Thousands of reservists have begun reporting for duty as the Israeli military presses ahead with its offensive to conquer Gaza City.
BBC News says ground forces are already pushing into the outskirts of Gaza’s largest urban area, which the military says is a Hamas stronghold.
The city is also coming under heavy Israeli aerial and artillery bombardment, with local hospitals saying that more than 50 Palestinians have been killed there since midnight.
The military has ordered residents to evacuate and head south immediately.
The UN says an estimated 20,000 have done so over the past two weeks, but almost a million remain.
UN humanitarian officials have warned that the impact of a full-blown offensive would be “beyond catastrophic”, not only for those in the city but for the entire Gaza Strip.
