Palestinians flee on foot as Israeli troops battle Hamas inside Gaza City

Palestinians flee Gaza City to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din street in Bureij (AP)

Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing south on foot after running out of food and water, a UN agency said, as Israeli troops battle Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City.

More than 70% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have already left their homes, but the growing numbers making their way south point to an increasingly desperate situation in and around Gaza’s largest city, which has come under heavy Israeli bombardment.