Several large explosions lit up the night sky over the Gaza Strip early Thursday as Israel continued its military operation.

It's not yet known if there are any casualties from the blasts.

It comes as the Israeli military has intensified its strikes and pounded the eastern parts of Gaza City in recent days.

Israel’s defense minister warned that Gaza City could be destroyed in a new military operation.

Its offensive has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians during the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says around half were women and children. The agency does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.