Israel forces fight Hamas in Gaza, civilians seek shelter

Israeli forces on Wednesday battled Hamas militants in Gaza's main southern city, leading to "deepening horror" for civilians, the UN said, after nearly two months of war sparked by deadly attacks on Israel.

Israeli troops, tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers have rolled into Khan Younis, Gaza's second-largest city, forcing already displaced civilians to flee again, witnesses told AFP.

The military wing of Hamas reported fighting with Israeli forces east of the southern city.

"We are devastated," said local resident Amal Mahdi who survived an overnight Israeli strike on Khan Yunis. "We need someone to find us a solution so we can get out of this situation."

Much of northern Gaza has already been reduced to rubble by fierce fighting and bombardment, displacing 1.9 million people according to UN figures.

With Israel now focusing on the south, the streets of Khan Yunis were almost empty early Wednesday as residents sought shelter from shelling and artillery fire, AFP journalists reported, while the dead and wounded continued to pour into the city's hospitals.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group's October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and saw around 240 hostages taken.

The latest toll from the Hamas government's media office said 16,248 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, had been killed.