The Israeli military surrounded one of the last functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, ordering patients and staff to evacuate and remove their clothing, say eyewitnesses, as concern grows for patients and health workers that remain in the facility.

Israeli forces carrying out a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza ordered any residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to leave the town, citing Palestinian militant rocket fire from the area, residents said.

Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north and forced many of the staff and patients outside.

Gaza's civil defence agency said an air strike hit a hospital Sunday, killing at least seven people, while Israel said it had targeted militants at the no longer functioning facility.

The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza. Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.