Israeli tanks & jets bombard Gaza City as Palestinians flee

The offensive sparks outrage among the international community, with the territory already devastated by nearly two years of war

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Israeli tanks and warplanes pounded Gaza City on Thursday, sparking what a top UN official called "new waves of mass displacement", as the military intensified its assault on Hamas militants in the territory's largest urban hub.

AFP journalists and witnesses saw a steady stream of Gazans heading south on foot, in vehicles and on donkey carts -- their meagre belongings piled high.

"There is artillery fire, air strikes, quadcopter and drone gunfire. The bombing never stops," said Aya Ahmed, 32, sheltering with 13 relatives in Gaza City.

"The world doesn't understand what is happening. They (Israel) want us to evacuate south — but where will we live? There are no tents, no transport, no money."

Palestinians say the cost of a ride to the south has soared, in some cases topping $1,000.

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

'Unfit for human dignity'

"The military incursion and evacuation orders in northern Gaza are driving new waves of displacement, forcing traumatised families into an ever-shrinking area unfit for human dignity," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.