Israel said it was entering the “next stage” of the six-week-old war against Hamas as focus shifted to the south of the besieged Gaza Strip. Separately, Israeli paratroopers raided what were called the homes of senior Hamas officials in northern Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wouldn’t say if he believed top Hamas leaders were now hiding around the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. “We’ll get to them,” he told reporters, describing the leadership as “dead men walking.” About 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, on Saturday vacated northern Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive for the past week, a United Nations agency said.

Israel’s army said it launched strikes against both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah across its northern border in Lebanon early Sunday. Meanwhile, Hamas — designated a terror organization by the US and European Union — said it had lost contact with groups assigned to guard some of the hostages it seized on Oct. 7.

For more stories on the Israel-Hamas war, click here.

(All times are Israeli time)

Premature Babies Evacuated From Gaza’s Main Hospital: AP (12:30 p.m.)

At least 30 premature babies were evacuated from Gaza’s main hospital on Sunday and will be transferred to facilities in Egypt, the Associated Press reported, citing the territory’s health ministry.

A World Health Organization team that visited Al Shifa Hospital on Saturday said 32 babies were among scores of patients stranded at the hospital, where Israeli forces have been operating since last week.

Qatar Sees ‘Good Progress’ in Reaching a Hostage Deal (11:36 a.m.)

Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said there’s been “good progress” in the past few days on reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages.

Al Thani, who’s also the foreign minister, said he’s “more confident” about sealing a deal, with the remaining challenges “practical and logistical.” He spoke at a joint press conference with European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.

Israel Says It Raids Residences of Senior Hamas Officials in Gaza (11 a.m.)

Israeli paratroopers and other forces operated in the Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal areas of northern Gaza “in order to identify and destroy Hamas infrastructure and assets,” the defense force said in an operational update.

“The soldiers located approximately 35 tunnel shafts as well as a large number of weapons and eliminated terrorists,” according to the update. “Embedded in the Rimal area are the residences of senior Hamas officials.”

The troops also located a military base belonging to Hamas’s military intelligence unit, as well as ammunition depots and seven rocket launchers. Israel’s claims can’t be independently verified.

Yemen Houthi Rebels Threaten Israeli Ships (10:51 a.m.)

Houthi rebels in Yemen said they’d target ships carrying the Israeli flag as well as those operated by or belonging to Israeli companies. It’s the latest threat from the Iran-backed fighters in a country that overlooks the Red Sea, a key global shipping route.

A Houthi spokesman, posting on X, formerly Twitter, called on other countries to withdraw citizens working on Israeli vessels and stay away from such ships.

Israeli Forces Engage Enemies in North and South (9 a.m.)

Israel’s air, sea and land forces fought enemies on two fronts early Sunday, destroying infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon and that of Hamas in Gaza, the military said.

Air-raid sirens blared in Israel’s southern and northern towns, while mortar shell launches from Lebanon fell in open areas. Hezbollah said it attacked two Israeli sites, the Iran-backed militant group’s Al Manar TV reported.

US Says No Deal Yet on Hostages (4:30 a.m.)

The US said there is no agreement yet between Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages after the Washington Post said a tentative one had been reached to free dozens of women and children held in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting.

“No deal yet but we continue to work hard to get a deal,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in response to the report of a US-brokered agreement.

About 2,500 People Vacated Al Shifa Hospital, OCHA Says (3:11 a.m.)

Some 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, vacated Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital on Nov. 18, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. That followed orders from Israel’s military, which continued its operations within the compound for a fourth consecutive day, OCHA said.

About 123,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Nov. 18, according to the UN agency. Israel said it would allow entry of nearly 70,000 liters of fuel per day, which “is well below the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations,” according to OCHA.

Al Shifa Hospital a ‘Death Zone,’ WHO Says After Visit (2:07 a.m.)

Al Shifa hospital is a “death zone” and “desperate,” according to a UN team allowed to visit Gaza’s largest hospital, and team members saw a mass grave near the entrance holding possibly 80 bodies. The team, led by the World Health Organization, was allowed one hour at the hospital facilitated by the Israeli military, the group said in a press release.

Though the team said Al Shifa was “essentially” no longer operating as a hospital, there remain 291 patients, including 32 babies “in extremely critical condition.” The “vast majority” of patients were suffering war wounds, including amputations, burns and spinal trauma, WHO said.

“WHO and partners are urgently developing plans for the immediate evacuation of the remaining patients, staff and their families” and are seeking safe passage in coming days to transport the sick to two other hospitals, the group said.

School Struck in Northern Gaza (10:43 p.m.)

Palestinians said the Israeli military struck a UN school-turned-shelter in the northern Gaza Strip.

According to the Hamas-run government media office, the shelling resulted in the deaths and injury of 200 Palestinians sheltering at Al-Fakhoura school.

Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, said images he received from the school that shelters thousands of displaced were “horrifying.”

The Israeli military received reports of an incident in the Jabalya region. The incident is under review, the IDF said.

Israel to Turn South in War’s ‘Next Stage’ (10:15 p.m.)

Israel said it’s entering the “next stage” of its war against Hamas, as attention turns from the rubble of Gaza City to the city of Khan Younis in the south. Prime Minister Netanyahu, at a news conference, wouldn’t say if he believed top Hamas leaders are hiding there. “We’ll get to them,” he said. “All Hamas leaders are dead men walking.”

“The places where Hamas can circulate are shrinking,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at the news conference of Israel’s war cabinet. “Whoever was on the western side of the city understands that well — they’ve already met the deadly power of the IDF. Those on the eastern side are understanding that tonight and will understand it more in the next few days.”

“And those who are located in the south of the Gaza Strip will understand that soon,” Gallant said.

In recent days Israel has dropped leaflets in Khan Younis — the hometown of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — warning residents to leave the city for a safe zone in the south of the strip where humanitarian aid is available. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have moved to the safe zone since the war began, defying Hamas efforts to prevent them from fleeing the battle zone.