75,000 Gazans displaced in past few days: UNRWA

Palestinians fled southern Gaza's main city on Sunday as Israel warned of a new military operation, a day after one of the deadliest reported strikes in more than 10 months of war.

AFP journalists said hundreds of Palestinians fled northern neighbourhoods of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's main city already ravaged by months of bombardment and battles, after Israel issued fresh evacuation orders in the early morning.

The military dropped leaflets and sent mobile phone messages warning of "dangerous combat" in Al-Jalaa district and telling Palestinian residents to leave the area, which until Sunday was designated a humanitarian safe zone.

Similar evacuation orders have preceded major military incursions, often forcing Palestinians displaced numerous times by the war to pack up and leave for safety.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said that "just in the past few days, more than 75,000 people have been displaced in southwest Gaza." The entire territory has a population of about 2.4 million people.

Families gathered their meagre belongings as crowds of people left Al-Jalaa, some loading mattresses, clothing and cooking utensils into pick-up trucks. Others took to the road on foot. Umm Sami Shahada, a 55-year-old displaced Palestinian, said she had "fled Gaza City at the start of the war for Khan Yunis", hoping to find shelter.