Thousands flee Khan Younis after Israel warns of new offensive

Thousands of people have fled the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis after the Israeli military warned of a new operation to flush out Hamas militants that it says have regrouped there.

In al-Jala, a neighbourhood in the south of the city that the Israel Defense Forces had previously designated a humanitarian zone, residents on Sunday packed their belongings, uncertain where to seek refuge. Israel said rockets had been fired from the area.

Israeli troops are increasingly being forced to return to areas that had been previous targets for intense fighting, re-engaging Hamas and other militants that have regrouped in urban areas.

The US vice-president and democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said on Saturday that the need for a ceasefire and hostage release deal was urgent.

Also on Sunday, the office of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, announced that he would visit Moscow next week to discuss the war with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.