Israeli forces have carried out an airstrike on a hospital in the northern Gaza Strip.



The Israeli military said in a statement on Sunday that the hospital was used by Hamas as a command and control center.



The hospital said that 20 minutes before the attack, Israeli forces ordered patients and other people to evacuate the premises. It said a child being treated at the hospital died during the evacuation.



The hospital, operated by a Christian church, condemned the bombing, and called on all governments to act to stop Israel from attacking medical institutions.



The Israeli military also conducted attacks in wide areas of the enclave on Sunday.



Local media say seven people were killed in an Israeli air raid in central Gaza.



Israeli forces encircled and cut off Rafah in southern Gaza on Saturday, and announced they had started a military operation to expand what they call a security zone in northern Gaza.



Israel is stepping up its military pressure on Hamas while negotiations on extending a ceasefire in Gaza have stalled.