Thousands of Palestinians have fled northern Gaza after Israeli forces launched another offensive in the area.

Preparatory airstrikes killed at least three people and wounded six more in Gaza City neighbourhoods overnight, according to local health workers, and allegedly buried more under the rubble. Israel then moved multiple divisions of soldiers into the Shijaiyah region on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, before they embarked on multiple raids in the area to root out Hamas militants they claimed were hiding out there.


The Israeli military ordered new evacuations from the Shijaiyah region and shortly afterwards, residents in a messaging group shared a video showing large numbers of people fleeing the neighbourhood on foot with their belongings in their arms.

But Palestinians and humanitarian aid organisations say there is nowhere left for them to go, as the central and southern parts of Gaza have, like the northern half of the enclave, suffered significant damage.

Israel has designated “humanitarian zones” throughout the Gaza Strip for fleeing civilians but have nonetheless bombed the areas, claiming that Hamas is using the spaces to hide.