A UN report says women and children are the main victims in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with two mothers estimated to be losing their lives every hour in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces continued air and ground attacks over a large area in the enclave, including the southern city of Khan Youngish, on Saturday.

Gaza's health authorities say 24,927 people have so far been killed.

A UN Women report published on Friday said that "around 70 percent of people killed in Gaza are today estimated to be women and children, including two mothers per hour killed since the beginning of the crisis."

Meanwhile, after speaking with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone on Friday, US President Joe Biden said Netanyahu is not completely opposed to a two-state solution.

However, CNN reported that one day earlier Netanyahu had rejected the idea of creating a Palestinian state.

While the Netanyahu administration appears determined to continue its military operation, relatives of the hostages detained in Gaza staged a protest in Israel on Friday, and some members of Israel's war cabinet are questioning the effectiveness of the operation.