Fighting in Gaza’s second-largest city leaves hundreds of patients stranded

Gaza’s health ministry said the offensive has killed at least 25,490 people – the majority of them women and children – and wounded another 63,354.

An Israeli Apache helicopter fires in the direction of the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel (AP)

Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants near the main hospital in Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis, where medics said hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people are unable to leave because of the fighting.

Israel has ordered residents to leave a large area of Khan Younis that includes Nasser Hospital and two smaller medical facilities as it pushes ahead with its offensive against Hamas.