Palestinian families flee tanks and drones as Israel intensifies assault in two Gaza cities

Israeli troops have pressed further into two Gaza cities, with reports of families left to sleep on roads and beaches as they fled the assault, some under heavy fire from tanks and drones.

As US president Joe Biden pressed Israeli prime minster Benjamin Netanyahu on the urgency of sealing a ceasefire deal with Hamas, Israel’s renewed attack in the cities of Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah intensified on Thursday.

As health officials reported that Israeli strikes had killed at least 22 people, one Palestinian man forced to sleep outside without tents or blankets after fleeing incoming drones and tanks warned of growing disillusionment in Gaza over the ceasefire talks.

“These talks are time-wasting, and they aim to give Netanyahu the time he needs to continue what he is doing. There is no place the tanks didn’t enter, or bomb, and there is nowhere safe anymore,” Imad Al-Ghalayeeni, aged 48, told Reuters from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

“Last night drones began firing towards the tents, we ducked down, for maybe hours, then the noise of tanks got louder as they advanced closer, so we decided to run,” Mr Al-Ghalayeeni added.

“We are five families, 48 persons, we ran to the beach, some slept on the road, others slept onshore, just on the sand with no tents, no blankets or mattresses and you can imagine how terrified were the children and women,” he said.

The war in Gaza began on 7 October when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israeli communities and military bases, killing around 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in response has killed more than 40,000 people since October, according to Palestinian health authorities in the Hamas-run strip.

The United