 people and kidnapping more than 240, Israeli officials say. Since then, Israel has relentlessly bombarded the Palestinian territory and sent in ground troops.

Here are five key developments from the past 24 hours:

Israel's army said late on Thursday it had encircled the Hamas stronghold of Gaza City, following days of expanding ground operations in the besieged territory.

"Israeli soldiers have completed the encirclement of the city of Gaza, the center of the Hamas terror organization," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists.

The Israeli military said it targeted Lebanon's Hezbollah with a "broad assault" on Thursday.

The Iran-backed militant group said four of its fighters died in the strikes, after announcing it had attacked 19 Israeli positions simultaneously.

Earlier, a barrage of rockets wounded two people in the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanese border, medics said.

The Lebanese section of Hamas's armed wing said it had fired a dozen rockets at the town.

The cross-border fire comes ahead of the first public speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday since the Israel-Hamas war began, amid fears the conflict could spill over.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as he departed for another Middle East diplomatic tour that the United States was "determined to deter any escalation".

More foreign passport holders and dual nationals crossed into Egypt on Thursday, the second day the Rafah crossing was opened to people seeking to flee Gaza.

The health ministry in Cairo said 21 wounded Palestinians and "344 foreign nationals, including 72 children", entered Egypt.

Cairo said it would help evacuate "about 7,000" foreigners and dual nationals with passports issued by more than 60 countries.

More than 20,000 wounded people are still trapped in Gaza, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Gaza's government said on Thursday that 195 people had been killed in two days of Israeli strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp, the biggest in the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli army said Tuesday's strike killed a Hamas commander.

Unrest has increased in the occupied West Bank in tandem with the war in Gaza, with three Palestinians killed by Israeli fire on Thursday and an Israeli killed in a Palestinian shooting attack, according to first responders.

The Israeli victim died when his car came under fire near Einav settlement in the northwest of the territory.