Palestinians fleeing Israeli offensive face water, food woes

Concerns growing over plight of hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans

CAIRO/GAZA - Many Palestinians were seeking shelter on July 3 after fleeing their homes in southern Gaza and complained of water shortages as Israel pressed on with its military offensive in the densely populated enclave.

Israeli forces carried out new military strikes in the southern city of Rafah amid fierce fighting with Palestinian militants overnight, residents said. At least 12 people were killed in new strikes in central and northern Gaza, health officials said.

Israel's leaders have said they are winding down the phase of intense fighting against Hamas, the Islamist group that has governed Gaza since 2007, and will soon shift to more targeted operations in the nearly nine-month-old war in Gaza.

But fighting continued overnight in two locations in the centre of Rafah, where tanks have seized several districts and advanced farther west and north of the city in recent days, and concerns about the plight of hundreds of thousands of displaced people are growing.

The Israeli military said its forces have continued targeted, militarybased operations in Rafah, dismantled several military sites and killed Palestinian militants.