Thousands of Palestinians have fled fighting and intense bombing on foot in waves in Gaza as Israel said it was tightening its “stranglehold” around Hamas, reports RTE.
People marched south from Gaza, many wearing only their clothes, as fighting raged a month after Hamas attacks killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, in Israel.
According to the Hamas-led health ministry, Israeli military operations have killed more than 10,500 people in the besieged area, most of them children.
According to United Nations observers, the flow of people south from northern Gaza has accelerated as Israeli air and ground operations intensify, reports RTE.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said about 15,000 people fled yesterday, up from 5,000 on Monday and 2,000 on Sunday, with another wave continuing today.
Israel has set a goal of destroying Hamas and says its ground forces are advancing to pursue the militants, who have a deep network of tunnels and underground bases.
“(Israeli troops) are tightening the stranglehold around the city of Gaza,” Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said.
Palestinian media also reported clashes between militants and Israeli forces near the Al-Shati (The Beach) refugee camp in Gaza City.
Israeli bombings killed more than 10,000 people last month, including almost 40% of them children, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Israel says 32 of their soldiers killed, reports RTE.
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