Thousands of Palestinians flee as Israeli troops push into Gaza City

BBC:

Thousands of Palestinians are continuing to flee Gaza City, as Israel’s major ground offensive aimed at occupying the city enters a second day.

Amid large-scale bombardment overnight, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said al-Ranitisi children’s hospital was targeted in three separate Israeli attacks, forcing half of its patients and their families to flee. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report.

Other hospitals said at least 35 people had been killed by Israeli fire across Gaza so far on Wednesday, most of them in the north.

Earlier, the Israeli military announced that it had struck more than 150 “terror targets” across Gaza City in two days in support of its ground forces.

Israel says its aim is to free its hostages and defeat up to 3,000 Hamas fighters in what it describes as the group’s “last stronghold”, but the offensive has drawn widespread international condemnation.

The leaders of more than 20 major aid agencies, including Save the Children and Oxfam, warned that “the inhumanity of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable”. With world leaders due to gather for the UN General Assembly next week, they called for “urgent intervention”.