More than 350,000 Palestinians have evacuated Gaza City so far, IDF says

More than 350,000 Palestinians have so far evacuated Gaza City to other areas of the Strip, according to IDF estimates from last night, Report informs referring to The Times of Israel.

Thousands more are estimated to have left the city overnight amid a heavy wave of airstrikes, a defense source says.

The source says that the rate of Palestinian civilians leaving Gaza City will likely increase as the IDF"s ground offensive against Hamas, which aims to conquer the city, progresses.

Around one million Palestinians were estimated to be residing in Gaza City before the IDF began to prepare for the offensive. Last week, the IDF ordered Palestinians in all areas of Gaza City to evacuate immediately ahead the offensive.

Civilians have been instructed to head for an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip"s south.

Overnight, the military carried out intensive airstrikes in Gaza City, according to Palestinian media.