Palestinians Rush To Buy Food As Israeli Siege Begins To Bite

At least 1,417 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the fighting began on Saturday, surpassing the toll in Israel that is now near 1,300

JERUSALEM: Palestinians lined up outside bakeries and grocery stores in Gaza on Thursday after spending the night surrounded by the ruins of pulverised neighbourhoods darkened by a near-total power outage.

Israel launched new airstrikes and said it was preparing for a possible ground invasion.

International aid groups warned that the death toll in Gaza could mount after Israel stopped all deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity to the tiny enclave while its crossing with Egypt is unusable. The war which was ignited by a bloody and wide-ranging assault on Israel by Hamas militants has already claimed over 2,700 lives on both sides.

Palestinians fleeing airstrikes could be seen running through the streets, carrying their belongings and looking for a safe place. Tens of thousands have crowded into UN-run schools while others are staying with relatives or even strangers who let them in.

Lines formed outside bakeries and grocery stores during the few hours they dared open, as people tried to stock on food before shelves are emptied.

On Wednesday, Gaza's only power station ran out of fuel and shut down, leaving only lights powered by scattered private generators.

Israeli energy minister Israel Katz said nothing would be allowed into Gaza until the captives were released. "Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on, and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home," he tweeted.