U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday urged progress in ceasefire talks in the 20-month war in Gaza, as Israel and Hamas appeared to move closer to an agreement.

The evacuation order covered the Jabalia area and most Gaza City districts. Medics and residents said the Israeli army's bombardments escalated in the early hours in Jabalia, destroying several houses and killing at least six people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over his arch-foe Iran, but the war with a much smaller and stubborn adversary in Hamas drags on. And Netanyahu is facing renewed pressure to end it.