The Israeli military has said its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip tonight, as lines of communication in the enclave have gone down.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the army’s spokesman, said aerial attacks had been targeting Hamas tunnels and other targets.

“In addition to the attacks that we carried out in recent days, ground forces are expanding their activity this evening,” he said. “The IDF is acting with great force … to achieve the objectives of the war.”

Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the border with Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive against the Hamas militant group.

Airstrikes have intensified since nightfall and the territory’s internet and mobile communications services collapsed on Friday evening.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered in central London with banners and posters.

Demonstrators have been told to stick together and not to talk or interact with the police.

Protesters also chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, despite controversy around the slogan’s meaning.

In a statement, the World Health Organisation said: “During a night of intense bombardment and ground incursions in Gaza, with reports of hostilities still continuing, health workers, patients and civilians have been subject to a total communication and electrical blackout.

“The WHO reiterates its calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and reminds all parties to the conflict to take all precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“This includes health workers, patients, health facilities and ambulances, and civilians who are sheltering in these facilities. Active measures must be taken to ensure they are not harmed and safe passage provided for the movement of desperately needed medical supplies, fuel, water and food into and across Gaza.

“Reports of bombardment near the Indonesia and Al Shifa hospitals are gravely concerning. The WHO reiterates that it is impossible to evacuate patients without endangering their lives.

“Hospitals across Gaza are already operating at maximum capacity due to the injuries sustained in weeks of unrelenting bombardment, and are unable to absorb a dramatic rise in the number of patients, while sheltering thousands of civilians.

“Health workers who have stayed by their patients’ sides face dwindling supplies, with no place to put new patients, and no means to alleviate their patients’ pain. There are more wounded every hour. But ambulances cannot reach them in the communications blackout. Morgues are full. More than half of the dead are women and children.”

A new YouGov survey finds that 42 per cent of 2019 Labour voters think that Sir Keir has badly handled his response to Israel-Hamas conflict.

Only 26 per cent think Mr Starmer – who has refused to support a ceasefire despite backing from a revolt by dozens of MPs and the party’s devolved leaders – has handled it well.

Read more from political correspondent Adam Forrest here

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he has still not heard from his family in Gaza after internet and communications were knocked out last night.

In a post on X, he said: “Thank you for your good wishes, I’m afraid we have not heard from my in-laws.

“My concern is for all the innocent people suffering for a crime they did not commit. If you did not vote for peace, while children are dying, then I do not know how you sleep at night. “

Police expect about 100,000 people to join a demonstration in London demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, with other rallies organised elsewhere in the UK – including in Manchester and Glasgow.

The Times reported that counter-terrorism officers have privately said Iran is attempting to heighten tensions at rallies over Israel’s bombing of Gaza and were warning of increased hostile-state activity in Britain.

The newspaper said Iranian activity included a campaign of online disinformation and Tehran operatives being physically present at protests.

This comes after at least 200 protestors were arrested in New York as they forced the closure of Grand Central station in a large sit-in.

The demonstration, made up mostly of Jewish New Yorkers, took over the main hall of the iconic station and blocked its main concourse.

Business secretary Kemi Badenoch has attacked the BBC for its refusal to call Hamas terrorists. She told the Telegraph a “false equivalence” has been made in “an attempt to be impartial”.

“Given all of the footage that we saw, we were in no doubt that what we were looking at was a terror attack,” she said.

The cabinet minister also defending the UK continuing to deal with Qatar which is believed to be housing members of Hamas. “If you stop doing business with people, if you stop talking to them, then you have less influence and you’re unable to help shape the outcome of events.”