At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in Israeli attacks on a residential building and a school in an embattled Gaza City neighbourhood, Palestinians medics said on Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment, saying only it was checking the reports.

Military operations are ongoing in several areas of the Gaza Strip, the IDF confirmed, including heavy fighting in Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighbourhood.

The IDF said “dozens of terrorists” were killed in close combat over the past day and that more underground tunnels used by Hamas militants were destroyed in Shejaiya, which Israel says remains a Hamas stronghold.

Shejaiya residents also reported seeing armed Hamas members attack Israeli soldiers.

The IDF said fighting is also continuing in the city of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, with several fighters killed in an airstrike there.

First responders are currently unable to reach areas in Rafah and Shejaiya due to the fighting, medics said.

The IDF said a total of more than 50 targets were destroyed in airstrikes in the Palestinian territory on Wednesday.