Gaza, Jul 13 (IANS): At least 60 bodies of Palestinians were found on the streets and in houses after the Israeli army withdrew from some neighbourhoods in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, the Civil Defence Service in Gaza said.

The Civil Defence Service said on Friday that its crew members began to recover the deceased from the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood and some areas west of the city following the withdrawal of Israeli army forces.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that its troops started a "counterterrorism" operation in the area earlier this week after intelligence indicated that Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants and infrastructure were embedded inside the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City.

The IDF said on its X account on Friday that it found large quantities of weapons in a compound near UNRWA's headquarters, Xinhua news agency reported.

It added that the troops opened a "defined corridor" to enable civilians to evacuate from the area at the start of the operation.

On Thursday, more than 60 bodies were also recovered from the rubble in the eastern Gaza City neighbourhood of Shujaiya after a two-week Israeli ground offensive.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage.

The Gaza-based health authorities said on Thursday that the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza has risen to 38,345.