Thousands queue to leave Gaza City as Israel agrees to daily pause in offensive

A man sits on the rubble as others wander among the debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp (AP Photo/Abed Khaled, File)

Crowds of Palestinian families stretching as far as the eye could see walked out of Gaza City and surrounding areas toward the south late on Thursday to escape Israeli airstrikes and ground troops battling Hamas militants in dense urban neighbourhoods.

Others joined tens of thousands taking shelter at the city’s biggest hospital, not far from the fighting.