Gazans flee after Israel evacuation warning

Palestinians searched for refuge after Israel told civilians in Gaza to relocate, ahead of an expected ground offensive

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Palestinians carried belongings through the rubble-strewn streets of Gaza City Friday in search of refuge as Israel's army warned residents to flee immediately before an expected ground offensive in retaliation against Hamas for the deadliest attack in Israeli history.

Hamas fighters broke through the militarised border barrier around the Gaza Strip enclave last Saturday, killing more than 1,300 people in Israel, in an attack compared to 9/11 in the United States.

There have been protests in support of the Palestinians across the Middle East and beyond, plus threats of a further confrontation between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.

In Gaza, United Nations officials said the Israeli military told them the evacuation should be carried out "within the next 24 hours" but the army did not confirm that timeline.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for Israel to "avert a humanitarian catastrophe" after its calls to evacuate north Gaza, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.