U.N. judges in The Hague will rule on Friday whether to order Israel to suspend its military campaign in Gaza as officials push ahead with efforts to negotiate a new deal for a ceasefire and release of more Israeli hostages, Ednews reports referring to Reuters.

On the ground, The Israeli military said on Friday it was still engaged in "intensive battles in the heart of Khan Younis" the main city in the south of the enclave, with forces striking dozens of Hamas fighters and infrastructure from the air and ground. It said forces also fired at Hamas targets in northern Gaza and along the Gaza coastline.

Gaza officials said on Thursday that Israeli strikes killed 20 Palestinians queuing for food aid in Gaza City, 11 people in central Gaza's Al-Nusseirat refugee camp and at least 50 people in the prior 24 hours in Khan Younis, where Israel is currently focusing the brunt of its might.

The judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also called the World Court, are due to rule on Friday on South Africa's request for emergency measures against Israel in a case accusing it of state-led genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In more than three months of war, Israel's campaign has leveled much of the enclave, displaced some 1.9 million Palestinians and killed at least 25,900 people, according to Gaza officials. Israel launched its offensive in October after militants from Hamas, which rules Gaza, stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages.

The court will issue its ruling at 1 p.m. (1200 GMT) in a hearing expected to last about an hour. While the judges will not rule on the merits of the genocide allegations, which may take years to decide, South Africa asked the court to issue an interim order compelling Israel to suspend its military operations.