Heavy fighting rages in Gaza as US sends more tank ammunition to Israel

An Israeli attack helicopter fires a missile over the Gaza Strip (Leo Correa/AP)

Heavy fighting has raged in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis as Israel pressed ahead with its offensive after the US blocked the latest international efforts to halt the fighting and rushed more munitions to its ally.

Israel has faced rising international outrage and calls for a ceasefire after the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of nearly 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people within the besieged territory, where UN agencies say there is no safe place to flee.