Witnesses say troops opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians traveling through a regularly used military zone to reach a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site.

Israeli air strikes hit areas around Gaza City on Sunday, local civil defence said, as the military pressed ahead with plans for a major offensive on what it sees as the last stronghold of Hamas. Fighting also escalated in Jabalia,

Two years ago, Gaza’s largest city was sprawling with life. Classrooms brimmed with schoolchildren, markets were full of shoppers and beachside cafes offered respite for those escaping the stresses of a besieged enclave.