An Israeli center-left opposition party leader and former general sparked an outcry this week when he made rare criticism of the toll of the war on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Israel has vowed to carry on with its war until the hostages, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive, are free, Hamas is defeated and disarmed and its leaders are sent into exile.

In the past few days, the Israeli army intensified its attacks in Gaza, killing more than 500 Palestinians and injuring hundreds of others.

Israel has launched a new wave of air and ground operations across Gaza, and the army ordered the evacuation of the enclave's second-largest city, Khan Younis, where Israel carried out a massive operation earlier in the war that left much of the area in ruins.