Thousands of Palestinians are continuing to flee Gaza City, a day after Israel said it had begun a major ground offensive aimed at occupying the city.
Amid large-scale bombing overnight, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said al-Ranitisi children's hospital was targeted in three separate attacks, forcing half of its patients and their families to flee.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. Earlier, it announced that it had struck more than 150 'terror targets' across Gaza City in two days.
Israel says its aim is to defeat up to 3,000 Hamas fighters in what it describes as the group's 'last stronghold' and free its hostages.
But the offensive has drawn widespread international condemnation. The heads of over 20 aid agencies have called on world leaders to act, saying 'the inhumanity of the situation in Gaza is unconscionable' and calling for 'urgent intervention'.
For days, huge columns of Palestinians have streamed southwards from Gaza City in donkey carts, rickshaws, vehicles strapped high with belongings, and on foot.
Until now, they have been forced to flee down a single coastal road to an Israel-designated 'humanitarian area' in al-Mawasi.
However, the IDF announced the opening of a second route to leave, down the central Salah al-Din road, as part of the ongoing military operation.
Many Palestinians have expressed concerns about the costs associated with the journey, making displacement more challenging. Aid groups warn that the designated humanitarian areas are overcrowded and unable to support the influx of around 2 million expected refugees.
International reactions to the situation have been severe, with UN officials referring to the ongoing assault as 'totally unacceptable'. Meanwhile, the toll of violence in Gaza continues to mount with increasing fatalities amidst the chaos.
