In Khan Younis, 38 people killed, including 13 children from same family, with survivors sifting through rubble for documents

• Middle East crisis – live updates

At least 72 people have been killed in Israeli operations across Gaza in the past day, hospital officials in the besieged territory have said, although communication difficulties in the north of the Strip mean the final toll could be much higher.

In the central town of Khan Younis, 38 people, including at least 13 children from the same family, were killed in airstrikes early on Friday, hospital records showed. Relatives cradled their bruised and broken bodies in the morgue of the nearby European hospital before they were buried, in some cases several children to a shroud.