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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Israeli airstrikes killed eight Palestinians in the early hours of Wednesday, bringing the death toll in Israel's military offensive to over 200 Palestinians.

In Rafah, Ashraf Abu Shanab, 33, was killed in Shabura camp and Muhammad Abu Audah and Muhammad Zahouq were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Abu Audah family home.

Four others were injured.

A five-year-old girl also died after falling from a building following an airstrike on a residential building in Rafah.

Islamic Jihad fighter Muhammad al-Dabari was killed in an airstrike on a Rafah building, while two men were killed in Khan Younis.

Ahmad al-Nawajha died from injuries sustained when a missile struck his car in Rafah before midnight.

Overnight, Israeli warplanes struck about 40 sites across Gaza, including homes of senior Hamas officials, including Mahmoud Zahhar, but there were no reports of casualties in those strikes.

Earlier, AFP correspondents saw flyers dropped over the Zaytoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City, and residents there and elsewhere also reported receiving recorded phone and text messages urging them to evacuate by 8 a.m.

The Israeli army said it was sending messages to residents of parts of eastern and northern Gaza, "requesting them to evacuate their homes for their own safety" ahead of new strikes.

The army issued similar messages to north Gaza residents on Sunday, causing the exodus of 17,000 people who took shelter in United Nations schools.

President Mahmoud Abbas was due in Cairo on Wednesday, but it was unclear if Hamas officials there were continuing to discuss the truce bid and if Israeli officials would also travel to Egypt.

The proposal won support from Western governments with US President Barack Obama saying he was "encouraged" by Egypt's efforts and hoped to see calm restored.

On Monday, a senior UN official said more than a quarter of Palestinians killed in Israel's assault were children.

*Agencies