Israeli military strikes killed at least 60 people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as the United States and Arab mediators pushed for a ceasefire.

Aid groups and U.N. investigations have accused Israel of aiming to destroy Gaza’s health infrastructure. Israel says it is forced to strike hospitals it says are used by Hamas for military purposes.

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza on Friday, killing at least 108 people, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military described the bombardment as a prelude to an intensified campaign aimed at compelling Hamas to release hostages.