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Gaza: Thousands flee on foot as fighting rages in north

War on Gaza: Thousands of Palestinians flee on foot as fighting rages in north
MENA
23 min read
08 November, 2023
The exodus from northern Gaza continues as the Israeli army continues to battle Hamas around Gaza City.
Israeli strikes continued to rain on Gaza after more than a month of a deadly onslaught on the besieged territory [Getty/file photo]

Thousands of Palestinians have continued to leave Gaza City on foot as battles continue to rage between the Israeli army and Hamas fighters.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 15,000 people evacuated the north on Tuesday, with the Israeli army saying that it forces were moving towards the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. 

The fighting in Gaza comes as the ICRC stated late Tuesday that a humanitarian convoy of five trucks and two ICRC vehicles carrying medical supplies to al-Shifa Hospital came under fire, with two trucks damaged and one person wounded in the incident. It is not known where the fire came from.

Israeli forces also said on Wednesday that they had killed the head of Hamas' weapons and warfare equipment division, Mohsen Abu Zina, in an airstrike earlier in the week. 

The battles around northern Gaza and the severe civilian death toll have led to mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, with the  G7 group of leaders issuing a joint statement on Wednesday calling for a "humanitarian pause" to the fighting in Gaza after two days of intensive talks in the Japanese capital of Tokyo.

The statement comes as Israel continues its month-long bombardment and siege of the Gaza Strip, which has killed 10,569 people including 4,324 children. 26,475 people have also been injured in the bombardment.