Army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that Palestinian militants are now operating in the area only sporadically and "without commanders".

He said Israel had killed around 8,000 militants in north Gaza. The BBC cannot independently verify this number.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are now focused on dismantling Hamas in south and central Gaza, he said.

Israel has killed more than 22,000 people since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. On Saturday it said it had recorded more than 120 deaths over the past 24 hours.

The territory has been devastated and most of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced.

Israel's offensive started after Hamas gunmen launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking about 240 people hostage.

More than 120 remain, following agreed releases.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Saturday that Israel would continue its campaign to "eliminate Hamas, return our hostages and ensure that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel".

"We have to put everything aside ... until the complete victory is achieved," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at northern Israel on Saturday, in what it called a preliminary response to the killing of a top Hamas official in Beirut earlier this week.

Saleh al-Arouri was assassinated in a suspected Israeli attack in the Lebanese capital.

A statement by the Iranian-backed Lebanese movement says it hit an air traffic control base in Meron with 62 rockets. The Israeli military said it had identified about 40 launches from Lebanon, and that it had responded.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that he was focused on ensuring that the Gaza conflict does not spread and preventing "an endless cycle of violence".

Mr Blinken was speaking in Greece at the start of a week-long trip to the region. He has since flown to Jordan.

bbc