Palestinians flee Gaza City in face of deadly Israeli offensive

HUGE numbers of Palestinians were fleeing Gaza City by any means this week as the Israeli military pressed its ground offensive, killing dozens in strikes.

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Images showed a steady stream of Gazans heading south on foot, by car and on donkey carts, with their few belongings piled high as Israel bombarded the city.

Israel had announced the day before that the US-backed campaign in the Gaza Strip's largest city had begun, pledging to destroy the militant group Hamas in the area.

The offensive has sparked outrage among the international community, with the Palestinian territory already devastated by nearly two years of war and the Gaza City area gripped by a UN-declared famine.

Gaza's civil defence agency, a rescue force operating under Hamas authority, said Israeli fire had killed at least 64 people this week, including 41 in Gaza City.

Media restrictions in the territory and difficulties in accessing many areas mean we are unable to independently verify the details provided by the civil defence or the Israeli military.

The offensive came as a UN probe accused Israel of committing genocide in the Palestinian territory, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials had incited the crime.

This week, the Israeli military said it was opening "a temporary transportation route via Salah al-Din Street", as mages showed fresh bombardments.