Israel launches more Gaza strikes as Netanyahu says Hamas must be destroyed

Nearly 20,700 Gazans have been killed, including 250 in the last 24 hours, according to authorities in Gaza

Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel on Tuesday. Picture: AP Photo/Leo Correa

Israeli shellfire slammed into central Gaza on Tuesday after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged no respite in attacks on Hamas, as residents of the coastal enclave mourned more dead in a war that has cost more than 20,000 Palestinian lives.

Israel is determined to pursue its goal of destroying Hamas despite global calls for a ceasefire in the 11-week-old war, amid concerns the conflict could spread with US and Iran-aligned forces attacking each other elsewhere in the region.