GAZA: Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip sought shelter in an ever-shrinking area of the south on Sunday as Israel stepped up its bombing from air, sea and land across the enclave.
Bombardments were concentrated on Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, residents said. Hospitals were struggling to cope with the flow of wounded, they said.
The renewed warfare followed the collapse on Friday of a seven-day pause in the fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups to allow an exchange of the captives.
More than 15,400 have been killed as of Sunday, according to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, in nearly two months of warfare.
Gaza residents said on Sunday they feared an Israeli ground offensive on the southern areas was imminent. Tanks had cut off the road between Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, effectively dividing the Gaza Strip into three areas, they said.
The Israeli military issued a statement ordering Palestinians to immediately evacuate half a dozen areas in and around Khan Younis. It posted a map highlighting shelters they should go to west of Khan Younis and south towards Rafah, on the border with Egypt. But residents said that areas they had been told to go to were themselves coming under attack.
Israeli tanks were shelling the eastern sector of Rafah on Sunday morning, residents said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on that development.
There was hardly any space for more displaced people in the south after hundreds of thousands had fled the Israeli ground invasion in the north of the enclave, the residents said.
"Before, we used to ask ourselves whether we will die or not on this war, but in the past two days since Friday, we fear it is just a matter of time," said Maher, a 37-year-old father of three.
"I am a resident of Gaza City, then we moved to Al-Karara in southern Gaza Strip and yesterday we fled to deeper shelter in Khan Younis and today we are trying to flee under the bombardment to Rafah," he said.
UN officials and residents said it was difficult to heed Israeli evacuation orders because of patchy internet access and no regular supply of electricity.
Palestinian health officials said air strikes destroyed several houses in the Al-Karara town near Khan Younis overnight, killing several people including children.
Residents reported intensive bombing, east of Zeitoun in Gaza City and in Tel Al-Zaatar in northern Gaza Strip.
In Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, Palestinian health officials said two people were killed and others were wounded in an Israeli air strike on a house. Bombing in Tel Al-Zaatar destroyed the houses of two families and caused casualties, medics said. — Reuters
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