Gaza City, Gaza – Fighting raged on Sunday in Gaza, more than six weeks after a shock Hamas attack sparked an air and ground offensive by Israel, which has vowed to destroy the Palestinian militant group. More protests over the war have ramped up around the world over the weekend.

Gaza's Hamas government said Sunday the death toll from fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in the Palestinian territory had reached 13,000 since the war began on October 7. They said more than 5,500 children were among the dead, alongside 3,500 women, with 30,000 more people wounded.

The World Health Organization said it had led an assessment mission to Al-Shifa hospital – Gaza's largest and the focal point of the war in past days – and determined it was a "death zone," urging a full evacuation.

The United Nations health agency said it was developing an evacuation plan for nearly 300 remaining patients and 25 health workers after the Israeli military had earlier ordered the evacuation of some 2,500 displaced people sheltering on the hospital grounds.

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Columns of sick and injured were seen making their way out of Al-Shifa hospital Saturday towards the seafront without ambulances along with displaced people, doctors and nurses, as loud explosions were heard around the complex. All premature babies at the hospital were later evacuated, a health official in the Hamas-run territory said.

The evacuation came as Israel, which said it was stepping up military operations against Hamas militants, announced it had found a 180-foot tunnel under the Al-Shifa hospital on Sunday and "RPGs, explosives, grenades, AK47s," inside the hospital compound.

Sirens also blared across Jerusalem over the weekend to warn of rocket fire from Gaza, sending civilians scurrying for cover as loud blasts from intercepted missiles pierced the air.

The Israeli army said Sunday five more soldiers had been killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, raising the number of troop deaths there to 64 since the war began.

On Saturday, a health ministry official in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said more than 80 people were killed in two separate Israeli strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp.

The UN confirmed two UN-run schools sheltering displaced families had been hit, condemning the deaths and injuries of dozens of Palestinians, including women and children.

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Since Hamas militants surged out of Gaza six weeks ago and killed about 1,200 people and seized some 240 hostages, the victims' loved ones have waged a determined campaign for their freedom, with marches staged throughout Israel and the world. Protests have also continued worldwide over the weekend, including in New York and Washington DC, in support of Palestinians and an end to the barrage of violence from the Israeli government.

The United States said it was still working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas after a reported tentative agreement to free women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a pause in fighting.

"We have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal," White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said on X, formerly Twitter, in response to the Washington Post reporting over Saturday a deal had been agreed.

Qatar, a mediator which has helped broker talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire, later said the deal hinges on "minor" practical issues, but did not provide details or a timeline.